[NFBOH-Cleveland] Three Good Reads

Tue Apr 14 17:43:02 UTC 2026

Parma police join Blue Envelope Program: Sun Postings

Cleveland.com

April 13, 2026

PARMA, Ohio -- Parma is now participating in Ohio's Blue Envelope Program, a
voluntary tool for drivers with communication disabilities to improve
communication with law enforcement, firefighters and EMS.

Envelopes are available at the Parma Police Department front desk or through
a local Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities location.

Each blue envelope contains space for documents and accommodation notes, a
car decal to alert first responders (decal display is optional) and a
program overview brochure.

"We are proud to support a program that promotes dignity, understanding and
safety for all members of our community," Mayor Tim DeGeeter said in a press
release.

"The Blue Envelope Program helps ensure that every interaction with our
first responders is informed, respectful and responsive to individual
needs."

Participants can also choose to voluntarily register with the Ohio Bureau of
Motor Vehicles.

This informs officers of a "medically diagnosed communication disability"
included in the registration information.

The actual medical diagnosis remains private.

  _____  

A bill would explore making NH a 'technology first' state on disability.
Here's what that means.

Route Fifty

April 13, 2026

Some lawmakers and disability advocates are working to make New Hampshire
the latest to adopt what's called a "technology first" framework for
state-administered services for people with disabilities.

The technology-first framework is designed to address a persistent issue
within state services for people with disabilities: a nationwide shortage of
professional disability caregivers, commonly known as direct support
professionals. Adopting this framework would mean the state prioritizes new
technologies that might be able to mitigate the need for hard-to-come-by
caregivers.

For example, in Missouri
<https://dmh.mo.gov/dev-disabilities/technology-first>  which has adopted
the framework, the state offers automatic medication dispensers instead of
hiring a direct support professional to come to a disabled person's home and
administer medicine when possible. Washington, D.C.
<https://dds.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dds/publication/attachments
/DDS%20Tech%20First%20Toolkit%20v1%20Final%2010.20.25_0.pdf> , has a program
that allows people with physical disabilities to receive smart speakers that
can control household features, such as lights, with their voice. In Ohio
<https://dodd.ohio.gov/about-us/resources/tech-first/Regional_Tech_Hubs> ,
the state established 10 regional "tech hubs" where people can be trained on
using these new assistive technologies.

Kansas University <https://stateofthestates.ku.edu/technology-first> 's
Lifespan Institute, which promotes this type of legislation nationwide and
tracks its progress across different states, ranks Missouri and Ohio as
leaders - or "expert states" - in the technology-first movement. The
institute categorizes Washington, D.C., as "advanced." All but 11 states
have adopted some form of this framework, according to the Lifespan
Institute. New Hampshire is one of those 11.

If enacted, House Bill 1685
<https://gc.nh.gov/bill_status/legacy/bs2016/billText.aspx?sy=2026&id=2333&t
xtFormat=pdf&v=current>  wouldn't go so far as adopting the framework, but
it would establish a commission to study the issue and develop ideas on how
to move forward with it. That committee would include lawmakers, disability
advocacy organizations, people with disabilities themselves, and their
families. 

"We in the disability community believe in exploring options and giving
opportunities for people to use technology as a way to solve some of the
problems that they're facing with some of the barriers that are occurring,
especially around the workforce," Vanessa Blais, policy and planning
director for the New Hampshire Council on Developmental Disabilities, told
state senators in support of the bill in March.

Rep. Heath Howard, who sponsored the bill, said the legislation would ensure
New Hampshire becomes "a more inclusive and thoughtful state." He also
framed it in economic terms, saying it would "foster economic growth in
(the) high-tech sector" that creates this assistive technology. The
commission would also study ways to attract assistive technology companies
to New Hampshire.

"Technology first is more than a phrase; it is a framework that ensures that
technology is considered first in discussions of support options to promote
meaningful participation, social inclusion, and self-determination for
individuals and their families," Howard, a Strafford Democrat, said.
"Similar legislation has already passed and seen bipartisan support in other
states, and it's time for New Hampshire to join them."

An amendment to the bill softened its original language, removing the term
"technology first" in favor of "assistive technology." Some advocates worry
this will result in a less comprehensive system-wide approach, but Heath is
still promoting the bill as a technology-first measure. HB 1685 has been
passed by the House with the amendment and is now being considered in the
Senate.

  _____  

Amtrak to invest $8M in Cleveland station upgrades to improve accessibility

Cleveland.com

April 13, 2026

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Amtrak <https://www.amtrak.com/home>  is investing $8
million in its downtown Cleveland station to make it more accessible for
passengers.

The project includes building a new 1,200-foot-long concrete platform, along
with new walkways and an expanded canopy. The new platform will feature a
warning edge, railing, new signage and improved lighting.

Work is expected to start this spring and be completed within 18 months,
according to Amtrak.

Train service is not expected to be disrupted during construction.

The improvements are part of a broader effort following a 2020 settlement
between Amtrak and the U.S. Department of Justice over the railroad's
failure to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Since then,
Amtrak has upgraded stations in more than 100 cities nationwide.

Additional Ohio stations are scheduled for upgrades, including facilities in
Elyria, Sandusky and Bryan.

Cleveland's station, built in 1977 and located at 200 Memorial Shoreway,
just south of Huntington Bank Field, is Ohio's busiest, with 61,685
passengers in 2025. That's a 5% increase over the year before.

Nationwide, Amtrak served a record 34.5 million passengers in 2025.

The Cleveland station is served by four trains daily, all arriving and
departing in the dark. The Lakeshore Limited travels between Chicago and New
York City/Boston, stopping in Cleveland at 4:03 a.m. west bound and 5:38
a.m. east bound.

The Floridian travels from Chicago to Miami, via Pittsburgh and Washington,
D.C., with stops in Cleveland at 1:45 a.m. east bound and 2:59 a.m. west
bound.

Meanwhile, efforts continue to expand passenger rail service in Ohio.
Several possible new routes are in the planning stages, including service
from Cleveland to Columbus, Dayton and Cincinnati and service from Cleveland
to Detroit via Toledo.

  _____  

Suzanne M. Hartfield Turner

National Federation of the Blind of Ohio, Vice President

Ohio Legislative Director

Cleveland Chapter, President

The National Federation of the Blind advances the lives of its members and
all blind people in the United States. We know 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. Our collective power, determination,
and diversity achieve the aspirations of all blind people.

P: (216) 990-6199

W: NFBOhio.ORG

Facebook:  <https://www.facebook.com/ohiosblind/photos/>
https://www.facebook.com/ohiosblind/photos/

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/nfboh-cleveland_nfbnet.org/attachments/20260414/26de60ed/attachment.htm>