[nfbwatlk] 2011 Legislative Agenda for Blind Americans

[Prows, Bennett (HHS/OCR)]

Hey Listers,

Anybody wondering what the representatives from the NFB of WA have been talking wit Congress about this week?  You can go to <nfb.org> and click on the members link, then go to the 2011 Washington Seminar link, or, ... read below.  The complete issues fact sheets are there on the web.

Here's what President Freeman  and the rest have had on their plate this week:


Legislative Agenda of Blind Americans:
Priorities for the 112th Congress, FIRST Session


The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) is the oldest and largest organization of blind people in the United States.  As the Voice of the Nation's Blind, we represent the collective views of blind people throughout society.  All of our leaders and the vast majority of our members are blind, but anyone can participate in our movement.  There are an estimated 1.3 million blind people in the United States, and every year approximately 75,000 Americans become blind.  The social and economic consequences of blindness affect not only blind people, but also our families, our friends, and our coworkers.

Three legislative initiatives demand the immediate attention of the 112th Congress in its first session.

Initiative 1
We urge Congress to work with blind Americans to create a Technology Bill of Rights for the Blind which mandates that consumer electronics, home appliances, kiosks, and electronic office technology and software provide user interfaces that are accessible through nonvisual means.
This legislation should:
*       Mandate that all consumer electronics, home appliances, kiosks, and electronic office technology and software be designed so that blind people are able to access the same functions as sighted people by nonvisual means and with substantially equivalent ease of use.
*       Create a commission within the Department of Commerce to establish standards for nonvisual accessibility of electronic devices intended for use in the home or office.  Such a commission should represent all stakeholders, including:
-       organizations of the blind;
-       manufacturers of consumer electronics, home appliances, kiosks, and electronic office technology and software, or associations representing such manufacturers; and
-       experts on universal design, electronic engineering, and related fields.
*       Establish within the Department of Justice the authority to enforce the regulations promulgated by the commission established by this legislation.
*       Authorize the commission to reexamine and rewrite standards periodically as consumer electronic technology continues to evolve.

Initiative 2
We urge Congress to work with blind Americans to establish a commission within the Department of Education to set uniform national standards for the education of blind students in grades K-12.  The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and other existing laws and regulations do not currently provide objective standards to measure the educational progress of blind students.
This legislation should:
*       Create a commission within the Department of Education, comprised to ensure representation of all stakeholders, to set educational standards for blind children, and to promulgate regulations.

Initiative 3
We urge Congress to increase business opportunities for disabled Americans by enacting the Americans with Disabilities Business Opportunity Act.
This legislation should:
*       Authorize tax credits to for-profit businesses that purchase goods or services from businesses owned by individuals with disabilities (including from businesses operated under the federal Randolph-Sheppard program),
*       Amend Section 8(a) of the Small Business Act to include people with disabilities as presumptively socially disadvantaged,
*       Change federal procurement law to provide that businesses owned by individuals with disabilities (including businesses operated under the federal Randolph-Sheppard program) are included on the list of preferred small businesses to which subcontracts must be awarded, and
*       Create training and technical assistance programs to prepare individuals with disabilities to operate businesses capable of securing federal and private contracts.

For more information about these priorities, please consult the attached fact sheets.

Blind Americans need your help to achieve our goals of economic security, increased opportunity, and full integration into American society on a basis of equality.  Enactment of these legislative proposals will represent important steps toward reaching these goals.  We need the help and support of each member of Congress.  Our success benefits not only us, but the whole of America as well.  In this time of national economic insecurity, these measures will contribute to increasing the tax base and encouraging the purchase of consumer goods.