[Njabs-talk] njabs-talk Digest, Vol 26, Issue 17
EVELYN E. VALDEZ
tweetybaby19 at comcast.net
Fri Jan 30 00:17:39 UTC 2009
Hi Hamlet, I'm so excited that you have joined our NJABS-talk list serve. Would you be able to introduce yourself briefly to everyone on NJABS and on behalf of the NJABS board, welcome!
Warmest Regards,
Evelyn
----- Original Message -----
From: "Hamlet Diaz" <hamlet.diaz at gmail.com>
To: njabs-talk at nfbnet.org
Sent: Thursday, January 29, 2009 4:41:05 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern
Subject: Re: [Njabs-talk] njabs-talk Digest, Vol 26, Issue 17
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-----
From: njabs-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:njabs-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org]
On Behalf Of njabs-talk-request at nfbnet.org
Sent: Wednesday, January 28, 2009 9:05 PM
To: njabs-talk at nfbnet.org
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.
To subscribe to this list either go to:
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nd-talk_nfbnet.org
or send e-mail to nd-talk-request at nfbnet.org and put the word
subscribe in the subject line by itself.
sd-talk:
SD-Talk is the e-mail list of the National Federation of the Blind of
South Dakota. The purpose of this group is to provide information to
anyone interested
in events and issues effecting blind people
in South 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.
To subscribe to this list either go to:
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/sd-talk_nfbnet.org
or send e-mail to sd-talk-request at nfbnet.org and put the word
subscribe in the subject field by itself.
Tidewater-chapter:
We are the NFB of Virginia Tidewater Chapter and we are growing. Our
President is
Stewart Prost. We cover the Norfolk and Portsmouth areas as well as
parts of Virginia Beach and Chesapeake. We meet every 3rd Saturday at
Orapax Greek
Restaurant in the Ghent.
To subscribe to this list either go to:
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/tidewater-chapter_nfbnet.org
or send e-mail to tidewater-chapter-request at nfbnet.org and put the
word subscribe in the subject line by itself.
missouri-parents-network:
This list is for parents of blind and visually impaired children from
Missouri and is designed to provide an opportunity for Missouri
parents to network and share ideas with other parents as they seek to
find solutions and resources.
To subscribe to this list either go to:
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/missouri-parents-network_nfbnet.org
or send e-mail to missouri-parents-network-request at nfbnet.org and put
the word subscribe in the subject field by itself.
youth-outreach:
The purpose of the Youth-Outreach listserv is to facilitate
discussions among NFB members interested in building youth outreach
programs in their chapters
and affiliates. The listserve will be used as a forum for sharing
information, resources, and ideas. This listserv will help generate
innovative approaches to inspiring and engaging blind youth and will
build a community of those interested in improving opportunities for
youth through the NFB.
To subscribe to this list either go to:
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/youth-outreach_nfbnet.org
or send e-mail to youth-outreach-request at nfbnet.org and put the word
subscribe on the subject line by itself.
------------------------------
Message: 6
Date: Wed, 28 Jan 2009 21:04:40 -0500
From: "Quintina M. Singleton" <qmsingleton at comcast.net>
Subject: Re: [Njabs-talk] Issues for washington seminar
To: "New Jersey Association of Blind Students" <njabs-talk at nfbnet.org>
Message-ID: <A551B14FDAA44F74B4952831DC334177 at owneriuba3zb5v>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="Windows-1252";
reply-type=original
Once a NJABS secretary; always a NJABS secretary. (smile)
Thanks Mary,
Tina
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mary Fernandez" <trillian551 at gmail.com>
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>
Sent: Wednesday, January 28, 2009 5:23 PM
Subject: [Njabs-talk] Issues for washington seminar
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
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