[Ohio-Talk] On Behalf of Cleveland's Vice President, William Turner, Resolution Review

Tue Dec 10 04:16:20 UTC 2019

Cleveland/Cuyahoga Chapters,

There will be a brief conference call on tomorrow night to discuss the
resolution on the Dockless Scooters and E-Bikes. If you have questions or
need to review, Cleveland's Vice President, William Turner will be reviewing
the information that the Ohio Resolution Committee drafted. However, if you
are not attending the forum on Thursday, please join us to learn as well. We
all need to stay informed and knowledgeable when you are speaking to
members, friends, family members, politicians and other entities.

The conference call number is:

(605) 313-4834

Code: 246345

Time: 7:30 P.M.

Date: tomorrow, Tuesday, December 10, 2019.

Review below and have your questions ready!

///

Resolution: Regarding the Proliferation of Dockless Electric Scooters and
E-Bikes: 2019-02 

WHEREAS, dockless electric scooters and e-bikes are  new forms of
transportation that have become increasingly popular in the United States;
and

WHEREAS, the appeal of these vehicles is that they may be retrieved from and
left anywhere because they do not need to be parked at a docking station or
rack; and

WHEREAS, as a result users are leaving these vehicles in locations that
block curb cuts, obstruct sidewalks, block bus stops and stoops, and
generally disrupt the flow of pedestrian traffic; and

WHEREAS, users further endanger pedestrian traffic by riding these vehicles
on sidewalks and other pedestrian rights-of-way; and

WHEREAS, these vehicles are virtually silent when in use, making it
impossible for those using nonvisual means of travel to detect them; and

WHEREAS, the public is encouraged to contact the various scooter and e-bike
companies directly to report vehicle misuse, request that a vehicle be
moved, or report an injury or other concern by calling the company, visiting
the website, or making a report using the app; and

WHEREAS, the blind cannot identify the scooter and E-bike companies' names,
phone numbers, or websites because the information on the scooter or e- Bike
is available only in print; and

WHEREAS, blind people are further denied the opportunity to make reports or
issue complaints since scooter and e-bike websites and apps are generally
not accessible using access technology; and

WHEREAS, few laws in the United States regulate the use of these vehicles,
and laws that do exist are inconsistent from city to city: Now, therefore

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio in Convention
assembled this third  day of  November, 2019, in the City of Columbus, Ohio,
that this organization urge the Ohio Department of Transportation, the Ohio
General Assembly, city councils, and regional and local governments to work
with the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio to enact laws regulating
scooter and e-bike use to control parking, prohibit riding on sidewalks, and
generally avoid disrupting the flow of pedestrian traffic; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization call upon agencies with the
power to create regulations governing the use of dockless electric scooters
and e-bikes to consult with the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio
about the safety and identification of dockless electric scooters and
e-bikes; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization demand that all dockless
electric scooter and e-bike  companies place their company name, scooter or
E-Bike identification number, and contact information on each vehicle in a
format accessible and easily detectible by the blind and that these
companies develop accessible websites and mobile applications so that blind
pedestrians can easily make reports of misuse or injury; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization call upon the Ohio
Congressional delegation to introduce federal legislation establishing a
minimum sound standard for dockless electric scooters and 

e-bikes when moving.

Suzanne

National Federation of the Blind of Ohio (NFBO)

Suzanne Turner, Ohio Affiliate Vice President

Cleveland Chapter, President

(216) 990-6199

Please click on the links below to learn more about the organization

The Ohio Affiliate

 <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGe_1qGbkX8>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGe_1qGbkX8

"Live the life you want" featuring, National President, Mark Riccobono

 <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DesLNDBpYVE&feature=share>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DesLNDBpYVE&feature=share

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The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the
characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the
expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles
between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want;
blindness is not what holds you back.