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Anytime to talk about our experiences from the National Convention? <div><br></div><div>Owen<br><br><br><a href="https://overview.mail.yahoo.com/?.src=iOS">Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone</a><br><br><p class="yahoo-quoted-begin" style="font-size: 15px; color: #715FFA; padding-top: 15px; margin-top: 0">On Tuesday, July 17, 2018, 9:34 PM, Suzanne Turner via NFBOH-Cleveland <nfboh-cleveland@nfbnet.org> wrote:</p><blockquote class="iosymail"><div id="yiv9132230286"><style><!--
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--></style><div><div class="yiv9132230286WordSection1"><p class="yiv9132230286MsoNormal">Cleveland,</p><p class="yiv9132230286MsoNormal"> </p><p class="yiv9132230286MsoNormal">On Friday, July 20, 2018 at our Chapter meeting, Ohio Senator, Michael Skindell from the 23rd district, will join us. We will discuss information that the NFB of Ohio Legislature Committee addressed in a letter opposing bill HB271. I am so pleased to have the Senator join our meeting. He has been gracious enough to take time out of his busy schedule to spend time to communicate with Cleveland. Let’s show him our appreciation. We want to bring forth awareness and provide our thoughts in a positive manner. So, please be on time for this important meeting. We will have refreshments and talk about this bill.</p><p class="yiv9132230286MsoNormal"> </p><p class="yiv9132230286MsoNormal">If you have questions, let me know. </p><p class="yiv9132230286MsoNormal">/////</p><p class="yiv9132230286MsoNormal"> </p><p class="yiv9132230286MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></p><p class="yiv9132230286MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman", serif;">June 4, 2018</span></p><p class="yiv9132230286MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></p><p class="yiv9132230286MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman", serif;">Dear Chairman Bacon, Vice Chairman Dolan, Ranking Member Thomas and members of the Senate Judiciary Committee,</span></p><p class="yiv9132230286MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman", serif;">The National Federation of the Blind of Ohio, the leading membership organization of blind Ohioans, opposes H.B. 271 Short Title: Give notice before action for access; allow attorney's fees as passed by the House. In fact, we unalterably oppose any legislation that will weaken the already fragile rights of people with disabilities. We believe that this bill will radically undermine the rights of people with disabilities while not effectively protecting businesses from frivolous litigation. The current evidence regarding the problems this bill seeks to address is, at best, sparse and anecdotal and does not justify such a radical change to state law.</span></p><p class="yiv9132230286MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman", serif;">The Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law on July 26, 1990. Twenty-eight years later all business owners should be aware of their obligations under the law. Although this is certainly not always the case, experience demonstrates that those with disabilities covered under the ADA do not file frivolous litigation. Out of ignorance or inexperience people who do not understand disability or the law addressing it sometimes interpret an initial filing as frivolous. This is how the myth has grown up that disabled people are likely to file frivolous lawsuits.</span> <span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman", serif;">Rather than placing additional burdens on people with disabilities, why not punish those who bring frivolous law suits to the courts?</span></p><p class="yiv9132230286MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman", serif;">A civil rights law such as the ADA is effective only in so far as it is understood by the general public. To that end the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio stands ready to educate business owners about accessibility. Ohio has a network of Independent Living Centers that often (if resources permit) can provide technical assistance and guidance on accessibility to businesses. The Great Lakes ADA Center also provides webinars and toolkits for businesses interested in coming into compliance with accessibility requirements of the law. </span></p><p class="yiv9132230286MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman", serif;">Rather than eliminate the stick of enforcement, we would hope that the Legislature would look at how to provide some carrots of encouragement and other supports to help businesses to come into compliance, without undermining the legal rights of individuals with disabilities. Our struggle for equal access has been long and hard. Please don’t push us back into inequality.</span></p><p class="yiv9132230286MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman", serif;">Many organizations representing people with disabilities have chosen to remain neutral because they see this legislation as permissive rather than prescriptive. Also many organizations are neutral because this legislation applies only to civil litigation filed in state court and does not affect one’s ability to file in Federal court.</span></p><p class="yiv9132230286MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman", serif;">The National Federation of the Blind of Ohio believes that the Ohio Legislature and the general public are taking a dangerous ride down a slippery slope if we start to weaken individual protections. We urge you to work with us to improve public education about accessibility and to provide stronger penalties against attorneys who file frivolous acts.</span></p><p class="yiv9132230286MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></p><p class="yiv9132230286MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman", serif;">Sincerely,</span></p><p class="yiv9132230286MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman", serif;">Richard Payne, President</span></p><p class="yiv9132230286MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman", serif;">National Federation of the Blind of Ohio</span></p><p class="yiv9132230286MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman", serif;"><a dir="ltr" href="tel:937-396-5573" x-apple-data-detectors="true" x-apple-data-detectors-type="telephone" x-apple-data-detectors-result="1">937-396-5573</a> or <a dir="ltr" href="tel:937-829-3368" x-apple-data-detectors="true" x-apple-data-detectors-type="telephone" x-apple-data-detectors-result="2">937-829-3368</a></span></p><p class="yiv9132230286MsoNormal"><span class="yiv9132230286MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman", serif;"><a rel="nofollow" ymailto="mailto:Rchpay7@gmail.com" target="_blank" href="mailto:Rchpay7@gmail.com">Rchpay7@gmail.com</a></span></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman", serif;"></span></p><p class="yiv9132230286MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></p><p class="yiv9132230286MsoNormal"> </p><p class="yiv9132230286MsoNormal"> </p><p class="yiv9132230286MsoNormal"> </p></div></div></div>_______________________________________________<br>NFBOH-Cleveland mailing list<br><a ymailto="mailto:NFBOH-Cleveland@nfbnet.org" href="mailto:NFBOH-Cleveland@nfbnet.org">NFBOH-Cleveland@nfbnet.org</a><br><a href="http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfboh-cleveland_nfbnet.org" target="_blank">http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfboh-cleveland_nfbnet.org</a><br>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NFBOH-Cleveland:<br><a href="http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfboh-cleveland_nfbnet.org/ojmccaf1963%40yahoo.com" target="_blank">http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfboh-cleveland_nfbnet.org/ojmccaf1963%40yahoo.com</a><br><blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></div>
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