[Nfbmt] {Spam?} Resolutions 2016

[Breslauers]

National Convention Resolutions 

 

The policies of the National Federation of the Blind are established by
resolutions adopted by the national convention. Each year the Resolutions
Committee meets early during the convention in the presence of hundreds of
Federationists. Each proposed resolution is read, spoken for by the authoring
Federationist,

considered, and then ultimately withdrawn or recommended for passage or
disapproval by the full convention.

 

Through the national convention resolutions, we establish the governing
policies of our organization!

 

National Federation of the Blind 

Resolutions for 2016

 

Resolution 2016-01

Regarding the Introduction of the Accessible Instructional Materials in
Higher Education (AIM HE) Act

 

WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind, the oldest and largest
organization of blind people in the United States, has made access to all
aspects of the educational experience for blind students a priority and since
2013 has actively sought congressional support for digital accessibility
legislation

that will expand the circle of participation to fully include students who
are blind or print disabled at institutions of higher education nationwide;
and

 

WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind has led efforts to bring about
consensus among all relevant stakeholders to support such legislation by
engaging in negotiations with the Association of American Publishers, the
American Council on Education, EDUCAUSER, and the Software and Information
Industry Association, while also seeking input from other disability
organizations; and

 

WHEREAS, these negotiations have culminated in the successful drafting of the
Accessible Instructional Materials in Higher Education (AIM HE) Act, which
will authorize a purpose-based commission comprised of representatives from
all relevant stakeholder communities to develop voluntary accessibility
guidelines that will be beneficial to both developers and manufacturers of
postsecondary electronic instructional materials and related technologies, as
well as to

the institutions that procure such materials and related technologies; and

 

WHEREAS, the purpose-based commission will also develop an annotated list of
existing national and international IT standards as an additional resource
for institutions of higher education and companies that service the higher
education market to provide information about the applicability of such
standards

in higher education settings; and

 

WHEREAS, Congressman Phil Roe from Tennessee's First Congressional District
has recognized the importance of digital accessibility and has demonstrated a
commitment to equal access by agreeing promptly to introduce the AIM HE Act
to the United States House of Representatives: Now, therefore,

 

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention
assembled this fourth day of July, 2016, in the City of Orlando, Florida,
that this organization commend Congressman Phil Roe of Tennessee's First
Congressional District for recognizing the importance of digital
accessibility by championing

the Accessible Instructional Materials in Higher Education Act in the United
States House of Representatives; and

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization call upon the United States
Congress to act swiftly to provide consideration and a floor vote to the
Accessible Instructional Materials in Higher Education Act, thereby ensuring
that blind, and otherwise print-disabled, students are afforded the same
educational benefits provided to nondisabled students so that they can live
the lives they want.

 

Resolution 2016-02

Regarding Space Available Travel for Veterans Discharged from the Military
for a Disability Prior to September 23, 1996

 

WHEREAS, the budget-neutral Space Available program, operated by the Air
Mobility Command, allows members of the active military, retirees, and others
to fly on military aircraft if space is available; and

 

WHEREAS, Congress recognized that servicemen and women who became disabled
fighting to protect the homeland deserve the same benefits as retired members
of the Armed Forces and therefore classified anyone discharged from the
service due to disability from a combat-related injury occurring after
September

23, 1996, as medically retired; and

 

WHEREAS, Congress failed to make this re-categorization automatically
retroactive to include disabled veterans discharged due to an injury
occurring prior to September 23, 1996, thus preventing these heroes from
participating in the Space Available program; and

 

WHEREAS, the National Association of Blind Veterans, a division of the
National Federation of the Blind, believes that all disabled veterans
discharged from the military due to disability should be allowed to
participate in the Space Available program; and

 

WHEREAS, the House Committee on Armed Services staff met with the National
Federation of the Blind in person and maintained an open line of
communication while they crafted the National Defense Authorization Act; and

 

WHEREAS, Chairman Mac Thornberry of Texas included H.R. 2264 in the base
House National Defense Authorization Act; and

 

WHEREAS, on May 18, 2016, the United States House of Representatives passed
the Fiscal Year 2017 National Defense Authorization Act; and

 

WHEREAS, Senators Ayotte and Hirono fought for the inclusion of the Equal
Access to Air Travel bill, S. 2596, into the Senate National Defense
Authorization Act; and

 

WHEREAS, Senator Bob Dole wrote Senator McCain on multiple occasions urging
him to allow all medically discharged veterans the right to participate in
Space Available; and

 

WHEREAS, Senators Heller and Tester offered a floor amendment, Senate
Amendment 4235, to the National Defense Authorization Act, which would have
included the same language from the House National Defense Authorization Act
in the Senate version to end the unequal treatment of disabled veterans based
on when

they were injured; and

 

WHEREAS, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Armed Services, Senator
McCain, and Ranking Member Reed refused to include S. 2596 into the base bill
and refused to allow a vote on the amendment or allow its inclusion in a
manager's amendment; and

 

WHEREAS, the House and Senate will appoint conferees later this year to
conference and combine their respective bills into one: Now, therefore,

 

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention
assembled this fourth day of July, 2016, in the City of Orlando, Florida,
that this organization commend the Chairman of the House Committee on Armed
Services, Congressman Mac Thornberry, the House Committee on Armed Services
staff, and

Congressmen Bilirakis, Nugent, and Moulton for their efforts to end the
unequal treatment of medically discharged disabled veterans in the Space
Available program based on the date they were injured; and

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Federation of the Blind commend
Senators Heller, Ayotte, Hirono, and Tester, as well as former Senator Bob
Dole, for their efforts to include S. 2596 in the National Defense
Authorization Act; and

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Federation of the Blind demand that
the conference committee end the unequal treatment of our nation's blind or
otherwise disabled veterans in the Space Available program by adopting the
language in Section 1046 of the National Defense Authorization Act passed in
the House.

 

Resolution 2016-03

Regarding the Swift Ratification of the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access
to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired, or Otherwise
Print Disabled (or "Marrakesh Treaty")

 

WHEREAS, in June 2013 the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
convened a diplomatic conference in Marrakesh, Morocco, in order to
deliberate on a treaty to address the book famine plaguing over three hundred
million blind, low-vision, and print-disabled people across the globe, who
are denied

access to more than 95 percent of published works; and

 

WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind was one of the key negotiators
in Marrakesh, expressing strong support for the treaty, which was signed by
the United States on October 2, 2013; and

 

WHEREAS, after more than two and a half years of subsequent deliberation and
negotiation among the members of the United States intergovernmental working
group tasked with developing the Marrakesh Treaty's implementing legislation,
President Barack Obama submitted the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access

to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired, or Otherwise
Print Disabled ratification and implementing legislation packages to the
United States Senate for its advice and consent on February 10, 2016; and

 

WHEREAS, since its transmission to the US Senate, six additional countries
have succeeded in ratifying the treaty within their borders, bringing the
total number of countries ratifying the Marrakesh Treaty to twenty, and
twenty are required to bring the treaty into force: Now, therefore,

 

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention
assembled this fourth day of July, 2016, in the City of Orlando, Florida,
that this organization call upon the United States Senate to fulfill its
constitutional duty to provide its advice and consent for the Marrakesh
Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind,
Visually Impaired, or Otherwise print Disabled without delay; and

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization call upon all relevant
stakeholders to make a good faith effort to encourage the US Senate to
consider the Marrakesh Treaty before the conclusion of the second session of
the 114th Congress.

 

Resolution 2016-04

Regarding Apple's Inadequate Testing of Software Releases

 

WHEREAS, Apple, Inc. has made VoiceOver, a free and powerful screen-access
program, an integral part of many of its products, including the Apple
Macintosh, iPhone, iPod Touch, Apple TV, and iPad; and

 

WHEREAS, when a significant software update for one of these products is
released, there are often accessibility bugs that impact the usability of the
product by blind users, causing them to lose their productivity or their
ability to perform certain job duties when the use of Apple devices is
required; and

 

WHEREAS, recent updates have included a large number of serious, moderate,
and minor bugs that have made it difficult or impossible for blind people to
perform various tasks such as answering calls, browsing the internet,
entering text into forms, or adding individuals to the Contacts Favorites
list; and

 

WHEREAS, for example, after iOS 9.0 was released, some iPhones running
VoiceOver occasionally became unresponsive when getting a phone call, and
there was no way to choose any option on screen; and

 

WHEREAS, although this issue was fixed in a new release of iOS, it would not
have occurred if Apple had conducted more thorough testing with VoiceOver;
and

 

WHEREAS, another example of inadequate testing by Apple involves VoiceOver
failing to render the contents of the screen when a user attempts to add a
contact to the Favorites list in the phone app and has multiple contact
groups from which to select; and

 

WHEREAS, because Apple products and its accessibility tools are built by the
same company, there is no need to share confidential information with
partners that may affect the normal development of the software; and

 

WHEREAS, we recognize the efforts made by Apple to inform developers about
the accessibility features built into Apple products and encourage the
company to keep working in that direction; however several accessibility
issues still appear with new software releases even when they have been
reported during beta testing; and

 

WHEREAS, it is vital that Apple give priority to addressing bugs that have an
impact on accessibility before releasing software updates: Now, therefore,

 

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention
assembled this fourth day of July, 2016, in the City of Orlando, Florida,
that this organization call upon Apple to make nonvisual access a major
priority in its new and updated software by improving its testing of new
releases to ensure

that nonvisual access is not limited or compromised; and

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization call upon Apple to work
actively to incorporate feedback from testers who use VoiceOver during the
beta testing phase of software development to ensure that accessibility for
blind individuals is properly and fully addressed.

 

Resolution 2016-05

Regarding Equal Access for Educational Internships

 

WHEREAS, educational internships are often a curricular requirement for
graduation from a college or university; and

 

WHEREAS, educational internships can provide graduates with invaluable
experiences and training that enhance graduates' likelihood of being hired in
their chosen career fields; and

 

WHEREAS, Titles II and III of the Americans with Disabilities Act prohibit
colleges and universities from discrimination against and disparate treatment
of individuals with disabilities, and ultimately mandate the provision of
equal access to opportunities for such persons; and

 

WHEREAS, Americans with Disabilities Act protections include off-campus
educational internships offered as a part of a school's programs, services,
and benefits; and

 

WHEREAS, blind students regularly face discrimination by college internship
coordinators who fail to coordinate auxiliary aids for off-campus internships
and mistakenly believe that blindness will limit a student's ability to
perform an internship: Now, therefore,

 

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention
assembled this fourth day of July, 2016, in the City of Orlando, Florida,
that this organization hereby condemn and deplore the actions of colleges and
universities that have restricted blind students' participation in
educational internships,

required blind students to complete internships only with assistance from
sighted peers, or denied accommodations within these internships; and

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we demand that colleges and universities
implement procedures, train employees, and otherwise take active measures to
ensure that educational internships are fully, equally, and independently
accessible to blind students.

 

Resolution 2016-06

Regarding Releasing Web Access Regulations under ADA Titles II and III

 

WHEREAS, President Barack Obama called the release of web access regulations
under Titles II and III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) "the
most important updates to the ADA since its original enactment"; and

 

WHEREAS, the Department of Justice (DOJ) released an Advanced Notice of
Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) on July 26, 2010, putting the public on notice
that DOJ intended to issue guidance to state and local governments as well as
places of public accommodation on how to comply with web access requirements
under

the ADA; and

 

WHEREAS, a proposed rule with respect to public entities covered by Title II
of the ADA was submitted to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs
(OIRA) on July 9, 2014, leading state and local governments and consumers to
believe that much-needed guidance in the area of web accessibility was
imminent; and

 

WHEREAS, subsequent to the release of the proposed Title II rule, and despite
the need for guidance from DOJ and the rising number of lawsuits from around
the nation resulting from the absence of such guidance on how to comply with
Titles II and III of the ADA, DOJ announced that it had decided to delay the
release of regulations under Title III of the ADA (which governs places of
public accommodation) until an unspecified date; and

 

WHEREAS, on April 29, 2016, DOJ announced that it was also withdrawing the
proposed Title II rule, thereby further delaying regulatory guidance on how
to comply with web accessibility requirements for state and local
governments; and

 

WHEREAS, while blind Americans remain unable to access many of the websites
offering information, goods, and services that are available to the general
public, DOJ has issued a Supplemental Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
and requested further comments with respect to Title II regulations,
propounding questions that have already been asked and answered since the
ANPRM was first announced six years ago: Now, therefore,

 

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention
assembled this fourth day of July, 2016, in the city of Orlando, Florida,
that this organization condemn and deplore the Obama administration's
repeated delay tactics in issuing the much-needed guidance for public
entities and public accommodations

with respect to the information, goods, and services that they provide via
the internet; and

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we call upon the administration to release the
regulations that will provide guidance on web accessibility as authorized
under Titles II and III of the Americans with Disabilities Act without
further delay; and

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we urge all political and civic leaders to join
with us in calling on this administration to fulfill the promise made and
bring clarity to the accessibility of public information, commerce, and
education in the twenty-first century.

 

Resolution 2016-07

Regarding MathML

 

WHEREAS, MathML is increasingly used for coding and presentation of math web
content; and

 

WHEREAS, MathML can be interpreted by screen access technology; and

 

WHEREAS, different access technology packages choose to implement and rely on
different methods of interpreting MathML, and not all technologies even
implement MathML; and

 

WHEREAS, this inconsistency causes problems for web developers when
developing accessible web content: Now, therefore,

 

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention
assembled this fourth day of July, 2016, in the City of Orlando, Florida,
that this organization encourage all access technology manufacturers to
implement MathML support; and

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we call on manufacturers to standardize the
features of MathML that will be relied upon and the methods in which the
content will be accessed, so as to provide a consistent experience for users
and web developers alike.

 

Resolution 2016-08

Regarding Protecting the Civil Rights of Blind Parents

 

WHEREAS, protecting the rights of parents with disabilities is a notion that,
incredibly, was rejected by the United States Supreme Court in the case of
Buck v. Bell 274 U.S. 200 (1927), in which Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes
wrote, "It is better for all the world, if instead of waiting to execute
degenerate offspring for crime, or to let them starve for their imbecility,
society can prevent those who are manifestly unfit from continuing their
kind"; and

 

WHEREAS, this insulting and unjustified view that people with disabilities,
including blind people, are somehow "manifestly unfit" to be parents (or
otherwise to live the lives they want and to participate as members of
society with all rights and privileges associated therewith) has too often
continued to prevail in the courts even as we move further into the
twenty-first century; and

 

WHEREAS, this bias is reflected in matters involving adoption and
guardianship and in contested child custody proceedings, because blind
parents have been perceived by the courts, child protection agencies,
guardians ad litem, hospital staff, and others as incapable of caring
adequately for their children's needs, which has resulted in blind parents
routinely being denied the right to be parents without unfair bias or
unnecessary overreach by government entities; and

 

WHEREAS, for most people a fundamental aspect of living life to the fullest
includes the joy of being a parent and sharing in the nurturing, growth, and
development of a child; and

 

WHEREAS, being a parent and raising children is a fundamental right which is
protected under the Constitution of the United States of America by the First
and Ninth Amendments thereto and under the Fourteenth Amendment as applied to
the states; and 

 

WHEREAS, in the case of blind parents, there is a need to protect this
fundamental constitutional right; yet nearly forty states have no laws at all
to protect the right of blind citizens to be parents and raise their children
without being fearful of discriminatory treatment or unnecessary inquiries of

fitness solely based on blindness: Now, therefore,

 

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention
assembled this fourth day of July, 2016, in the City of Orlando, Florida,
that this organization call upon state legislatures across the nation to
enact laws that establish procedural safeguards to protect the right of blind
people to

be parents and prohibit discriminatory presumptions of manifest unfitness
solely because a parent (or prospective parent) happens to be blind; and

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we urge state attorneys general, in protecting
the best interest of the child(ren) in each proceeding, to use their good
offices affirmatively to protect blind parents in every state against
discrimination and bias based solely upon blindness and to urge the courts,
guardians ad

litem, and officials of child protection agencies to base decisions about
what is in the best interest of the child on issues regarding fitness to
parent, not on blindness.

 

Resolution 2016-09

Regarding the Accessibility of Integrated Development Environments for Blind
Developers

 

WHEREAS, development environments in principle offer an equal footing to
sighted and blind developers; and

 

WHEREAS, many integrated development environments (IDEs) are largely
accessible to blind developers, as is the case with Microsoft's Visual
Studio; and

 

WHEREAS, many prominent IDEs and tools such as SublimeText and the Arduino
IDE remain closed to blind developers: Now, therefore,

 

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention
assembled this fourth day of July, 2016, in the City of Orlando, Florida,
that this organization strongly urge developers of integrated development
environments and other development tools to build and expand their products
with blind

developers in mind.

 

Resolution 2016-10

Regarding the Application of the Randolph-Sheppard Act to Military Dining
Facilities

 

WHEREAS, in 1974 Congress expanded the priority for blind persons to operate
vending facilities on federal property under the Randolph-Sheppard Act by
specifying that the priority applies to contracts for cafeterias,
subsequently interpreted to include military dining halls; and

 

WHEREAS, as stated in the 2007 National Defense Authorization Act, Congress
defined food service contracts to include "full food services, mess attendant
services, or services supporting the operation of all or any part of a
military dining facility"; and

 

WHEREAS, on June 7, 2016, the Department of Defense issued proposed
regulations which, if implemented, would disregard the law defining food
service contracts, and limit opportunities for the blind to contracts for
dining hall management rather than giving priority to the blind under food
service contracts as

defined in the 2007 National Defense Authorization Act and to all contracts
pertaining to operation of cafeterias, as specified in existing regulations
of the Department of Education issued to implement the Randolph-Sheppard Act;
and

 

WHEREAS, the Randolph-Sheppard Act charges the United States Department of
Education, not the Department of Defense, with prescribing regulations to
assure that licensed blind persons are given priority in the operation of
vending facilities and cafeterias on all federal property, stating
unambiguously in

the Randolph-Sheppard Act that any limitation on the placement or operation
of a vending facility must be fully justified in writing to the Secretary of
Education, who shall determine if such limitation is justified; and

 

WHEREAS, the professed authority relied upon by the Department of Defense to
promulgate regulations is merely a statement signed by the Chairmen of the
Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives
respectively and was never voted upon by Congress or any committee within
Congress; and

 

WHEREAS, by restricting the priority for the blind to contracts for food
service management only, the proposed regulations would eventually replace
approximately forty-five blind vendors who now have military dining service
contracts with contracts awarded to the Source America/AbilityOne Program, a
program that is being investigated by a federal grand jury for corruption,
fraud, and failing to hire and maintain the number/percentage of disabled
workers required by law: Now, therefore,

 

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention
assembled this fourth day of July, 2016, in the City of Orlando, Florida,
that this organization demand withdrawal of the Department of Defense
proposed regulations pertaining to military dining services, recognizing that
the currently effective regulations of the Department of Education pertaining
to the award of cafeteria contracts supersede those of any other federal
department; and

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization insist that the Department of
Education clearly instruct the Department of Defense that the Department of
Education's regulations mean that a current non-blind operated contract for
military dining services cannot be entered into or renewed unless a contract
opportunity has been offered to the blind as provided by the
Randolph-Sheppard Act.

 

Resolution 2016-11

Regarding the Need for Interstate Uniformity in the Determination of
Eligibility for Special Education Services under the Disability Category of
"Visual Impairment, Including Blindness"

 

WHEREAS, in 1966 the United States Congress recognized the importance of
educating children with disabilities in the regular education classroom by
amending the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to include Title
VI-Aid to Handicapped Children, which provided grant funding for schools
serving disabled students; and

 

WHEREAS, in 1974 the US Congress enacted the Education for All Handicapped
Children Act, later renamed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
(IDEA), which expanded the initial grant funding and required public schools
to allow students with disabilities to attend their institutions; and

 

WHEREAS, nineteen years ago, in 1997, the IDEA was amended and the
implementing regulations issued pursuant to this amendment defined ''visual
impairment including blindness'' to mean an impairment in vision that, even
with correction, adversely affects a child's educational performance and the
term includes

both partial sight and blindness and subsequent amendments to the IDEA and
its implementing regulations have retained this definition in its entirety;
and

 

WHEREAS, states are required by IDEA implementing regulations to determine
whether the child is a child with a disability, as defined by the statute;
and

 

WHEREAS, twenty-three states have created eligibility criteria in addition to
those set forth in the federal definition of "visual impairment, including
blindness," and these additional eligibility criteria exclude some children
who otherwise meet the federal definition from receiving special education
services to which they are entitled under federal law and violate the state's
duty to use the definitions issued pursuant to the IDEA to make eligibility

determinations: Now, therefore,

 

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention
assembled this fourth day of July, 2016, in the City of Orlando, Florida,
that this organization call upon each state department of education to ensure
that its special education regulations define the disability of "visual
impairment,

including blindness" using the definition issued by the implementing
regulations pursuant to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and
eliminate any additional eligibility criteria; and

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization call upon the United States
Department of Education Office of Special Education Programs to audit each
state's definition of the disability of "visual impairment, including
blindness" to ensure that a child's eligibility for special education is not
dependent upon that child's state of residence.

 

Resolution 2016-12

Regarding Making Autonomous Vehicle Technologies Accessible to Consumers Who
Are Blind

 

WHEREAS, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL),
seven jurisdictions-California, Florida, Michigan, Nevada, North Dakota,
Tennessee, and Washington DC-have enacted legislation related to the
operation of autonomous vehicles since 2011; and

 

WHEREAS, while most states to date have not enacted autonomous vehicle
legislation, NCSL statistics reveal that such legislation was introduced in
six states in 2012, nine states in 2013, twelve states in 2014, and sixteen
states in 2015; and

 

WHEREAS, recent congressional hearings and proceedings before the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) clearly indicate that the
United States government also intends to consider potential legislation and
regulations related to the design and operation of fully self-driving
automobiles; and

 

WHEREAS, the Honorable Anthony Foxx, Secretary of the United States
Department of Transportation (DOT), in an announcement made at the North
American International Auto Show in January of 2016 in Detroit, Michigan,
committed nearly $4 billion over the next ten years to the development and
adoption of safe vehicle

automation and updated NHTSA's policy on autonomous vehicles to include plans
during 2016 to propose guidance to industry on the safe operation of fully
autonomous vehicles; and

 

WHEREAS, proponents of autonomous vehicle technologies have testified at
congressional hearings and administrative committee meetings, offered
comments at public forums, and explained in the press how the advent of fully
self-driving cars will be most beneficial to people with disabilities who are
not now permitted to drive on our nation's roads and highways; and

 

WHEREAS, despite this advocacy by manufacturers and organizations that
support the proliferation of autonomous vehicles, most autonomous vehicle
technology being deployed today, ironically, is in fact not accessible to
people with disabilities or to blind people; and

 

WHEREAS, early intervention is absolutely necessary in the development and
deployment of autonomous vehicle technology because the seven jurisdictions
that have adopted autonomous vehicle legislation so far require that a
licensed driver be present while the autonomous vehicle is in operation,
which defeats the purpose of having a truly self-driving car in the first
place; and

 

WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind has done more to promote
nonvisual access to all types of technology (including the operation of motor
vehicles) than any government entity, manufacturer, or advocacy organization
promoting the proliferation of autonomous vehicles or the rights of people
with disabilities: Now, therefore,

 

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention
assembled this fourth day of July, 2016, in the City of Orlando, Florida,
that this organization reaffirm its position as a stakeholder in the
proliferation of fully self-driving cars, and

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization urge the private sector, as
well as government entities at all levels, to work with the National
Federation of the Blind to create nonvisual accessibility standards for all
technologies related to autonomous vehicles; and

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization call upon national associations
that support the proliferation of autonomous vehicles, as well as
organizations promoting the rights of people with disabilities, to join with
the National Federation of the Blind to advocate for nonvisual accessibility
in all autonomous

vehicle technologies so that all people, including those who are blind, may
benefit from these technologies.

 

Resolution 2016-13

Regarding the Target Corporation's Commitment to Web Accessibility

 

WHEREAS, accessible websites allow blind and other disabled users a greater
measure of independence and convenience than inaccessible websites and offer
the same convenience accorded to sighted users who do not wish to travel to
brick-and-mortar locations; and

 

WHEREAS, Target has formed a longstanding partnership with the National
Federation of the Blind to ensure that its products and services are
accessible to disabled customers, particularly those who are blind; and

 

WHEREAS, Target has proven its commitment to creating websites and
applications that conform to the leading industry standard for web
accessibility, WCAG 2.0 Level AA; and

 

WHEREAS, Target is the first organization to partner with the National
Federation of the Blind in its Strategic Nonvisual Access Partnership
Program; and

 

WHEREAS, Target shows every indication of continuing its commitment to the
accessibility of its services in the future: Now, Therefore,

 

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention
assembled this fourth day of July, 2016, in the City of Orlando, Florida,
that this organization commend Target on the excellent quality of its
website's accessibility and on its continued efforts to make its site and
services fully usable

and accessible for all users, both now and in the future.

 

Resolution 2016-14

Regarding the Preservation of Access to Nemeth Code for Mathematics and
Science Notation for Blind Students in the United States

 

WHEREAS, the Braille Authority of North America (BANA) passed a motion on
November 12, 2012, adopting Unified English Braille to replace the current
English Braille, American Edition in the United States, while maintaining the
Nemeth Code for Mathematics and Science Notation, 1972 Revision and published
updates;

the Music Braille Code 1997; and the IPA Braille Code, 2008; and

 

WHEREAS, BANA has issued "Provisional Guidance for Transcription Using the
Nemeth Code within UEB Contexts," which sets forth the minor changes needed
to incorporate UEB as the literary component of mathematics and technical
materials to replace the function formerly performed by the English Braille,
American Edition (EBAE) code; and

 

WHEREAS, each state was tasked with creating a customized plan for
implementation of UEB, and while all states have adopted UEB to replace EBAE
as the literary Braille code for students in elementary and secondary
schools, there is a split with regard to Braille code for technical materials
(mathematics and science); and

 

WHEREAS, this split has emerged because BANA has failed to confirm
unequivocally its 2012 motion to retain Nemeth Code for use in technical
materials and now opines that it cannot "reach consensus regarding the
establishment of a single standard code for technical materials for Braille
in the United States,"

leaving the decision to use UEB or the Nemeth Code within UEB context for
technical materials up to each individual state; and

 

WHEREAS, while the majority of states, including textbook leaders California
and Texas, are implementing the 2012 BANA resolution and retaining Nemeth
Code, a few states are deciding to reject portions of the 2012 BANA
resolution and are adopting UEB for technical materials; and

 

WHEREAS, there is no certification for the transcription of technical
material into UEB  technical materials, yet despite the lack of qualified,
certified transcribers, states choosing to utilize UEB for technical
materials and the American Printing House for the Blind (APH) are producing
curricular material in UEB for technical materials; and

 

WHEREAS, the fundamental differences between Nemeth Code and UEB for
technical materials create time-consuming reinstruction for both students and
teachers when switching between Nemeth Code and UEB for technical materials,
and producing the same curricular material in two different codes is an
inefficient use of limited educational resources; and

 

WHEREAS, the concurrent use of two different Braille codes for technical
materials creates unnecessary barriers for students and teachers moving from
one state to another and also produces inefficiencies in the preparation of
teachers of blind students by requiring the teaching of both codes in order
to prepare all teachers properly to serve all blind students; and

 

WHEREAS, the concurrent use of two different Braille codes for technical
materials generates additional need for professional development of teachers
of blind students, which unnecessarily reduces time available to keep up with
technology and other emerging trends in the education of blind students; and

 

WHEREAS, since 1952, the use of the Nemeth Code in the United States has been
beneficial to and supportive of blind students in the STEM (science,
technology, engineering, and math) fields; the Nemeth Code is more efficient
than UEB for technical materials in terms of writing math at all
instructional levels; and the Nemeth Code is more efficient than UEB for
technical materials in terms of using technology for writing math: Now,
therefore,

 

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention
assembled this fourth day of July, 2016, in the City of Orlando, Florida,
that this organization call upon the Braille Authority of North America to
state unequivocally that the Nemeth Code, with the guidance for Nemeth in UEB
contexts,

is the only standard for mathematics Braille in the United States; and

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization call upon each state
legislature, should BANA continue to neglect its duty to establish a single
standard code for Braille technical materials in the United States, to
require its state department of education to eliminate needless confusion and
unnecessary cost by unequivocally adopting the Nemeth Code for Mathematics
and Science Notation, with BANA's guidance for Nemeth in UEB contexts as the
standard for

math Braille; and

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization call upon each university
preparation program to eliminate needless confusion and unnecessary cost by
unequivocally

adopting the Nemeth Code for Mathematics and Science Notation, with BANA's
guidance for Nemeth in UEB contexts, as the standard for math Braille.

 

Resolution 2016-15

The Right of the Blind to Access Exercise Equipment in Fitness Facilities

 

WHEREAS, the fitness industry is on the rise with over thirty-four thousand
health clubs across the United States and with countless more hotels,
universities, and work places offering consumers and employees access to
fitness facilities; and

 

WHEREAS, Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the
Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines, and the United
States Access Board guidelines specific to sports facilities seek to provide
guidance so that places of public accommodation, including stand-alone
fitness facilities

or fitness facilities in hotels, universities, or places of work, are
approachable, functional, and usable by persons with disabilities in a safe,
independent, and dignified manner, which includes their facility access,
membership, and access to exercise equipment;

 

WHEREAS, the current Access Board standards are primarily focused on
rendering the built environment accessible and say very little about
accessibility of fitness equipment for people who are blind;

 

WHEREAS, the 2015 "Standard Specification for Universal Design of Fitness
Equipment for Inclusive Use by Persons with Functional Limitations and
Impairments" created by ASTM International, Subcommittee F08.30, an
international standard-setting body, is designed to provide manufacturers the
tools they need to

produce accessible equipment but does not provide purchasing guidance for
fitness facilities; and

 

WHEREAS, many fitness facilities contain equipment that must be operated with
a flat screen, touch screen, or other technology that has not been made
accessible to the blind; and

 

WHEREAS, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services
publication Healthy People 2020 and numerous other scholarly publications,
individuals who are blind are twice as likely to be obese as individuals in
the general population, leading to increased instances of heart disease,
stroke, high blood pressure, type II diabetes, sleep apnea, certain
site-specific cancers, and osteoarthritis; and

 

WHEREAS, significantly limited access to fitness facilities due to
inaccessible exercise equipment makes it increasingly difficult for
individuals who are blind to meet the surgeon general's recommendation of
one-hundred fifty minutes of moderate physical activity weekly to help reduce
obesity and offset

other negative health consequences: Now, therefore,

 

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention
assembled this fourth day of July, 2016, in the City of Orlando, Florida,
that this organization strongly encourage health clubs, hotels, universities,
workplace fitness facilities, and other fitness facilities open to the public
to provide full and meaningful access on a nonvisual basis to fitness and
exercise equipment, thereby complying with the Americans with Disabilities
Act's general prohibition on discrimination; and

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we call upon fitness facilities to work directly
with the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute and the National
Federation of the Blind Sports and Recreation Division to ensure that
exercise and fitness equipment is accessible to the blind; and

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization, in an effort to provide
clarity to those who operate fitness facilities regarding what their
obligations are under the ADA, urge Congress to give the United States Access
Board the authority to write standards to make all fitness equipment fully
accessible so that the blind can use such equipment on an equal basis with
the sighted.

 

Resolution 2016-16

Regarding the Technology Bill of Rights for Individuals with Diabetes and
Vision Loss

 

WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind and the NFB Diabetes Action
Network advocate for the rights of an ever-increasing population of blind and
low-vision people with diabetes; and

 

WHEREAS, the NFB Diabetes Action Network has created and adopted the
following Technology Bill of Rights for Individuals with Diabetes and Vision
Loss, which proclaims that all people with diabetes have a right to
technology that is thoughtfully, collaboratively, and inclusively designed,
and that we who have diabetes and are blind assert the following rights: 

 

(1) true independence-to manage our diabetes independently, with dignity, and
without requiring assistance from sighted individuals; 

 

(2) meaningful access-to access the same life-changing diabetes information,
diagnostic tools, and treatments as are available to others; 

 

(3) identical devices--to benefit from the same (not inferior, antiquated, or
less effective) diabetes devices at the same time and

price as are available to our sighted peers; 

 

(4) direct control-to operate these devices directly, through flexible and
inclusive nonvisual and low-vision features, rather than relying upon
smartphones or apps for access; 

 

(5) full participation-to participate fully in planning, pre-market testing,
clinical trials, and evaluation of these technologies, their user interfaces,
and related apps; and

 

WHEREAS, low vision and blindness complicate diabetes self-care; and

 

WHEREAS, for the past thirty years diabetes technologies have failed to
include essential usability features (audio, high contrast, large print) that
make independent diabetes self-care possible; and

 

WHEREAS, increasingly powerful and life-changing diabetes devices are
emerging, many with high tech user interfaces such as onscreen menus and
touch screens that create unintentional digital barriers that make the
devices difficult to use without good vision; and

 

WHEREAS, this lack of access disadvantages users with visual disabilities and
causes serious health inequities; and

 

WHEREAS, all diabetes devices can be designed to be fully accessible out of
the box for little or no extra cost using existing technology; and

 

WHEREAS, audio features are already enhancing functionality and user
experience for all consumers in other technologies such as GPS systems,
elevators, ATMs, and Google Maps, not just for blind or low-vision consumers;
and

 

WHEREAS, in some products simple tactile buttons and audible tones or
vibrations may make devices fully accessible, while in others text-to-speech
and zoom features can make user interfaces more inclusive: Now, therefore,

 

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention
assembled this fourth day of July, 2016, in the City of Orlando, Florida,
that this organization adopt and affirm the Diabetes Action Network's
Technology Bill of Rights for Individuals with Diabetes and Vision Loss; and

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization pledge to work toward
establishing and securing these important rights until all diabetes devices
are fully accessible out of the box; and

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization urge other diabetes advocates,
technology developers, and federal policy makers to affirm these rights and
join with us to work to end these unjust health inequities. 

 

C2016 All Rights Reserved - Copyright 2016 NFB

 

Joy Breslauer, President

National Federation of the Blind of Montana 

Address: P.O. Box 1325, Great Falls, MT 59403 

Phone: (406) 454-3096

Email: president at nfbofmt.org

Web Site: http://www.nfbofmt.org <http://www.nfbofmt.org/> 

 

Live the life you want 

 

The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the
characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the
expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles
between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want;
blindness is not what holds you back.

 

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