[NFBOH-Cleveland] Read the following resolutions that will be considered by the resolutions committee on July 4 by link or in the body of this email

[smturner.234 at gmail.com]

2026 Resolutions

The following resolutions will be considered by the resolutions committee on
July 4. Those that pass will be considered by the full convention on July 7.

Quick Links

Choose a link below to navigate to the respective resolution section.

*	RESOLUTION 2026-01 Regarding an Immediate Motion to Dismiss
<https://nfb.org/resources/speeches-and-reports/resolutions/2026-resolutions
#1>  Texas v. Kennedy
*	RESOLUTION 2026-02 Regarding Supporting Modernization of the
AbilityOne Program and Reform of the Direct Labor Ratio
<https://nfb.org/resources/speeches-and-reports/resolutions/2026-resolutions
#2> 
*	RESOLUTION 2026-03 Regarding Ongoing Facebook Accessibility Defects
<https://nfb.org/resources/speeches-and-reports/resolutions/2026-resolutions
#3> 
*	RESOLUTION 2026-04 Regarding the Accessibility of Delivery Robots
<https://nfb.org/resources/speeches-and-reports/resolutions/2026-resolutions
#4> 
*	RESOLUTION 2026-05 Regarding Collaboration and Training in the
Education and Rehabilitation of Blind Individuals
<https://nfb.org/resources/speeches-and-reports/resolutions/2026-resolutions
#5> 
*	RESOLUTION 2026-06 Regarding the United States Department of Justice
Memorandum Pertaining to the Olmstead Decision
<https://nfb.org/resources/speeches-and-reports/resolutions/2026-resolutions
#6> 
*	RESOLUTION 2026-07 Regarding Ableism and Health and Human Services
Access as Public Health Infrastructure
<https://nfb.org/resources/speeches-and-reports/resolutions/2026-resolutions
#7> 
*	RESOLUTION 2026-08 Regarding hCaptcha Accessibility Cookies
<https://nfb.org/resources/speeches-and-reports/resolutions/2026-resolutions
#8> 
*	RESOLUTION 2026-09 Regarding the Inaccessibility of Automated and
AI-Powered Pre-Employment Screening Platforms
<https://nfb.org/resources/speeches-and-reports/resolutions/2026-resolutions
#9> 
*	RESOLUTION 2026-10 Regarding Deficiencies with Microsoft
<https://nfb.org/resources/speeches-and-reports/resolutions/2026-resolutions
#10> 's New Outlook Software
*	RESOLUTION 2026-11 Regarding Accessible Pedestrian Signals
<https://nfb.org/resources/speeches-and-reports/resolutions/2026-resolutions
#11> 
*	RESOLUTION 2026-12 Regarding the Realignment of Special Education
Services, Rehabilitation Programs, and Civil Rights Enforcement Within the
Federal Government
<https://nfb.org/resources/speeches-and-reports/resolutions/2026-resolutions
#12> 
*	RESOLUTION 2026-13 Regarding Enforcement of Digital Accessibility
Under Title I of the ADA
<https://nfb.org/resources/speeches-and-reports/resolutions/2026-resolutions
#13> 
*	RESOLUTION 2026-14 Regarding the Unjustified Delay of Americans with
Disabilities Act Title II Digital Accessibility Regulation
<https://nfb.org/resources/speeches-and-reports/resolutions/2026-resolutions
#14> 
*	RESOLUTION 2026-15 Regarding Support for the Global Declaration on
Braille Literacy in Education
<https://nfb.org/resources/speeches-and-reports/resolutions/2026-resolutions
#15> 

RESOLUTION 2026-01 Regarding an Immediate Motion to Dismiss Texas v. Kennedy

WHEREAS, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is a landmark civil
rights statute for people with disabilities, protecting us from
discrimination by federal agencies and recipients of federal funding in
public education, work readiness programs, healthcare, elections, the court
system, and more; and

WHEREAS, in 2024, seventeen states' attorneys general filed a lawsuit known
as Texas v. Kennedy alleging that Section 504 is unconstitutional and should
be entirely or partially enjoined, limiting it only to those programs,
services, and activities directly funded by and through the Rehabilitation
Act of 1973; and

WHEREAS, on January 23, 2026, the states of Texas, Alaska, Florida, Indiana,
Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, and South Dakota, in an amended
complaint, renewed their attack on Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of
1973 and the integration mandate stemming from the United States Supreme
Court's interpretation of that law in the landmark case of Olmstead v. l.C.;
and

WHEREAS, in the updated lawsuit, the nine states asked the court to: declare
Section 504 as unlawful, stop the Department of Health and Human Services
from enforcing Section 504, and stop the Department of Health and Human
Services from enforcing the integration mandate; and 

WHEREAS, on February 12, to defend the rights of all blind Americans, the
presidents of the National Federation of the Blind affiliates in each of the
nine plaintiff states in the lawsuit sent a joint letter to each of their
attorneys general to advocate for the withdrawal of the states from the
suit; and

WHEREAS, on March 19, the National Federation of the Blind issued an
advocacy alert to all members of the Federation to contact the attorneys
general in each of the nine plaintiff states to advocate for the withdrawal
of the states from the suit; and 

WHEREAS, due to the advocacy of the National Federation of the Blind, on May
4, the attorney general of Indiana withdrew the Hoosier State as a plaintiff
in the suit, bringing the total number of plaintiff states down to eight;
and

WHEREAS, due to the advocacy of the National Federation of the Blind, on May
12, the attorney general of South Dakota withdrew the Mount Rushmore State
as a plaintiff in the suit, bringing the total number of plaintiff states
down to seven; and

WHEREAS, due to the advocacy of the National Federation of the Blind, on
June 10, the attorney general of Kansas withdrew the Sunflower State as a
plaintiff in the suit, bringing the total number of plaintiff states down to
six; and

WHEREAS, if the remaining plaintiffs' demands are granted, it will have a
devastating effect on blind Americans' rights to effective communication and
reasonable accommodation in connection with government programs, services,
and activities, including but not limited to education, employment, housing,
healthcare, and other forms of civic life; and

WHEREAS, a separate but equally devastating effect of the lawsuit would be
the threat of forced institutionalization for blind and other disabled
Americans into sheltered workshops, nursing homes, and other institutions:
Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention
assembled this seventh day of July, 2026, in the city of Austin, Texas, that
this organization condemn and deplore Texas and the five remaining plaintiff
states for their role in persevering with the Texas v. Kennedy lawsuit; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization immediately call upon Texas
Attorney General Ken Paxton to move to dismiss the Texas v. Kennedy lawsuit
because of the far-reaching and harmful effects the lawsuit could have on
the lives of blind and other disabled Americans; and 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization call upon the attorneys
general of Alaska, Florida, Louisiana, Missouri, and Montana to immediately
withdraw from the Texas v. Kennedy lawsuit; and 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization commend Todd Rokita, Marty
Jackley, and Kris Kobach, the attorneys general of Indiana, South Dakota,
and Kansas, respectively, for withdrawing their states from the Texas v.
Kennedy lawsuit.  

Return to the Quick Links
<https://nfb.org/resources/speeches-and-reports/resolutions/2026-resolutions
#index> 

RESOLUTION 2026-02 Regarding Supporting Modernization of the AbilityOne
Program and Reform of the Direct Labor Ratio

WHEREAS, the AbilityOne Program, authorized under the Javits-Wagner-O'Day
Act, leverages federal procurement to create employment opportunities for
people who are blind or have significant disabilities; and

WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind has long supported policies
that expand genuine employment opportunities for blind people, including
opportunities that promote advancement, career development, and competitive
integrated workplaces; and

WHEREAS, the United States AbilityOne Commission is currently engaged in
modernization efforts, including updated compliance policies such as draft
Policy 51.405 on employee career development, intended to improve outcomes,
accountability, and upward mobility within the program; and

WHEREAS, existing AbilityOne policy distinguishes between "direct labor" and
"indirect labor," defining direct labor as work directly required by a
contract's statement of work, and excluding supervision, administration,
inspection, and shipping from that definition; and 

WHEREAS, supervisory, managerial, and administrative positions are essential
to the successful operation of AbilityOne projects and provide critical
pathways for career advancement for blind workers, yet these roles are
currently categorized as indirect labor and are not counted toward the
direct labor hour ratio; and 

WHEREAS, the statutory and regulatory requirement that at least 75 percent
of direct labor hours be performed by individuals who are blind or have
significant disabilities can unintentionally discourage nonprofit agencies
from promoting qualified blind employees into supervisory or administrative
roles, thereby limiting career growth and upward mobility; and

WHEREAS, modern workforce practices emphasize integrated employment, career
advancement, and equitable treatment of workers with disabilities, all of
which require recognition of the full range of work, including leadership
and administrative responsibilities, performed by blind employees; and

WHEREAS, updating the calculation of the direct labor ratio to include
supervisory and administrative work performed by individuals who are blind
or have significant disabilities would better align the AbilityOne Program
with modern employment goals and the intent of ongoing policy modernization
efforts: Now, therefore, 

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention
assembled this seventh day of July, 2026, in the city of Austin, Texas, that
this organization commend ongoing efforts to modernize the AbilityOne
Program, including reforms that promote career advancement, competitive
integrated employment, and improved program accountability; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization urge the United States
AbilityOne Commission to continue advancing policies, including Policy
51.405 and related reforms, that recognize and incentivize career
development and upward mobility for blind employees within the program; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization call upon the United States
Congress to amend the Javits-Wagner-O'Day Act to explicitly permit the
inclusion of supervisory, administrative, and other career advancement
positions held by individuals who are blind or have significant disabilities
in the calculation of the direct labor hour ratio.

Return to the Quick Links
<https://nfb.org/resources/speeches-and-reports/resolutions/2026-resolutions
#index> 

RESOLUTION 2026-03 Regarding Ongoing Facebook Accessibility Defects

WHEREAS, social media is a means of keeping in touch with friends, family,
and business associates; and

WHEREAS, Facebook, operated by Meta, is the largest social media platform
and is widely popular; and

WHEREAS, m.facebook.com had a simple semantic structure that made it a
popular and functional tool for blind screen reader users; and

WHEREAS, Meta discontinued m.facebook.com in November 2024, citing security
reasons but declining to offer further specifics; and

WHEREAS, although Meta attempted to provide alternative solutions, these
alternatives have been inconsistent and do not adequately substitute for the
accessible interface that was lost; and

WHEREAS, many screen reader users find the current Facebook website
unwieldy, unreliable, and lacking in good semantic structure; and

WHEREAS, not all blind people use smartphones, making web accessibility
critical for full participation; and

WHEREAS, blind smartphone users are frequently inconvenienced by high-impact
defects within the Facebook mobile application that prevent them from
accessing core functionality; and

WHEREAS, while Meta typically responds positively to these defects, fixes
may take considerable time to reach end-users; and

WHEREAS, Meta's delays in deploying accessibility fixes create ongoing
barriers to using Facebook effectively; and 

WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind is deeply troubled by the
ongoing struggles that blind people experience when using Facebook: Now,
therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention
assembled this seventh day of July, 2026, in the city of Austin, Texas, that
this organization demand that Meta improve and enforce quality control
processes that prevent high-impact accessibility defects from being
introduced into the Facebook product; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization demand that Meta make
accessibility a priority by collaborating with the National Federation of
the Blind and screen reader developers; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization urge Meta to establish a
target date of July 1, 2027, for a substantial revamp of the Facebook
website that places accessibility at its heart.

Return to the Quick Links
<https://nfb.org/resources/speeches-and-reports/resolutions/2026-resolutions
#index> 

RESOLUTION 2026-04 Regarding the Accessibility of Delivery Robots

WHEREAS, the use of delivery robots is increasing in cities and on college
campuses across the nation, providing convenient and efficient
transportation and delivery of packages, food, and other goods; and

WHEREAS, these robots often operate quietly on sidewalks and in public
spaces used by blind pedestrians; and

WHEREAS, it is essential that such technology be designed in a way that
ensures the full and equal participation of blind people in our communities;
and

WHEREAS, current implementations of delivery robot technology frequently
lack nonvisual accessibility features such as audible identification
signals, accessible mobile interfaces, and haptic or audio cues during
interaction; and

WHEREAS, without such nonvisual accessibility, blind pedestrians face safety
risks, barriers to independent travel, and exclusion from the benefits of
this modern form of delivery; and

WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind has long advocated that
emerging technologies must be designed to serve all members of society,
including blind people, from their inception rather than as an afterthought;
and

WHEREAS, companies deploying delivery robots, as well as the manufacturers
of these devices, have the responsibility and technological capability to
integrate nonvisual access solutions that ensure safe, independent, and
equitable use by blind individuals: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention
assembled this seventh day of July, 2026, in the city of Austin, Texas, that
this organization call upon all companies deploying delivery robots and all
manufacturers of these robots to work in partnership with the National
Federation of the Blind and take immediate steps to ensure that delivery
robots are nonvisually accessible; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we urge these stakeholders to integrate audible
and haptic feedback mechanisms, accessible mobile applications, and other
inclusive design features into all current and future delivery robot
systems; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization urge all policymakers involved
in promulgating regulations and guidelines regarding autonomous delivery
robots to require nonvisual accessibility in the creation and deployment of
the robots, ensuring that the blind can travel safely and independently in
our communities while enjoying the convenience of these delivery robots on
terms of equality.

Return to the Quick Links
<https://nfb.org/resources/speeches-and-reports/resolutions/2026-resolutions
#index> 

RESOLUTION 2026-05 Regarding Collaboration and Training in the Education and
Rehabilitation of Blind Individuals

WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind is the largest nationwide
organization of blind people that represents the collective experience,
knowledge, and expertise of blind Americans, and advances the lives of our
members and all blind people in the United States; and

WHEREAS, the alternative techniques and positive philosophy of blindness
embraced by the Federation help raise expectations, create problem-solving
ability, foster independence, and build confidence among blind people of all
ages; and

WHEREAS, many blind students continue to face diminished expectations
because educators have not been sufficiently exposed to the practical
problem-solving skills, confidence-building strategies, and lived
experiences of successful blind adults; and

WHEREAS, many blind vocational rehabilitation consumers encounter similarly
low expectations from rehabilitation counselors who have not had meaningful
exposure to successful blind professionals or the techniques they use to
achieve competitive, integrated employment; and

WHEREAS, teachers of blind students are better equipped to deliver
high-quality instruction when they understand the tools, strategies, and
confidence-building practices that enable blind people to live, learn, work,
and participate fully in society, and when they have a personal network of
blind individuals to turn to with questions; and

WHEREAS, rehabilitation counselors provide more effective services when they
understand the strategies blind people use to acquire training, pursue
careers, and secure competitive, gainful employment; and

WHEREAS, the Teachers of Tomorrow program has already strengthened the
professional preparation of more than one hundred teachers of blind students
by introducing them to the strategies blind people use to live, learn, work,
and play as active members of society and by fostering a firm belief in the
capacity of their blind students; and

WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind is developing the Counselors
of Confidence training program to provide similar opportunities for
vocational rehabilitation professionals: Now, therefore, 

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention
assembled this seventh day of July, 2026, in the city of Austin, Texas, that
this organization urge university programs responsible for training and
certifying teachers of blind students and rehabilitation counselors serving
blind consumers to collaborate with the National Federation of the Blind to
enhance their curricula through training in the alternative skills of
blindness and meaningful exposure to successful blind adults; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization urge state departments of
education and vocational rehabilitation service agencies to support current
staff in forming these connections and to actively recruit and hire
individuals who have acquired this expertise through collaboration with the
National Federation of the Blind.

Return to the Quick Links
<https://nfb.org/resources/speeches-and-reports/resolutions/2026-resolutions
#index> 

RESOLUTION 2026-06 Regarding the United States Department of Justice
Memorandum Pertaining to the Olmstead Decision

WHEREAS, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 ("Section 504") and
Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 ("Title II") make it
illegal for a government entity to discriminate against a person with a
disability on the basis of that disability; and

WHEREAS, Title II states that no qualified individual with a disability
shall, "by reason of such disability," be excluded from participation in, or
be denied the benefits of, a public entity's services, programs, or
activities; and

WHEREAS, the regulations implementing Section 504 have, since their
adoption, made clear that unnecessary segregation constitutes discrimination
on the basis of disability; and 

WHEREAS, Congress directed the Department of Justice to publish regulations
implementing Title II that were consistent with the Section 504 regulations;
and

WHEREAS, the Department of Justice published such regulations, including,
among others, a regulation requiring public entities to "administer programs
and activities in the most integrated setting appropriate to the needs" of
people with disabilities; and

WHEREAS, in the landmark civil rights case Olmstead v. L.C., 527 U.S. 581
(1999) ("Olmstead") these regulations, as well as Congressional intent and
the statutory language of Section 504 and Title II themselves, were
individually and collectively found by the Supreme Court to mean that people
with disabilities have the right to participate in and benefit from
government programs, activities, and services in our local communities
rather than being institutionalized; and

WHEREAS, in 2024, the Texas Attorney General joined the Attorneys General in
sixteen other states to sue the Department of Health and Human Services in
an attempt to have Section 504 declared unconstitutional; and

WHEREAS, as a result of the advocacy of the National Federation of the
Blind, eleven of those states' Attorneys General have withdrawn themselves
from the lawsuit; and

WHEREAS, although the remaining six states are no longer seeking to have
Section 504 declared unconstitutional, they have now pivoted to attacking
the community integration mandate of the Olmstead decision; and

WHEREAS, on June 18, 2026, the United States Department of Justice published
a memorandum opinion stating that the Olmstead decision, the Title II and
Section 504 regulations requiring integration, the court cases following the
Olmstead decision, and the Department of Justice's and other agencies'
enforcement actions pursuant to those regulations are all incorrect and not
justified by the statutes; and 

WHEREAS, the memorandum specifically states: "neither section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act nor Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act
('ADA') imposed an integration mandate on states in their treatment of
mentally disabled individuals. Nor does either statute authorize the
responsible Executive Branch agencies to impose such a mandate."; and 

WHEREAS, the opinion goes on to make such assertions as: "As the integration
mandate imposed under Title II is now more than thirty-five years old, its
vague findings about the social ills associated with discrimination against
those with disabilities would likely be insufficient to justify the
significant burden that the integration mandate imposes upon states."; and 

WHEREAS, the right to live in the world is a core civil and human right of
people with disabilities, including the blind, as recognized by our
leadership since the earliest days of the Federation; and

WHEREAS, blind people have too often been unnecessarily segregated in
schools, made to work in sheltered workshops, and forced as we age into
nursing homes, institutions which limit our quality of life and our ability
to pursue the lives we want; and  

WHEREAS, in sum, the Department of Justice has reversed its position on the
community integration mandate, thereby weakening the Olmstead decision and
throwing open the door for the forced institutionalization of people with
disabilities nationwide: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention
assembled this seventh day of July, 2026, in the city of Austin, Texas, that
this organization condemn and deplore any attempt to curtail the rights of
Americans with disabilities, up to and including any measure which would
seek to institutionalize people with disabilities against our will; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization urge the Department of Justice
to rescind its memorandum on the Olmstead community integration mandate,
Section 504, and Title II to clarify that people with disabilities do have
the right to receive services in our local communities.

Return to the Quick Links
<https://nfb.org/resources/speeches-and-reports/resolutions/2026-resolutions
#index> 

RESOLUTION 2026-07 Regarding Ableism and Health and Human Services Access as
Public Health Infrastructure

WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not
the characteristic that defines us or our future, and that blind people have
the right to live the lives we want with privacy, independence, dignity,
equality, and full participation in society; and

WHEREAS, access to medical information now requires independent use of
patient portals; telehealth; online scheduling; electronic forms;
prescription information; medical records; insurance and benefits systems;
emergency and public health communications; kiosks; mobile applications;
medical device interfaces; automated intake, triage, and coverage systems;
and related technologies; and

WHEREAS, when those systems are inaccessible, blind people are forced to
delay care, surrender privacy, depend on others, lose meaningful informed
consent, or accept inferior service; and

WHEREAS, lack of access is ableism in practice because it makes sight the
condition for using digital medical systems privately, safely, and on equal
terms, and ableism is a root cause of health disparities and a structural
determinant of health that creates preventable harm; and

WHEREAS, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 prohibits disability
discrimination in programs and activities receiving federal financial
assistance, yet the United States Department of Health and Human Services
has extended the compliance dates for Section 504 web and mobile
accessibility requirements for recipients of HHS funding, even though
inaccessible digital systems continue to impose current harm on blind people
and other disabled people: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention
assembled this seventh day of July, 2026, in the city of Austin, Texas, that
this organization call upon Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and the United
States Department of Health and Human Services to recognize ableism,
including lack of access, as a public health crisis, a root cause of health
disparities, and a structural determinant of health, and to treat
accessibility in health and human services as a core component of public
health infrastructure, prevention, and a necessary condition of health
equity; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization urge the Department of Health
and Human Services to rescind the Interim Final Rule that instituted the
Section 504 compliance delay; oppose any further delay or weakening of
accessibility requirements; fully enforce Section 504; and require
immediate, equally effective accessible alternatives without penalty, delay,
or inferior service; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization call upon the Department of
Health and Human Services to require recipients of federal funding and their
technology vendors to make medical access technologies and communications
accessible and independently usable by blind people through procurement,
contracting, licensing, oversight, applicable accessibility standards,
nonvisual testing by blind users, meaningful human review, vendor
accountability, prompt remediation, technical assistance that supports but
does not replace enforcement, and direct involvement of blind people and the
National Federation of the Blind.

Return to the Quick Links
<https://nfb.org/resources/speeches-and-reports/resolutions/2026-resolutions
#index> 

RESOLUTION 2026-08 Regarding hCaptcha Accessibility Cookies

WHEREAS, hCaptcha is a widely deployed bot-prevention service that blocks
access to websites until users verify their humanity and is used by
thousands of organizations across the web; and

WHEREAS, hCaptcha offers an "accessibility cookie" feature that it
represents as a solution for blind users who cannot complete visual Captcha
challenges; and

WHEREAS, this accessibility cookie requires blind users to navigate to a
registration page, submit their email address, and complete a verification
process that includes convoluted mobile-based steps such as sending one-time
codes via SMS to specific phone numbers that many users find difficult or
impossible to complete; and

WHEREAS, the registration process requires users to manage mobile hand-offs
and verification links that are difficult to navigate, leaving people unable
to obtain the cookie they need to access websites; and

WHEREAS, even for blind users who successfully obtain an accessibility
cookie, the cookie is highly unreliable and frequently fails to function as
intended, often being blocked by browser privacy settings such as enhanced
tracking protection or third-party cookie filtering; and

WHEREAS, the accessibility cookie requires periodic manual refreshing, and
when it expires or is cleared from the user's browser, blind users must
repeat the entire inaccessible registration process again, creating an
ongoing barrier to web access; and

WHEREAS, the effectiveness of the accessibility cookie depends entirely on
the correct functioning of interface elements and the user's ability to
enable cross-site tracking in their browser, but many blind users report
that the system produces silent errors with no notification of failure,
leaving them uncertain whether the cookie is active; and

WHEREAS, hCaptcha's documentation acknowledges that the accessibility cookie
is subject to browser settings and device limitations, but provides limited
transparency about expiration times or how to verify its current status,
leaving blind users without recourse when access fails: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention
assembled this seventh day of July, 2026, in the city of Austin, Texas, that
this organization condemn and deplore the hCaptcha accessibility cookie and
its use; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization call upon hCaptcha and any
organizations that operate or manage hCaptcha services to immediately
discontinue the use of the accessibility cookie feature; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization demand that hCaptcha replace
this failed system with bot-prevention methods that do not rely on visual
challenges, audio challenges, cookies, or other workarounds that burden
blind and deafblind users with convoluted processes, inaccessible
verification steps, and privacy violations; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization urge all website operators
currently using the hCaptcha accessibility cookie to evaluate truly
accessible alternatives such as proof-of-work systems that operate invisibly
in the background, require no user interaction, and do not require blind and
deafblind users to sacrifice their privacy in exchange for equal access.

Return to the Quick Links
<https://nfb.org/resources/speeches-and-reports/resolutions/2026-resolutions
#index> 

RESOLUTION 2026-09 Regarding the Inaccessibility of Automated and AI-Powered
Pre-Employment Screening Platforms

WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind has long held that the right
to earn an equal living through meaningful employment is fundamental to the
full participation of blind Americans in society; and

WHEREAS, according to the 2024 American Community Survey conducted by the
United States Census Bureau, 61 percent of blind Americans are either
unemployed or underemployed, a statistic that reflects not the limitations
of blind people, but the barriers embedded in the systems through which
employment is obtained; and

WHEREAS, employers have increasingly adopted automated and AI-powered
pre-employment screening tools that are heavily concentrated in the hiring
pipelines of finance, consulting, technology, law, and other white-collar
professions, where blind Americans seeking employment in those fields
encounter inaccessible screening technology as an additional barrier layered
on top of an already difficult job search; and

WHEREAS, these tools fall into two primary categories that together function
as sequential barriers capable of eliminating a blind candidate before any
human reviewer ever evaluates their qualifications: game-based cognitive and
behavioral assessments and AI-powered video interview platforms; and

WHEREAS, game-based and skills assessment platforms deployed by vendors
including Harver and its Pymetrics platform, Criteria Corp, SHL,
TestGorilla, and HireVue are not fully usable with screen readers because
their core tasks frequently include timed mouse-driven interactions, visual
pattern recognition, photo-comparison exercises, emotion identification from
photographs of human faces, visuospatial ability tests, and reaction-based
games; and

WHEREAS, when such barriers exist, some vendors seek to overcome them only
by granting extra time, which does not provide an adequate non-visual
alternative to completing the assessment; and

WHEREAS, some AI-powered video-interview platforms evaluate candidates based
in part on visual behaviors such as eye contact, facial expressions, and
other purely visual behaviors that blind candidates cannot produce in the
conventional manner, resulting in algorithmically lowered scores for reasons
entirely unrelated to a candidate's qualifications or fitness for the role;
and

WHEREAS, although some AI-powered video interview platforms have made
meaningful progress toward screen-reader accessibility in their video
interview product (such as HireVue, which also discontinued the use of
visual analysis in its platform), nevertheless, barriers remain including
inaccessible timer notifications and cumbersome navigation between response
options, such that technical completability is not the same as a fully
accessible and equitable experience; and

WHEREAS, some pre-employment screening platform vendors, including Harver,
HireVue, SHL, Criteria Corp, and TestGorilla, have published accessibility
statements or Voluntary Product Accessibility Templates (a self-reported
document that carries no independent verification, no certification of
actual usability by blind screen-reader users, and no enforceable commitment
to accessibility of the specific interactive tasks) and claim varying levels
of WCAG compliance; and

WHEREAS, Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits
employment discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities
and requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations during the
hiring process, including when third-party tools are used to screen
applicants, and the employer bears legal responsibility for ADA compliance
even when the inaccessible barrier is created by a vendor's platform; and

WHEREAS, in May 2022, the United States Department of Justice and the Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) each issued technical-assistance
documents addressing how employers' use of algorithmic and AI hiring tools
may violate the ADA, and even though the EEOC's documents were subsequently
removed from the agency's website in 2025, the underlying ADA obligations
remain in force; and

WHEREAS, this guidance, while important, carries no independent regulatory
force, imposes no enforceable technical standards on screening vendors, and
leaves the entire burden of enforcement on individual blind job-seekers who
must choose between filing an EEOC charge and preserving any chance of being
hired: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention
assembled this seventh day of July, 2026, in the city of Austin, Texas, that
this organization demand that all pre-employment screening platform vendors,
including Harver, HireVue, SHL, Criteria Corp, and TestGorilla, ensure that
every component of their platforms (including navigation, controls, timers,
instructions, and assessment tasks) is fully operable by blind applicants
using screen readers and keyboard-only navigation, and that platforms be
tested for compatibility with JAWS, NVDA, and VoiceOver by blind users as a
condition of deployment; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization demand that where any
game-based or visually dependent assessment task cannot be made fully
accessible to blind screen-reader users in its existing form, vendors must
build and offer by default a functionally equivalent alternative assessment
pathway that measures the same job-relevant constructs without requiring
visual or mouse-based interaction, and that such alternatives must be
accessible through a clearly communicated, simple process that does not
place undue burden on the candidate; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization demand that any AI-powered
video interview platform employing eye contact, facial expression, or other
visual behavior metrics in candidate scoring immediately cease using those
metrics; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization demand that all pre-employment
screening vendors make accommodation request processes clear, proactive, and
frictionless and that vendors confirm in writing that accommodation requests
are kept confidential from the hiring employer; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization call upon employers to require
vendors to provide documentation of screen-reader accessibility verified by
blind users and to reject or suspend use of any platform that cannot
demonstrate such compliance, recognizing that the ADA makes employers liable
for inaccessible third-party tools used in their hiring processes; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization call upon the Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission and the United States Department of Justice to move
beyond technical assistance guidance and promulgate enforceable rules that
establish concrete, verifiable screen-reader accessibility standards for
pre-employment screening technology and to pursue systemic enforcement
investigations of widely deployed inaccessible platforms rather than
requiring individual blind job-seekers to bear the cost and risk of bringing
complaints themselves; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization urge pre-employment screening
platform vendors, including Harver, HireVue, SHL, Criteria Corp, and
TestGorilla, to enter into sustained dialogue with the National Federation
of the Blind-with blind screen reader users participating as co-designers
and testers-to develop truly accessible solutions, consistent with the
Federation's longstanding model of productive engagement with technology
companies committed to genuine accessibility.

Return to the Quick Links
<https://nfb.org/resources/speeches-and-reports/resolutions/2026-resolutions
#index> 

RESOLUTION 2026-10 Regarding Deficiencies with Microsoft's New Outlook
Software

WHEREAS, in a variety of public articles and blog posts, it has been made
abundantly clear that Microsoft is planning to end support for its Classic
Outlook program sometime in 2029 and that this year it will start to release
its Microsoft 365 product, replacing the Classic Outlook with what it calls
the New Outlook; and

WHEREAS, in recent months, it has been reported by blind people who have
installed Microsoft 365 on brand-new computers that it is no longer possible
to revert to the Classic Outlook without assistance from the Microsoft
Disability Answer Desk or someone with the appropriate technical skills; and

WHEREAS, blind people involved in the testing of the New Outlook have
reported that while they are willing to test out the new features of the
software, they revert to the Classic Outlook while performing the everyday
tasks that need to be accomplished in order to be truly productive; and

WHEREAS, examination of the New Outlook software by blind people using
screen-reading software such as JAWS for Windows and NVDA reveals
significant accessibility issues with the New Outlook software that reduce
the effective performance of nonvisual users-particularly, people in
employment situations where productivity is critical and time is at a
premium; and

WHEREAS, examples of the problems faced by blind users of the New Outlook
include but are by no means limited to the following:

1.	The Classic Outlook makes it possible for keyboard users to attach
files to and detach files from email messages using the standard copy and
paste keyboard commands while the New Outlook only supports attaching files
to a message;
2.	When spellchecking or grammar-checking an email, it is almost
impossible for the screen-reader user to learn exactly what word has been
misspelled or what grammar error has been made;
3.	There are many instances in the New Outlook where the screen reader
loses focus, thus forcing the user to tab several times to return to work in
progress, if tabbing is indeed possible;
4.	Pressing Escape to close a message window too often results in the
New Outlook disappearing from the system with no nonvisually-accessible
indication;
5.	Accepting a meeting invitation in the New Outlook requires the
keyboard user to tab several times to respond to the meeting request while
the Classic Outlook provides a much more efficient method to accept an
invitation; and
6.	The New Outlook does not currently support copying emails into older
archive files into which longtime users of the Classic Outlook may have
stored decades of email messages; and

WHEREAS, for decades, the Classic Outlook has become an essential tool for
the blind to send and receive emails efficiently, and training programs for
the blind have invested considerable resources to train their students to
use this software; and

WHEREAS, transitioning from the Classic Outlook to the New Outlook presents
a significant need for additional training for blind users which stresses a
service delivery system that is already overburdened; and

WHEREAS, much of the success and productivity that blind people have enjoyed
with the Classic Outlook could not have been achieved without the
interaction between Outlook and JAWS for Windows; and

WHEREAS, in recent months, the National Federation of the Blind and
Microsoft have been working together to begin the process of identifying and
addressing the issues with the New Outlook for the blind: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in convention
assembled this seventh day of July, 2026, in the city of Austin, Texas, that
this organization express our disappointment with Microsoft for creating a
situation where the blind are driven to use the New Outlook despite its
negative impact on their productivity and for failing to provide the Classic
Outlook as an integral part of new Microsoft 365 installations; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization strongly urge Microsoft to
offer the Classic Outlook software to everyone until the New Outlook is
proven to be as good as or better than the Classic Outlook; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization call upon Microsoft, Vispero,
and NV Access to continue working together to ensure that the interaction
among the New Outlook, JAWS for Windows, and NVDA and makes it possible for
the blind to use the New Outlook with productivity and efficiency that is
equivalent to that experienced by blind users of the Classic Outlook.

Return to the Quick Links
<https://nfb.org/resources/speeches-and-reports/resolutions/2026-resolutions
#index> 

RESOLUTION 2026-11 Regarding Accessible Pedestrian Signals

WHEREAS, federal law, specifically Title 23 U.S.C. Section 217(g)(2), reads:
"Safety considerations shall include the installation, where appropriate,
and maintenance of audible traffic signals and audible signs at street
crossings"; and

WHEREAS, federal guidelines for installation of accessible pedestrian
signals (APS), formerly called "audible traffic signals," have been
published by the United States Access Board as part of the Board's
accessibility guidelines for pedestrian facilities in public rights-of-way
(referred to as PROWAG), 36 CFR part 1190, Appendix Sections R206, R307, and
R308, specifically as to APS, effective September 7, 2023; and

WHEREAS, PROWAG generally requires APS when pedestrian signals are newly
installed or altered; and

WHEREAS, the Department of Justice has not yet adopted PROWAG as an
enforceable Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility standard, leading
to inconsistent and poorly planned installation, or more often no
installation of APS at most signalized intersections; and

WHEREAS, without PROWAG being followed, installation of APS technology is
usually done as an afterthought, leading to haphazard, ill-conceived, and
too frequently poorly maintained APS devices being installed here and there
with no apparent rhyme or reason, other than it seemed like a good idea; and

WHEREAS, while blind people with proper training can obtain information
about intersections by listening to traffic sounds, using this skill for
important navigation cues is becoming more difficult and less reliable in
some areas because of trends toward more complex street intersections and
traffic signal design, coupled with quieter cars and increasing ambient
noise levels at many street crossings, trends that are bound to continue
over time; and

WHEREAS, APS technology has improved and can be designed to provide
additional pedestrian information, including countdown information where
available, spoken cues, vibrating arrows for deafblind users to indicate
when the walk sign comes on, and directional sound cues to support efficient
navigation at roundabouts and other complex intersections; and

WHEREAS, regardless of the status of federal enforcement, local communities
are free to adopt local traffic and pedestrian safety plans, which must
consider the needs of community members and visitors who are blind,
deafblind, or have low vision: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention
assembled this seventh day of July, 2026, in the city of Austin, Texas, that
this organization urge transit and traffic engineers and other responsible
officials to adopt APS installation plans based on consultation with
chapters and affiliates of the National Federation of the Blind and others
with knowledge and interest in promoting pedestrian safety, including
consultation with certified blind mobility instructors and our thousands of
members whose expertise is informed by our lived experience crossing streets
and navigating safely from place to place every day; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that, although PROWAG will effect the prevalence of
APS in the years and decades ahead as signals are altered and new signals
installed, this organization urge transit and traffic engineers and other
responsible officials to give more immediate priority to installing APS
technology at all intersections where walk signs do not coincide with stop
and go signals for vehicular traffic, including intersections where signals
are set to stop traffic from all directions while pedestrians get the walk
sign to cross in any direction, diagonal included, and in all cases at
intersections where signals include leading pedestrian intervals, requiring
stopped traffic to remain stopped while pedestrians get the walk sign to
start crossing before traffic is allowed to go in the same direction; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization urge proactive adherence to
PROWAG with respect to accessible pedestrian signals to achieve more
purposeful and consistent placement, design, and maintenance of APS
technology to best meet well-understood and actual pedestrian safety needs
as best explained by the blind ourselves.

Return to the Quick Links
<https://nfb.org/resources/speeches-and-reports/resolutions/2026-resolutions
#index> 

RESOLUTION 2026-12 Regarding the Realignment of Special Education Services,
Rehabilitation Programs, and Civil Rights Enforcement Within the Federal
Government

WHEREAS, on June 16, 2026, the United States Department of Education (ED)
announced structural changes, including a partnership between the Office of
Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) and the Department of
Health and Human Services (HHS), as well as a partnership between the Office
for Civil Rights (OCR) and the Department of Justice (DOJ); and

WHEREAS, specialized resources for blind students and consumers, including
qualified teachers of blind students, orientation and mobility specialists,
vocational rehabilitation counselors with expertise in blindness, and
instructional materials in Braille and other accessible formats, are scarce
and unevenly available across the states, and consistent federal standards
and oversight have been essential to securing access to them; and

WHEREAS, for more than eighty-five years, the National Federation of the
Blind has rejected the notion that blindness is principally a medical
problem and has instead advanced the philosophy that blind people can live
the lives they want through proper training, access to information,
opportunity, and raised expectations; and

WHEREAS, the education, rehabilitation, employment, and independent-living
programs serving blind people are built around training, opportunity, and
the development of skills and self-confidence rather than around medical
treatment, while the Department of Health and Human Services is, as its name
states, the federal department responsible for health and human-services
programs; and

WHEREAS, the unique educational needs of blind students, including those
with residual vision, require instruction in the Expanded Core Curriculum,
Braille literacy, orientation and mobility, and nonvisual access technology,
all of which demand specialized expertise rooted in the belief that
blindness need not prevent full participation in education, employment, and
community life; and

WHEREAS, the vocational rehabilitation system administered through state
rehabilitation agencies provides critical employment, training, education,
and assistive technology services that enable blind Americans to obtain and
retain competitive integrated employment; and

WHEREAS, the Rehabilitation Services Administration, housed within OSERS,
administers not only the State Vocational Rehabilitation Services program
but also the Randolph-Sheppard vending program that sustains blind
entrepreneurs, Pre-Employment Transition Services for blind youth, and
supported employment services, each of which depends on specialized
administration and an unwavering focus on competitive integrated employment;
and

WHEREAS, the vocational rehabilitation program is overwhelmingly federally
funded, with the federal government providing approximately seventy-nine
percent of its cost, so that the program depends on the continuity of
federal funding and administration to deliver services to blind consumers;
and

WHEREAS, the Older Individuals Who Are Blind program provides essential
adjustment-to-blindness training, independent-living instruction, and
nonvisual skills that allow older blind Americans to remain active,
independent, and engaged in their communities; and

WHEREAS, the Department of Education announced that OCR will partner with
the Department of Justice to combine capacities for evaluating and resolving
complaints; and

WHEREAS, the proposed partnership would divide responsibility for evaluating
and resolving civil-rights complaints between the Office for Civil Rights
and the Department of Justice, even as the Department of Education asserts
that no partnership alters its legal responsibilities or the rights afforded
to individuals under federal law; and

WHEREAS, the protections guaranteed to blind Americans under the Individuals
with Disabilities Education Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of
1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act depend on consistent and
rigorous federal enforcement; and

WHEREAS, the purposes, eligibility standards, service mandates, and consumer
protections of the programs serving blind Americans are established by
federal statute, including the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act,
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Randolph-Sheppard Act, the Workforce
Innovation and Opportunity Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act,
together with their implementing regulations, none of which may lawfully be
amended by an administrative reorganization or interagency partnership but
only by Congress and through proper rulemaking: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention
assembled this seventh day of July, 2026, in the city of Austin, Texas, that
this organization condemn and deplore the federal realignment of programs
serving blind Americans because such realignment diminishes accountability,
weakens civil rights enforcement, and advances a medical model of blindness
over the principles of education, rehabilitation, employment, independence,
and equality; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization reject any effort to place
blindness within a medical or custodial framework, reaffirming instead that
blindness is a characteristic that calls for opportunity, training, raised
expectations, and strong civil rights protections rather than medical
management; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization demand that all federal
statutes, regulations, and program requirements governing the education,
rehabilitation, and civil rights of blind Americans remain in full force and
effect, and that no reorganization, interagency partnership, or transfer of
administrative authority be used to alter, dilute, reinterpret, weaken, or
diminish the intent, purpose, scope, eligibility, funding, or consumer
protections of these programs, all of which must continue to be administered
in full accordance with their authorizing statutes and implementing
regulations, with any change made only by Congress and through proper
notice-and-comment rulemaking and not by administrative action; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization demand that the Department of
Education maintain the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative
Services and its specialized educational mandates required for blind
students, including robust funding and enforcement for Braille literacy,
orientation and mobility instruction, accessible educational materials, and
nonvisual access technology; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization demand the preservation of a
strong, consumer-driven vocational rehabilitation system that emphasizes
competitive integrated employment, adjustment-to-blindness training,
informed consumer choice, and the acquisition of skills necessary for
independence and economic self-sufficiency; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization demand the preservation and
strengthening of the Older Individuals Who Are Blind program and the
assurance that older blind Americans continue to receive the training and
services that promote independence, dignity, and full participation in
society; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization demand that the Department of
Justice ensure that the Office for Civil Rights and their coordinated
enforcement mechanisms do not create systemic delays in investigating and
resolving complaints, but instead provide vigorous and timely enforcement of
federal disability rights laws, and that federal oversight remain sufficient
to ensure that states and local entities do not weaken the protections owed
to blind Americans.

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/nfboh-cleveland_nfbnet.org/attachments/20260630/403f5aff/attachment.htm>