[Njabs-talk] njabs-talk Digest, Vol 26, Issue 17

Thu Jan 29 21:41:05 UTC 2009

I hope the secretary of transportation starts the study of how to protect
blind and other people from being injured or killed by cars that use hybrid,
electric, and other silent engine technologies because we as blind people
need to hear the sound of the traffic so that we can know when it is safe to
cross the street. In addition, people that ride on bicycles are sometimes
not concentrated if there is a car coming because they drive so fast, but
when they hear the sound, they could suddenly press their breaks so that
they don't get kill. It is our responsibility to keep urging congress to
look at this issue with more of attention because we have to try hard to
prevent somebody to get kill so that congress can put more attention to this
matter. Once the secretary of transportation finishes the study, we can read
his suggestions about how we can solve this problem and then we have to urge
a lot of Democrats and Republicans to pass the bill.   

-----Original Message-----
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On Behalf Of njabs-talk-request at nfbnet.org
Sent: Wednesday, January 28, 2009 9:05 PM
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Subject: njabs-talk Digest, Vol 26, Issue 17

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Today's Topics:

   1. Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act Introduced (Freeh,	Jessica)
   2. 2009 Washington Seminar Materials (David Andrews)
   3. o/t who uses AIM 5.9? (Serena)
   4. Issues for washington seminar (Mary Fernandez)
   5. New Lists on nfbnet.org (David Andrews)
   6. Re: Issues for washington seminar (Quintina M. Singleton)

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message: 1
Date: Wed, 28 Jan 2009 12:53:38 -0600
From: "Freeh,	Jessica" <JFreeh at nfb.org> (by way of David Andrews
	<dandrews at visi.com>)
Subject: [Njabs-talk] Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act Introduced
To: david.andrews at nfbnet.org
Message-ID: <auto-000083560937 at mailfront1.g2host.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:

Christopher S. Danielsen

Director of Public Relations

National Federation of the Blind

(410) 659-9314, extension 2330

(410) 262-1281 (Cell)

<mailto:cdanielsen at nfb.org>cdanielsen at nfb.org

U.S. Representatives Edolphus Towns and Cliff Stearns
Introduce Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act

National Federation of the Blind Applauds Measure
  to Protect Lives and Preserve Independence of Blind Americans

Washington, DC (January 28, 2009):  Representatives Edolphus "Ed" 
Towns (D-NY) and Cliff Stearns (R-FL) today introduced H.R. 734, a 
bill intended to protect the blind and other pedestrians from injury 
or death as a result of silent vehicle technology.  The Pedestrian 
Safety Enhancement Act of 2009 requires the Secretary of 
Transportation to conduct a study on how to protect the blind and 
others from being injured or killed by vehicles using hybrid, 
electric, and other silent engine technologies.  Thirty-two original 
co-sponsors have already signed on to the bill.

Because blind pedestrians cannot locate and evaluate traffic using 
their vision, they must listen to traffic to discern its speed, 
direction, and other attributes in order to travel safely and 
independently.  Other people, including pedestrians who are not 
blind, bicyclists, runners, and small children, also benefit from 
hearing the sound of vehicle engines.  New vehicles that employ 
hybrid or electric engine technology can be silent, rendering them 
extremely dangerous in situations where vehicles and pedestrians come 
into proximity with each other.

"The National Federation of the Blind appreciates the wise and 
decisive action taken today by Congressmen Towns and Stearns to 
preserve the right to safe and independent travel for the blind," 
said Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the 
Blind.  "The blind, like all pedestrians, must be able to travel to 
work, to school, to church, and to other places in our communities 
without being injured or killed.  This bill will benefit all 
pedestrians for generations to come as new vehicle technologies 
become more prevalent.  The blind of America will do everything in 
our power to ensure its swift passage."

  "The beneficial trend toward more environmentally friendly vehicles 
has had the unintended effect of placing the blind and other 
pedestrians in danger," said Representative Towns.  "As someone who 
taught travel with a white cane to the blind for many years, I 
understand that the sound of traffic is critically important in order 
for them to travel safely and independently.  This bill will prevent 
many injuries and fatalities while still allowing more clean vehicles 
on our nation's roads."

"I understand the safety concerns of blind pedestrians with these 
quiet automobiles; I have heard the same concerns from senior 
citizens in my district, and I appreciate the threat to children, 
bicyclists, and runners," said Representative Stearns.  "I deeply 
appreciate the support of all parties in supporting this important 
safety legislation."

The bill requires the Secretary of Transportation, within ninety days 
of its enactment, to commence a two-year study to determine the best 
means to provide the blind and other pedestrians with information 
about the location, motion, speed, and direction of vehicles.  Upon 
completion of the study, the Secretary will report the findings of 
the study to Congress and, within ninety days, establish a minimum 
vehicle safety standard for all new vehicles sold in the United 
States.  Automobile manufacturers will have two years to comply with 
the vehicle safety standard.

###

About the National Federation of the Blind

With more than 50,000 members, the National Federation of the Blind 
is the largest and most influential membership organization of blind 
people in the United States.  The NFB improves blind people's lives 
through advocacy, education, research, technology, and programs 
encouraging independence and self-confidence.  It is the leading 
force in the blindness field today and the voice of the nation's 
blind.  In January 2004 the NFB opened the National Federation of the 
Blind Jernigan Institute, the first research and training center in 
the United States for the blind led by the blind.

------------------------------

Message: 2
Date: Wed, 28 Jan 2009 13:39:21 -0600
From: David Andrews <dandrews at visi.com>
Subject: [Njabs-talk] 2009 Washington Seminar Materials
To: david.andrews at nfbnet.org
Message-ID: <auto-000085686189 at mailfront2.g2host.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"; Format="flowed"

Legislative Agenda of Blind Americans:
Priorities for the 111th 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 present 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 111th Congress in its first session:
1.     We urge Congress to ensure the safety of 
blind and other pedestrians by passing the 
Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act.  This 
legislation would require the U.S. Secretary of Transportation to:
?       Begin a study within ninety days of its 
enactment to determine the most practical means 
of assuring that blind and other pedestrians 
receive essentially similar information to what 
they now receive from sound emitted by internal combustion engines;
?       Determine the minimum amount of sound 
necessary to offer sufficient information for 
blind pedestrians to make safe travel judgments 
based on appropriate scientific research and 
consultation with blind Americans and other affected groups;
?       Within two years of beginning the study, 
promulgate a motor vehicle safety standard to 
address the needs of blind and other pedestrians 
by requiring either a minimum level of sound or 
an equally effective means of providing the same 
information as is available from hearing internal combustion engines; and
?       Apply the standard to all motor vehicles 
manufactured or sold in the United States 
beginning no later than two years after the date it is promulgated.

2.     We urge Congress to work with blind 
Americans to create a Technology Bill of Rights 
for the Blind that mandates consumer electronics, 
home appliances, and office equipment to provide 
user interfaces that are accessible through 
nonvisual means.  This legislation should:

?       Mandate that all consumer electronics, 
home appliances, and office equipment be designed 
so that blind people can access the same 
functions as sighted people through nonvisual 
means and with substantially equivalent ease of use;

?       Create a commission comprised of 
essential stakeholders to establish standards for 
nonvisual accessibility of electronic devices 
intended for use in the home or office;
?       Endow the commission with enforcement 
powers or locate it within a government agency having such powers; and
?       Authorize it to reexamine and rewrite 
standards to keep pace with the evolution of consumer electronic technology.

3.     We urge Congress to promote and facilitate 
the transition by blind Americans from recipients 
of Social Security Disability Insurance benefits 
to income-earning, taxpaying, productive members 
of the American workforce by enacting legislation to:

?       Replace the monthly earnings penalty with 
a graduated 3-for-1 phase-out (i.e., a $1 
reduction in benefits for each $3 earned above the limit);

?       Replace the monthly earnings test with an 
annualized earnings test with an amount equal to 
twelve times. Substantial Gainful Activity amount; and

?       Establish an impairment-related work 
expense deduction for blind Social Security 
Disability Insurance beneficiaries equal to the 
amount applicable for this deduction when 
determining an appropriate income subsidy under 
Medicare Part D or 16.3 percent of earnings, whichever is greater.

           For more information about these 
priorities, please see below or 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.

ENHANCING PEDESTRIAN SAFETY:  ENSURING THE BLIND 
CAN CONTINUE TO TRAVEL SAFELY AND INDEPENDENTLY

Purpose:  To require hybrid, electric, and other 
vehicles to emit a minimum level of sound to 
alert blind and other pedestrians of their presence.

Background:  Until recently independent travel 
for the blind has been a relatively simple 
matter, once a blind person has been trained in 
travel techniques and has learned to use a white 
cane or travel with a guide dog.  Blind people 
listen to the sounds of automobile engines to 
determine the direction, speed, and pattern of 
traffic.  Sounds from traffic tell blind 
pedestrians how many vehicles are near them and 
how fast they are moving, whether the vehicles 
are accelerating or decelerating, and whether the 
vehicles are traveling toward, away from, or 
parallel to them.  With all of this information, 
blind people can accurately determine when it is 
safe to advance into an intersection or across a 
driveway or parking lot.  The information 
obtained from listening to traffic sounds allows 
blind people to travel with complete confidence 
and without assistance. Studies have shown that 
sighted pedestrians also use this information when traveling.

           Over the past few years, however, 
vehicles that are completely silent in certain 
modes of operation have come on the market, and 
many more silent vehicles are expected in the 
near future.  These vehicles are designed to have 
many benefits, including improved fuel efficiency 
and reduced emissions, but they do not need to be 
silent in order to achieve these intended 
benefits.  An unintended consequence of these 
vehicles as they are currently designed is that 
they will reduce the independence of blind 
Americans and endanger the lives, not only of 
blind people, but also of small children, seniors, cyclists, and runners.

           Currently the most popular of these 
vehicles is the gasoline-electric hybrid, which 
alternates between running on a gasoline engine 
and on battery power (although a few electric 
automobiles are already on America?s roads and 
new all-electric models are planned).  The blind 
of America do not oppose the proliferation of 
vehicles intended to reduce damage to the 
environment, but for safety these vehicles must 
meet a minimum sound standard.

           On April 9, 2008, Congressmen Ed Towns 
and Cliff Stearns introduced H.R. 5734 (the 
Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act of 2008).  This 
legislation sought to solve the problem of silent 
cars by authorizing a two-year study to determine 
the best method for allowing blind individuals to 
recognize the presence of silent cars, and by 
requiring that, two years after the study was 
completed, all new vehicles sold in the United 
States must comply with the solution determined 
by the study.  In the 110th Congress, 
eighty-eight members of the House cosponsored this legislation.

Need for Congressional Action:  For several years 
the National Federation of the Blind has been 
concerned about the proliferation of silent 
vehicles.  Recently automobile manufacturers have 
acknowledged the problems posed to blind 
pedestrians by silent vehicle technology and have 
begun to work with the National Federation of the 
Blind to seek solutions.  However, federal 
regulators have indicated that, in the absence of 
statistics on injuries or deaths caused by hybrid 
vehicles, nothing can be done.  Congress must 
therefore direct the Department of Transportation 
to take action.  It is crucial that this problem 
be addressed before the inevitable avalanche of 
tragedies involving blind people, small children, 
seniors, cyclists, runners, and newly blinded veterans shocks the nation.

Proposed Legislation:  Congressmen Towns and 
Stearns have reintroduced the Pedestrian Safety 
Enhancement Act to direct the Secretary of 
Transportation to conduct a study and establish a 
motor vehicle safety standard that provides a 
means of alerting blind and other pedestrians of 
motor vehicle operation, based on appropriate 
scientific research and consultation with blind 
Americans and other affected groups.  This 
national motor vehicle safety standard must have 
the following characteristics:
    * In all phases of operation (including times 
when the vehicle is at a full stop) vehicles 
shall be required to emit an omni-directional 
sound with similar spectral characteristics to 
those of a modern internal combustion engine.
    * The sound should vary in a way that is 
consistent with the sound of vehicles with 
combustion engines to indicate whether the 
vehicle is idling, maintaining a constant speed, 
accelerating, or decelerating.
           The standard need not prescribe the 
apparatus, technology, or method to be used by 
vehicle manufacturers to achieve the required 
minimum sound level.  This approach will 
encourage manufacturers to use innovative and 
cost-effective techniques to achieve the minimum sound standard.
           The addition of components to emit a 
minimum sound discernible by blind and other 
pedestrians will not negatively affect 
environmental benefits of gasoline-electric 
hybrids and other automobiles running on 
alternate power sources, and the emitted sound 
need not be loud enough to contribute to noise 
pollution.  Automobiles that operate in complete 
silence, however, endanger the safety of all of 
us; silent operation should be viewed as a design 
flaw comparable to the lack of seat belts or air bags.

Requested Action:  Please support blind Americans 
by cosponsoring the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement 
Act to authorize the U.S. Department of 
Transportation to establish and promulgate 
regulations specifying a minimum sound standard 
for all new automobiles sold in the United 
States.  In the House of Representatives, members 
can be added by contacting Emily Khoury in 
Congressman Towns?s office, or James Thomas in 
Congressman Stearns?s office.  In the Senate 
members can support independence for blind 
Americans by sponsoring companion legislation.

Contact Information:
Jesse Hartle
Government Programs Specialist
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
Phone:  (410) 659-9314, extension 2233
Email:  jhartle at nfb.org

A TECHNOLOGY BILL OF RIGHTS FOR THE BLIND

Purpose:  To create a Technology Bill of Rights 
for the Blind that mandates consumer electronics, 
home appliances, and office equipment to provide 
user interfaces that are accessible through nonvisual means.

Background:  In recent years rapid advances in 
microchip and digital technology have led to 
increasingly complex user interfaces for everyday 
products like consumer electronics, home 
appliances, and office equipment.  Many new 
devices in these categories require user 
interaction with visual displays, on-screen 
menus, touch screens, and other user interfaces 
that are inaccessible to individuals who are 
blind or have low vision.  No longer are settings 
on the television, home stereo system, or 
dishwasher controlled by knobs, switches, and 
buttons that can be readily identified and whose 
settings can be easily discerned, with or without 
the addition of tactile markings by the 
user.  Moreover, the use of inaccessible 
interfaces on office equipment such as copiers 
and fax machines makes these devices unusable by 
the blind and therefore a potential threat to a 
blind person?s existing job or a barrier to obtaining new employment.

           This growing threat to the 
independence and productivity of blind people is 
unnecessary since digital devices can function 
without inaccessible interfaces.  Today 
text-to-speech technology is inexpensive and more 
nearly ubiquitous than it has ever been; it is 
used in everything from automated telephone 
systems to the weather forecasting service 
broadcast by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration.  Indeed, a few manufacturers have 
incorporated this technology into their products 
to create talking menus or to articulate what is 
on the display; there is no reason why other 
manufacturers cannot do so as well.  And 
text-to-speech technology is not the only 
mechanism by which consumer electronics, home 
appliances, and office equipment can be made accessible to blind people.

Need for Legislation:  Currently there are no 
enforceable mandates for manufacturers of 
consumer electronics, home appliances, or office 
equipment to make their devices accessible and no 
accessibility standards to provide guidance to 
manufacturers on how to avoid creating barriers 
to access by the blind.  Congress should 
therefore enact a Technology Bill of Rights for 
the Blind, which clearly establishes that 
manufacturers must create accessible user 
interfaces for their products, provide a means 
for enforcement, and establish standards that 
will provide meaningful benchmarks that 
manufacturers can use to make their products accessible.

           Congress need not mandate a single, 
one-size-fits-all solution for all consumer 
technology.   Rather any such legislation should 
mandate regulations that set meaningful 
accessibility standards, while at the same time 
allowing manufacturers to select from a menu of 
potential solutions that, singly or in 
combination, will allow blind users to operate 
the technology easily and successfully.  This 
will not only give manufacturers the freedom and 
flexibility they desire, but encourage 
innovations that make consumer technology more usable for everyone.

Proposed Legislation:  Congress should enact a 
Technology Bill of Rights for the Blind that:

    * Mandates that all consumer electronics, 
home appliances, and office equipment  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; and

    * Creates a commission 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, and office equipment or associations 
representing such manufacturers; and experts on 
universal design, electronic engineering, and 
related fields.  This commission should have 
enforcement powers or be housed within a 
government agency having such powers (e.g., U.S. 
Department of Commerce), and should be authorized 
to reexamine and rewrite standards periodically, 
as consumer electronic technology continues to evolve.

Requested Action:  Please support blind Americans 
by introducing legislation to create a Technology 
Bill of Rights for the Blind (or by cosponsoring 
once legislation has been introduced) so that 
blind people will be able to participate fully in 
all aspects of American society.  Increased 
access leads to increased independence, increased 
employment, and increased tax revenue.

Contact Information:
James McCarthy
Government Programs Specialist
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
Phone:  (410) 659-9314, extension 2240
Email:  jmccarthy at nfb.org

REMOVING THE EARNINGS PENALTY:  A COMMON SENSE 
WORK INCENTIVE FOR BLIND SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFICIARIES

Purpose:  To promote and facilitate the 
transition by blind Americans from Social 
Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) 
beneficiaries to income-earning, taxpaying, 
productive members of the American workforce.

Background:  The unemployment rate for 
working-age blind people is over 70 
percent.  Part of the reason for this 
disproportionately high statistic is the myths 
and misconceptions about the true capacities of 
blind people.  These erroneous perceptions are 
manifested when employers refuse to hire the blind.

           In addition, governmental programs 
intended to help blind people meet their basic 
economic needs, especially the SSDI program, have 
had the unintended consequence of creating an 
incentive for blind people to remain unemployed 
or underemployed despite their desire to 
work.  Low societal expectations result in low 
representation of the blind in the 
workforce.  This low representation of the blind 
reinforces low societal expectations?it is a 
vicious circle that perpetuates systemic 
employment discrimination against the blind.

           Despite the efforts of the National 
Federation of the Blind, blindness still has 
profound social and economic 
consequences.  Governmental programs should 
encourage blind people to reach their full 
employment potential; they should not encourage economic dependence.

Existing Law:  Title II of the Social Security 
Act provides that disability benefits paid to 
blind beneficiaries are eliminated if the 
beneficiary exceeds a monthly earnings 
limit.  This earnings limit is in effect a 
penalty imposed on blind Americans when they 
work.  This penalty imposed by the SSDI program 
means that, if a blind person earns just $1 over 
$1,640 (the monthly limit in 2009 following a 
Trial Work Period), all benefits are lost.

           Section 216(i)(1)(B) of the Social 
Security Act defines blindness as a disability 
based on objective measurement of acuity and 
visual field, as opposed to the subjective 
criterion of inability to perform Substantial 
Gainful Activity (SGA).  For blind people, doing 
work valued at the SGA earnings limit terminates 
benefits but does not terminate disability.  Only 
blind people not working or those with work 
earnings below an annually adjusted statutory 
earnings limit receive benefits.

Need for Legislation:  When a blind person enters 
the workforce, there is no guarantee that wages 
earned will replace SSDI benefits after taxes are 
paid and work expenses are deducted.  For 
example, Jane worked as a customer service 
representative with an annual income of $35,000 
until she became blind from diabetic 
retinopathy.  Jane meets the criteria for SSDI 
benefits, which provide income of $1,060 a month 
(or $12,720 a year) tax-free while she is not 
working.  Jane wants additional income to meet 
her financial needs.  After an adjustment period 
and blindness skills training, she finds 
employment as a part-time representative making 
$10 an hour for 35 hours a week.  Jane grosses 
$350 a week for an average of $1,517 a 
month.  Using a conservative 25 percent 
withholding tax, Jane nets $1,137.50 from her 
work, combined with her $1,060 disability 
benefit, for a net total of $2,197.50 a 
month.  If Jane should have the opportunity to 
work full time (40 hours), her weekly salary 
would go up to $400 a week for a monthly average 
of $1,733.  This amount is over the 2009 earnings 
limit, so Jane loses all of her disability 
benefits.  Using the same 25 percent tax level, 
Jane nets only $1,300 a month?working an extra 
five hours a week has cost Jane $897.50 net 
income (over $10,500 a year).  This example 
illustrates the work disincentive contained in current law.

           A gradual reduction of $1 in benefits 
for every $3 earned over the earnings limit would 
remove the earnings penalty and provide a 
financial incentive to work.  The benefit amount 
paid to an individual will gradually decrease, 
while the individual?s contribution to the Social 
Security trust fund increases over time.  Under 
this approach, as Jane earns more, she pays more 
into the trust fund, and her dependence on benefits decreases.

           Monthly earnings evaluations are 
unnecessarily complicated for both the 
beneficiaries and the Social Security 
Administration.  Since the medical prognosis for 
blind people rarely changes, and because 
blindness is objectively measurable, blind people 
should be subject to an annual earnings test with 
the limit equal to the twelve times applicable monthly SGA amount.

           Under current law blind workers 
frequently pay for items and services related to 
their disabilities that are necessary for them to 
work, and they are permitted to subtract these 
Impairment Related Work Expenses (IRWE) from 
monthly earnings when determining monthly 
income.  Properly crediting IRWE poses a serious 
challenge to the SSDI program and creates a lack 
of predictability for the blind person trying to 
determine whether benefits will be available.  To 
address both issues, Congress should permit SSDI 
recipients to claim the same amount used when 
determining an income subsidy under the Medicare 
prescription drug program, currently 16.3 percent.

           Congress should enact legislation to:
?       Provide that earnings of blind SSDI 
beneficiaries in excess of the annual earnings 
limit result in a gradual benefit reduction of $1 
for each $3 earned over the limit;
?       Establish an annual earnings test for blind SSDI beneficiaries; and
?       Establish one standard IRWE deduction for 
blind SSDI beneficiaries equal to the amount 
presently applicable for this deduction when 
determining an appropriate income subsidy under 
the Medicare prescription drug program or 16.3 
percent of earnings, whichever is greater.

Requested Action:  Please support blind Americans 
by cosponsoring legislation that provides a 
common sense work incentive for blind Social Security beneficiaries.

Contact Information:
James McCarthy
Government Programs Specialist
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
Phone:  (410) 659-9314, extension 2240
Email:  jmccarthy at nfb.org

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------------------------------

Message: 3
Date: Wed, 28 Jan 2009 17:09:43 -0500
From: "Serena" <serenacucco at verizon.net>
Subject: [Njabs-talk] o/t who uses AIM 5.9?
To: "New Jersey Association of Blind Students"
	<njabs-talk at nfbnet.org>,	"National Association of Blind
Students
	mailing list" <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Message-ID: <000c01c98195$1fd039e0$0201a8c0 at Serene>
Content-Type: text/plain;	charset="Windows-1252"

Hey guys

Do any of you use AIM 5.9 anymore?  Do any of you know how to sign on
invisibly?  Either using Jaws independently or what a sighted person should
look for to help me do it?  I'm told that, in the newer versions of AIM,
there's a picture of an eye (because invisibly means others can't see you're
on AIM), but, when my mom tried to help me go invisible, she didn't see a
picture of an eye in 5.9.  I'm using Jaws 7.0.

Thanks,
Serena    

------------------------------

Message: 4
Date: Wed, 28 Jan 2009 17:23:07 -0500
From: Mary Fernandez <trillian551 at gmail.com>
Subject: [Njabs-talk] Issues for washington seminar
To: 1misterdre at gmail.com, Adam_stm at yahoo.com,
	albinoprincess at gmail.com, 	arriandra at yahoo.com,
	Arron.boone at gaggle.net, 	Ashley Whitley
<babyashleyw at gmail.com>,
	Awlynb_1293 at yahoo.com, 	bjwilliams1989 <bjwilliams1989 at gmail.com>,
	braillegurl at yahoo.com,	brailleprincess at yahoo.com,
cacho804 at gmail.com,
	Carolinecutbirth at charter.net, 	Courtney
<courtney.boylan at gaggle.net>,
	Deric.tuff at gaggle.net,	Grecia2009 at yahoo.com,
gregg.rivera at gmail.com,
	gscott at nfbga.org, 	Isaiah Wilcox <iwilcox2011 at gmail.com>,
Isaiah
	Wilcox <isaiahzeek at gmail.com>, iveytina at bellsouth.net,
	JABARISMORAN at gmail.com, Jasmine Cook <jasminecook17 at gmail.com>,
Jason
	Mandarino <jmandari at aug.edu>, Jorob909 at yahoo.com,
	Joseph.dingle at gaggle.net, 	Josh.wells at gaggle.net, Keisha Holmes
	<k16_2005 at yahoo.com>,	Maria.vasileva at gaggle.net,
	Michael.ross at gaggle.net, 	New Jersey Association of Blind
Students
	<njabs-talk at nfbnet.org>,	Nicolesept30 at gmail.com,
	quint.thomas at gaggle.net, 	sami.bubble at gmail.com, Samuel T
	<samueltaylor08 at yahoo.com>, 	Sarah <Sarah.pergola at gaggle.net>,
	sharonball1024 at yahoo.com, 	Shelby Ball
<shelbyaball at hotmail.com>,
	taey06 at gmail.com,	uwantjaz_10 at yahoo.com
Cc: Megan.Harvy at gaggle.net, robert.mckay at gaggle.net,
	Brown.David at gaggle.net,	Shereon.Reaves at gaggle.net
Message-ID:
	<fba03a170901281423n7a80e405m8b067c0ed2653da1 at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252

Hey All. For your information. A brief summary,
basically, one has to do with being safe when walking. (quiet cars)

2. Electronics, such as I'm assuming, microwaves and such should be
designed so that blind users can utilize them.
3. Has to do with SSI, from what I can gather, and i might be
completely wrong, they are trying to let blind people earn more and
take less out of SSI. Don't take my word for it though. So here they
are.

LEGISLATIVE AGENDA OF BLIND AMERICANS:
PRIORITIES FOR THE 111TH 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 present 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
111th Congress in its first session:
1.	We urge Congress to ensure the safety of blind and other
pedestrians by passing the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act.  This
legislation would require the U.S. Secretary of Transportation to:
?	Begin a study within ninety days of its enactment to determine the
most practical means of assuring that blind and other pedestrians
receive essentially similar information to what they now receive from
sound emitted by internal combustion engines;
?	Determine the minimum amount of sound necessary to offer sufficient
information for blind pedestrians to make safe travel judgments based
on appropriate scientific research and consultation with blind
Americans and other affected groups;
?	Within two years of beginning the study, promulgate a motor vehicle
safety standard to address the needs of blind and other pedestrians by
requiring either a minimum level of sound or an equally effective
means of providing the same information as is available from hearing
internal combustion engines; and
?	Apply the standard to all motor vehicles manufactured or sold in the
United States beginning no later than two years after the date it is
promulgated.

2.	We urge Congress to work with blind Americans to create a
Technology Bill of Rights for the Blind that mandates consumer
electronics, home appliances, and office equipment to provide user
interfaces that are accessible through nonvisual means.  This
legislation should:

?	Mandate that all consumer electronics, home appliances, and office
equipment be designed so that blind people can access the same
functions as sighted people through nonvisual means and with
substantially equivalent ease of use;

?	Create a commission comprised of essential stakeholders to establish
standards for nonvisual accessibility of electronic devices intended
for use in the home or office;
?	Endow the commission with enforcement powers or locate it within a
government agency having such powers; and
?	Authorize it to reexamine and rewrite standards to keep pace with
the evolution of consumer electronic technology.

3.	We urge Congress to promote and facilitate the transition by blind
Americans from recipients of Social Security Disability Insurance
benefits to income-earning, taxpaying, productive members of the
American workforce by enacting legislation to:

?	Replace the monthly earnings penalty with a graduated 3-for-1
phase-out (i.e., a $1 reduction in benefits for each $3 earned above
the limit);

?	Replace the monthly earnings test with an annualized earnings test
with an amount equal to twelve times. Substantial Gainful Activity
amount; and

?	Establish an impairment-related work expense deduction for blind
Social Security Disability Insurance beneficiaries equal to the amount
applicable for this deduction when determining an appropriate income
subsidy under Medicare Part D or 16.3 percent of earnings, whichever
is greater.

	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.

ENHANCING PEDESTRIAN SAFETY:  ENSURING THE BLIND CAN CONTINUE TO
TRAVEL SAFELY AND INDEPENDENTLY

Purpose:  To require hybrid, electric, and other vehicles to emit a
minimum level of sound to alert blind and other pedestrians of their
presence.

Background:  Until recently independent travel for the blind has been
a relatively simple matter, once a blind person has been trained in
travel techniques and has learned to use a white cane or travel with a
guide dog.  Blind people listen to the sounds of automobile engines to
determine the direction, speed, and pattern of traffic.  Sounds from
traffic tell blind pedestrians how many vehicles are near them and how
fast they are moving, whether the vehicles are accelerating or
decelerating, and whether the vehicles are traveling toward, away
from, or parallel to them.  With all of this information, blind people
can accurately determine when it is safe to advance into an
intersection or across a driveway or parking lot.  The information
obtained from listening to traffic sounds allows blind people to
travel with complete confidence and without assistance. Studies have
shown that sighted pedestrians also use this information when
traveling.

	Over the past few years, however, vehicles that are completely
silent
in certain modes of operation have come on the market, and many more
silent vehicles are expected in the near future.  These vehicles are
designed to have many benefits, including improved fuel efficiency and
reduced emissions, but they do not need to be silent in order to
achieve these intended benefits.  An unintended consequence of these
vehicles as they are currently designed is that they will reduce the
independence of blind Americans and endanger the lives, not only of
blind people, but also of small children, seniors, cyclists, and
runners.

	Currently the most popular of these vehicles is the
gasoline-electric
hybrid, which alternates between running on a gasoline engine and on
battery power (although a few electric automobiles are already on
America's roads and new all-electric models are planned).  The blind
of America do not oppose the proliferation of vehicles intended to
reduce damage to the environment, but for safety these vehicles must
meet a minimum sound standard.

	On April 9, 2008, Congressmen Ed Towns and Cliff Stearns introduced
H.R. 5734 (the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act of 2008).  This
legislation sought to solve the problem of silent cars by authorizing
a two-year study to determine the best method for allowing blind
individuals to recognize the presence of silent cars, and by requiring
that, two years after the study was completed, all new vehicles sold
in the United States must comply with the solution determined by the
study.  In the 110th Congress, eighty-eight members of the House
cosponsored this legislation.

Need for Congressional Action:  For several years the National
Federation of the Blind has been concerned about the proliferation of
silent vehicles.  Recently automobile manufacturers have acknowledged
the problems posed to blind pedestrians by silent vehicle technology
and have begun to work with the National Federation of the Blind to
seek solutions.  However, federal regulators have indicated that, in
the absence of statistics on injuries or deaths caused by hybrid
vehicles, nothing can be done.  Congress must therefore direct the
Department of Transportation to take action.  It is crucial that this
problem be addressed before the inevitable avalanche of tragedies
involving blind people, small children, seniors, cyclists, runners,
and newly blinded veterans shocks the nation.

Proposed Legislation:  Congressmen Towns and Stearns have reintroduced
the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act to direct the Secretary of
Transportation to conduct a study and establish a motor vehicle safety
standard that provides a means of alerting blind and other pedestrians
of motor vehicle operation, based on appropriate scientific research
and consultation with blind Americans and other affected groups.  This
national motor vehicle safety standard must have the following
characteristics:
?	In all phases of operation (including times when the vehicle is at a
full stop) vehicles shall be required to emit an omni-directional
sound with similar spectral characteristics to those of a modern
internal combustion engine.
?	The sound should vary in a way that is consistent with the sound of
vehicles with combustion engines to indicate whether the vehicle is
idling, maintaining a constant speed, accelerating, or decelerating.
	The standard need not prescribe the apparatus, technology, or method
to be used by vehicle manufacturers to achieve the required minimum
sound level.  This approach will encourage manufacturers to use
innovative and cost-effective techniques to achieve the minimum sound
standard.
	The addition of components to emit a minimum sound discernible by
blind and other pedestrians will not negatively affect environmental
benefits of gasoline-electric hybrids and other automobiles running on
alternate power sources, and the emitted sound need not be loud enough
to contribute to noise pollution.  Automobiles that operate in
complete silence, however, endanger the safety of all of us; silent
operation should be viewed as a design flaw comparable to the lack of
seat belts or air bags.

Requested Action:  Please support blind Americans by cosponsoring the
Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act to authorize the U.S. Department of
Transportation to establish and promulgate regulations specifying a
minimum sound standard for all new automobiles sold in the United
States.  In the House of Representatives, members can be added by
contacting Emily Khoury in Congressman Towns's office, or James Thomas
in Congressman Stearns's office.  In the Senate members can support
independence for blind Americans by sponsoring companion legislation.

Contact Information:
Jesse Hartle
Government Programs Specialist
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
Phone:  (410) 659-9314, extension 2233
Email:  jhartle at nfb.org

A TECHNOLOGY BILL OF RIGHTS FOR THE BLIND

Purpose:  To create a Technology Bill of Rights for the Blind that
mandates consumer electronics, home appliances, and office equipment
to provide user interfaces that are accessible through nonvisual
means.

Background:  In recent years rapid advances in microchip and digital
technology have led to increasingly complex user interfaces for
everyday products like consumer electronics, home appliances, and
office equipment.  Many new devices in these categories require user
interaction with visual displays, on-screen menus, touch screens, and
other user interfaces that are inaccessible to individuals who are
blind or have low vision.  No longer are settings on the television,
home stereo system, or dishwasher controlled by knobs, switches, and
buttons that can be readily identified and whose settings can be
easily discerned, with or without the addition of tactile markings by
the user.  Moreover, the use of inaccessible interfaces on office
equipment such as copiers and fax machines makes these devices
unusable by the blind and therefore a potential threat to a blind
person's existing job or a barrier to obtaining new employment.

	This growing threat to the independence and productivity of blind
people is unnecessary since digital devices can function without
inaccessible interfaces.  Today text-to-speech technology is
inexpensive and more nearly ubiquitous than it has ever been; it is
used in everything from automated telephone systems to the weather
forecasting service broadcast by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration.  Indeed, a few manufacturers have incorporated this
technology into their products to create talking menus or to
articulate what is on the display; there is no reason why other
manufacturers cannot do so as well.  And text-to-speech technology is
not the only mechanism by which consumer electronics, home appliances,
and office equipment can be made accessible to blind people.

Need for Legislation:  Currently there are no enforceable mandates for
manufacturers of consumer electronics, home appliances, or office
equipment to make their devices accessible and no accessibility
standards to provide guidance to manufacturers on how to avoid
creating barriers to access by the blind.  Congress should therefore
enact a Technology Bill of Rights for the Blind, which clearly
establishes that manufacturers must create accessible user interfaces
for their products, provide a means for enforcement, and establish
standards that will provide meaningful benchmarks that manufacturers
can use to make their products accessible.

	Congress need not mandate a single, one-size-fits-all solution for
all consumer technology.   Rather any such legislation should mandate
regulations that set meaningful accessibility standards, while at the
same time allowing manufacturers to select from a menu of potential
solutions that, singly or in combination, will allow blind users to
operate the technology easily and successfully.  This will not only
give manufacturers the freedom and flexibility they desire, but
encourage innovations that make consumer technology more usable for
everyone.

Proposed Legislation:  Congress should enact a Technology Bill of
Rights for the Blind that:

?	Mandates that all consumer electronics, home appliances, and office
equipment  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; and

?	Creates a commission 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, and office equipment or associations
representing such manufacturers; and experts on universal design,
electronic engineering, and related fields.  This commission should
have enforcement powers or be housed within a government agency having
such powers (e.g., U.S. Department of Commerce), and should be
authorized to reexamine and rewrite standards periodically, as
consumer electronic technology continues to evolve.

Requested Action:  Please support blind Americans by introducing
legislation to create a Technology Bill of Rights for the Blind (or by
cosponsoring once legislation has been introduced) so that blind
people will be able to participate fully in all aspects of American
society.  Increased access leads to increased independence, increased
employment, and increased tax revenue.

Contact Information:
James McCarthy
Government Programs Specialist
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
Phone:  (410) 659-9314, extension 2240
Email:  jmccarthy at nfb.org

REMOVING THE EARNINGS PENALTY:  A COMMON SENSE WORK INCENTIVE FOR
BLIND SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFICIARIES

Purpose:  To promote and facilitate the transition by blind Americans
from Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) beneficiaries to
income-earning, taxpaying, productive members of the American
workforce.

Background:  The unemployment rate for working-age blind people is
over 70 percent.  Part of the reason for this disproportionately high
statistic is the myths and misconceptions about the true capacities of
blind people.  These erroneous perceptions are manifested when
employers refuse to hire the blind.

	In addition, governmental programs intended to help blind people
meet
their basic economic needs, especially the SSDI program, have had the
unintended consequence of creating an incentive for blind people to
remain unemployed or underemployed despite their desire to work.  Low
societal expectations result in low representation of the blind in the
workforce.  This low representation of the blind reinforces low
societal expectations?it is a vicious circle that perpetuates systemic
employment discrimination against the blind.

	Despite the efforts of the National Federation of the Blind,
blindness still has profound social and economic consequences.
Governmental programs should encourage blind people to reach their
full employment potential; they should not encourage economic
dependence.

Existing Law:  Title II of the Social Security Act provides that
disability benefits paid to blind beneficiaries are eliminated if the
beneficiary exceeds a monthly earnings limit.  This earnings limit is
in effect a penalty imposed on blind Americans when they work.  This
penalty imposed by the SSDI program means that, if a blind person
earns just $1 over $1,640 (the monthly limit in 2009 following a Trial
Work Period), all benefits are lost.

	Section 216(i)(1)(B) of the Social Security Act defines blindness as
a disability based on objective measurement of acuity and visual
field, as opposed to the subjective criterion of inability to perform
Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA).  For blind people, doing work
valued at the SGA earnings limit terminates benefits but does not
terminate disability.  Only blind people not working or those with
work earnings below an annually adjusted statutory earnings limit
receive benefits.

Need for Legislation:  When a blind person enters the workforce, there
is no guarantee that wages earned will replace SSDI benefits after
taxes are paid and work expenses are deducted.  For example, Jane
worked as a customer service representative with an annual income of
$35,000 until she became blind from diabetic retinopathy.  Jane meets
the criteria for SSDI benefits, which provide income of $1,060 a month
(or $12,720 a year) tax-free while she is not working.  Jane wants
additional income to meet her financial needs.  After an adjustment
period and blindness skills training, she finds employment as a
part-time representative making $10 an hour for 35 hours a week.  Jane
grosses $350 a week for an average of $1,517 a month.  Using a
conservative 25 percent withholding tax, Jane nets $1,137.50 from her
work, combined with her $1,060 disability benefit, for a net total of
$2,197.50 a month.  If Jane should have the opportunity to work full
time (40 hours), her weekly salary would go up to $400 a week for a
monthly average of $1,733.  This amount is over the 2009 earnings
limit, so Jane loses all of her disability benefits.  Using the same
25 percent tax level, Jane nets only $1,300 a month?working an extra
five hours a week has cost Jane $897.50 net income (over $10,500 a
year).  This example illustrates the work disincentive contained in
current law.

	A gradual reduction of $1 in benefits for every $3 earned over the
earnings limit would remove the earnings penalty and provide a
financial incentive to work.  The benefit amount paid to an individual
will gradually decrease, while the individual's contribution to the
Social Security trust fund increases over time.  Under this approach,
as Jane earns more, she pays more into the trust fund, and her
dependence on benefits decreases.

	Monthly earnings evaluations are unnecessarily complicated for both
the beneficiaries and the Social Security Administration.  Since the
medical prognosis for blind people rarely changes, and because
blindness is objectively measurable, blind people should be subject to
an annual earnings test with the limit equal to the twelve times
applicable monthly SGA amount.

	Under current law blind workers frequently pay for items and
services
related to their disabilities that are necessary for them to work, and
they are permitted to subtract these Impairment Related Work Expenses
(IRWE) from monthly earnings when determining monthly income.
Properly crediting IRWE poses a serious challenge to the SSDI program
and creates a lack of predictability for the blind person trying to
determine whether benefits will be available.  To address both issues,
Congress should permit SSDI recipients to claim the same amount used
when determining an income subsidy under the Medicare prescription
drug program, currently 16.3 percent.

	Congress should enact legislation to:
?	Provide that earnings of blind SSDI beneficiaries in excess of the
annual earnings limit result in a gradual benefit reduction of $1 for
each $3 earned over the limit;
?	Establish an annual earnings test for blind SSDI beneficiaries; and
?	Establish one standard IRWE deduction for blind SSDI beneficiaries
equal to the amount presently applicable for this deduction when
determining an appropriate income subsidy under the Medicare
prescription drug program or 16.3 percent of earnings, whichever is
greater.

Requested Action:  Please support blind Americans by cosponsoring
legislation that provides a common sense work incentive for blind
Social Security beneficiaries.

Contact Information:
James McCarthy
Government Programs Specialist
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
Phone:  (410) 659-9314, extension 2240
Email:  jmccarthy at nfb.org

------------------------------

Message: 5
Date: Wed, 28 Jan 2009 17:49:54 -0600
From: David Andrews <dandrews at visi.com>
Subject: [Njabs-talk] New Lists on nfbnet.org
To: david.andrews at nfbnet.org
Message-ID: <auto-000085752972 at mailfront2.g2host.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

I am pleased to be able to tell you about six new lists now hosted on 
nfbnet.org.  They include:

* NFB of Maryland list
* North Dakota Talk
* South Dakota Talk
* Tidewater Virginia chapter list
* Missouri Parents Network
* youth-outreach

Below is information on  all the lists with instructions on how to 
subscribe to each.

Dave

nfbmd:

NFBMD is the e-mail list of the National
Federation of the Blind of Maryland. The purpose of this group is to 
provide information to anyone interested in events and issues 
effecting blind people in Maryland. This group will facilitate
discussion on topics related to blindness,
chapter and state activities, and state and local
resources. There will also be occasional posts
concerning issues of major importance to the
blind as well as announcements concerning activities of the National 
Federation of the Blind on the national level.

To subscribe either go to:

http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbmd_nfbnet.org

or send e-mail to nfbmd-request at nfbnet.org and put the word subscribe 
in the subject line by itself.

nd-talk:

ND-Talk is the e-mail list of the National Federation of the Blind of North
Dakota. The purpose of this group is to provide information to anyone 
interested in events and issues effecting blind people
in North Dakota. This group will facilitate discussion on topics 
related to blindness. There will also be occasional
posts concerning issues of major importance to the blind as well as 
announcements concerning activities of the National
Federation of the Blind on the national, state, and local levels.