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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Good Saturday To All,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Below are the 2023 National Resolutions that were passed at the National Convention in Houston, which speaks to, <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>1: Regarding the Promulgation of Americans with Disabilities Act Website Accessibility Regulations<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>2: Regarding Audio Delays During Live Radio Play-by-Play Broadcasts<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>3: Regarding the Nonvisual Accessibility of Hearing Aids<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>4: Regarding the Schedule A Hiring Authority for Individuals with Disabilities<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>5: And more.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Please review and share with your members.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>They are below and attached!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Resolutions Passed by the 2023 National Convention<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>RESOLUTION 2023-01<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Regarding the Promulgation of Americans with Disabilities Act Website Accessibility Regulations<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, on July 26, 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law, including Title II requiring that public entities be accessible<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>to Americans with disabilities and Title III requiring places of public accommodation to be accessible to Americans with disabilities; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, “public entity” is defined in Title II of the ADA as “any State or local government; any department, agency, special purpose district, or other<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>instrumentality of a State or States or local government; and the National Railroad Passenger Corporation, and any commuter authority.”; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, the twelve examples of public accommodation provided in Title III of the ADA include, but are not limited to: places of lodging, establishments<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>serving food or drink, places of exhibition or entertainment, places of public gathering, sales or rental establishments, service establishments, public<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>transportation terminals/stations, places of public display or collection, places of recreation, places of education, social service center establishments,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>and places of exercise or recreation; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, on July 26, 2010, exactly twenty years after the ADA was signed into law, the United States Department of Justice published an advance notice<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) regarding website accessibility regulations for both Title II and Title III of the ADA; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, seven years after the publication of the advance notice of proposed rulemaking, the Department of Justice suddenly announced that it was withdrawing<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>the website ANPRM entirely on December 26, 2017; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, thirty-two years after the ADA was originally signed into law, and twelve years after the original ANPRM regarding Title II and Title III website<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>regulations, the Department of Justice announced in the Fall 2022 Unified Agenda that it would issue a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) regarding Title<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>II website regulations in the spring of 2023, but has so far failed to release Title II website regulations and has failed to announce any plans regarding<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Title III website regulations: Now, therefore,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this fifth day of July, 2023, in the City of Houston, Texas, that this organization<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>demand the United States Department of Justice immediately release the previously announced ADA Title II website accessibility NPRM; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization demand the United States Department of Justice immediately begin the process of promulgating the ADA Title<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>III website accessibility NPRM.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>RESOLUTION 2023-02<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Regarding the Preservation of the Vocational Rehabilitation Program in the United States through the Liberalization of Policies Governing Federal Expenditures<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, a disproportionately high rate of unemployment and under-employment exists among the nation’s blind, causing genuine hardship and suffering; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind has long championed and advocated for programs within federal and state government, non-profit organizations,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>and elsewhere that will effectively help to minimize and address the multiple economic and social disadvantages stemming from unemployment and under-employment;<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, the national Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) program, a federal/state partnership charged with supporting disabled people who have an impediment<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>to securing work within an integrated, competitive environment, has—during its hundred-plus years of existence—received priority attention and resources<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>of the National Federation of the Blind, calculated to advocating that the VR program in this country adopt policies that positively affect the lives of<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>blind people by increasing choice provisions, unique nonvisual training, and ultimately employment opportunities; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, within at least the last decade, Vocational Rehabilitation agencies have started to return substantial portions of their unused federal VR grants<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>to the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA), a part of the United States Department of Education, for either redistribution through the annual<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>federal re-allotment process or ultimate return to the United States Treasury; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, members of the United States Congress and other relevant Executive Branch officials have observed that the national VR program has increasingly<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>been challenged to spend its federal resources, giving the reasonable impression that this valuable federal employment program may not be proving effective<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>or does not require the level of funding it is currently receiving; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, federal VR officials and leaders of state VR agencies that manage the day-to-day administration of the VR program propound different institutional<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>reasons for the existing federal VR expenditure challenge, both perspectives having some merit; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, many state VR directors and senior fiscal policy staff believe that some of the reasons for state VR agencies needing to return large portions,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>or occasionally the entire federal VR grant, back to the federal government include the strict federal fiscal enforcement and interpretation that has deterred<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>state VR agencies from spending their federal grant dollars and the requirement to reserve and spend 15 percent of the federal VR grant on Pre-Employment<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Transition Services (Pre-ETS) services; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, the alarming pattern of state VR agencies returning federal VR grant resources has caused federal leaders in both the Legislative and Executive<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Branches of government to sincerely conclude that this pattern of non-expenditure reflects some type of dysfunction within the national VR program or that<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>the VR program is simply over-funded; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, federal officials from RSA have been adopting administrative measures and encouraging state VR agencies to liberalize some of their policies and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>practices that falsely attribute the inability to spend federal resources due to an inaccurate interpretation of the federal VR regulations; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, on October 29, 2019, the Office for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) issued its Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>which granted prior approval for certain Participant Support Costs and Equipment Purchases, making it markedly easier for VR agencies serving blind consumers<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>to spend their federal grant dollars with greater practice and speed; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, during the consecutive fall 2022 conferences of the Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation and the National Council of State<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Agencies for the Blind, senior RSA officials charged state VR agency directors with being creative in reviewing long-existing state policies that may be<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>legal, but which may not fully take advantage of latitude that the federal VR Act allows state VR agencies to exercise: Now, therefore,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this fifth day of July, 2023, in the City of Houston, Texas, that this organization<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>call upon the Rehabilitation Services Administration, the Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation, and the National Council of State<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Agencies for the Blind to join together to develop policies that may be relied on to support state VR agencies to spend their federal VR grant resources<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>responsibly and consistently.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>RESOLUTION 2023-03<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Regarding the Accessibility of Twitter<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, social media has become a significant part of many people’s lives, serving as a vehicle for staying in touch with friends, seeking advice, searching<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>for jobs, and staying up-to-date on information about local and national news and events; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, Twitter, a mainstream social media platform, has been a space for the blindness community, having prioritized accessibility by establishing a<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>dedicated accessibility team, and providing frequent accessibility-related updates and communications; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, Twitter in the past allowed for third party clients that use its application programming interface (API) to ensure an accessible experience; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, in the fall of 2022 Twitter laid off its entire accessibility team and made changes to its API that have broken accessible Twitter clients used<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>by our community; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, frequent updates to social media platforms and apps like Twitter introduce new features and bring changes to existing features, and without the<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>accessibility team, accessibility is no longer taken into account with new builds and features: Now, therefore,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this fifth day of July, 2023, in the City of Houston, Texas, that this organization<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>condemn and deplore all acts of blatant discrimination and disregard of blind people by Twitter; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Twitter shall no longer be a platform this organization supports due to its complete lack of regard for equal access by the<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>blind; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization shall not abandon our supporters on Twitter, but shall no longer use it as a primary source of social media<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>engagement; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization demand that Twitter build back its commitment to creating more inclusive experiences by prioritizing accessibility.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>RESOLUTION 2023-04<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Regarding the Opposition of the Brennan Center for Justice, Common Cause, and Free Speech for People to Fully Accessible Vote-By-Mail<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, the ability to cast a secret and anonymous ballot is a cornerstone of our democracy that enables citizens to vote their conscience without fear;<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that voters with print disabilities must be provided an opportunity to mark and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>return their by-mail ballot privately and independently at home that is equal to the opportunity provided voters without disabilities; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, thirty-two states currently permit military and overseas (UOCAVA) voters to return their marked ballot either by email, fax, or web portal; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, twenty-eight states currently permit blind and low-vision voters to mark their by-mail ballot using a remote accessible vote-by-mail (RAVBM) system,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>but only thirteen states (Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Indiana, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Utah,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>and West Virginia) have passed state laws or have been ordered by a federal court to permit voters with disabilities to return their marked ballots electronically;<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, states that do not permit electronic return of ballots require that ballots that are marked using an RAVBM be printed out and returned by regular<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>mail, or placed in a ballot drop-box, which is a barrier that prevents many voters with print disabilities from exercising their right to vote by mail<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>privately and independently; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, organizations such as Common Cause, Brennan Center for Justice, and Free Speech for People oppose fully accessible vote by mail, and therefore<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>the right of voters with print disabilities to vote by mail privately and independently, solely on the basis of unfounded security concerns; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, Common Cause, Free Speech for People, and the Brennan Center for Justice claim that their missions are to “ensure that every eligible American<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>can cast a ballot,” and “to ensure people can participate equally and meaningfully in our democracy”; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, the most commonly used RAVBM, OmniBallot from Democracy Live, is a web portal hosted in the federally approved Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>which has been approved by the US Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, National Security Agency, Central Intelligence Agency, and other<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>US federal government intelligence agencies to secure nationally sensitive documents and data; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, Synack Security, the nation’s premiere security testing company, has conducted continuous penetration testing of the OmniBallot portal since 2020,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>and a Synack Security report, dated July 27, 2022, indicates that recent testing by over four hundred independent security testers found just one low-risk<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>security vulnerability, which was later confirmed to be fixed and no longer present in OmniBallot; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, ballots electronically returned on the OmniBallot portal are encrypted, protected from being changed or overwritten, and securely stored until<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>the elections office prints out and tabulates the ballot; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, the Democracy Live OmniBallot RAVBM portal has been deployed in over four thousand elections in ninety-six countries since 2010 with no security<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>breaches, and is the most deployed RAVBM in the US; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, the Enhanced Voting System, another RAVBM portal commonly used in the United States, has incorporated Microsoft ElectionGuard, an end-to-end verification<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>system, that permits the voter to verify their submitted ballot from the time it is submitted to when it is counted: Now, therefore,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this fifth day of July, 2023, in the City of Houston, Texas, that this organization<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>demand that Common Cause, Free Speech for People, and the Brennan Center for Justice adhere to their mission that every eligible American be able to cast<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>a ballot, including a by-mail ballot by blind, low-vision, and voters with other print disabilities, privately, and independently, and to amend their position<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>on fully accessible vote-by-mail to reflect the actual security status of the state-of-the-art systems currently in use, and to reflect the requirements<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>of Title II of the ADA.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>RESOLUTION 2023-05<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Regarding Audio Delays During Live Radio Play-by-Play Broadcasts<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, many blind people are sports fans who support their local sports teams; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, live radio broadcasts of sporting events, where available, are pivotal in helping many blind people to enjoy sporting events, even when they attend<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>the events in person, because radio broadcasters typically provide thorough nonvisual descriptions of the action on the field of play for listeners; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, there may be a significant audio delay, ranging from a few seconds to a minute or more, between the action and the description of the play over<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>the live radio broadcast, which can mean that blind people listening to the broadcast in the stadium or arena do not receive timely information about the<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>action as it occurs; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, some sports franchises have worked with their broadcast partners to eliminate such delays, indicating that there is no broadcast requirement that<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>the delays be present to meet Federal Communications Commission standards: for example, the Baltimore Orioles worked with the Greater Baltimore Chapter<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>of the National Federation of the Blind to resolve this issue; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, other franchises have reportedly solved the problem by providing dedicated pre-tuned receivers to blind fans, tuned to a direct feed from the<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>broadcast booth, allowing fans to hear the play-by-play with no delay; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, while these solutions have been implemented by some franchises, there are not any league-wide policies, practices, or standards that recognize<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>and address the negative effects of broadcast delays: Now, therefore,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this fifth day of July, 2023, in the City of Houston, Texas, that we urge<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>all of the professional sports organizations in the United States, including but not limited to Major League Baseball, the National Football League, the<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>National Basketball Association, and the National Hockey League, to develop policies, standards, and/or best practices in collaboration with the National<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Federation of the Blind and with their franchises and broadcast partners to eliminate audio delays during live play-by-play broadcasts.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>RESOLUTION 2023-06<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Regarding the Enforcement of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, the Workforce Investment Act, which significantly expanded and strengthened the technology access requirements for Americans with disabilities<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>under the original Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, was signed into law in 1998; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, the strengthened Section 508 went into effect and became enforceable in 2001; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act requires federal agencies to give employees with disabilities and members of the public access to information<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>comparable to the access available to others; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, Section 508 requires federal agencies to make not only websites and information published on the internet accessible, but all electronic and communication<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>technology (ECT), including when those agencies develop, procure, maintain, or use ECT; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, the Department of Justice is required by Section 508 to provide a report to Congress and the President every two years regarding federal technology<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>accessibility; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, the publication of these reports has been sporadic, and frankly ignored, with the previous report’s publication in September of 2012; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, on June 30, 2022, Senators Bob Casey of Pennsylvania and Tim Scott of South Carolina, along with five other senators, sent a letter to the Attorney<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>General demanding the publication of an updated Section 508 report; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, in July 2022, the Senate Committee on Aging, led by Senators Casey and Scott, held a hearing on the impact of lack of 508 compliance on blind<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>and disabled employees, veterans, and members of the public as part of a Senate investigation on Section 508, which resulted in the Committee publishing<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>a report on December 1, 2022, entitled, “Unlocking the Virtual Front Door: An Examination of Federal Technology’s Accessibility for People with Disabilities,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Older Adults, and Veterans”; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, the December 1, 2022, report included clear and actionable recommendations for Congress and executive branch federal agencies for improving data<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>collection, enforcement, accountability, and compliance for Section 508; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, the effort led by Senators Casey and Scott ultimately resulted in the Department of Justice publishing an updated Section 508 report in January<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>2023, which showed a significant level of inaccessibility among federal agency websites, including 10 percent of external agency pages being inaccessible,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>59 percent of internal agency pages being inaccessible, and 80 percent of PDF documents being inaccessible; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, given the degree of inaccessibility that the January 2023 Report shows, it can be reasonably assumed that federal agencies are failing at making<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>other types of ECT accessible in the same way they are failing for web content; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, the United States Access Board has regulatory authority over Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the United States Equal Employment Opportunity<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Commission (EEOC) has regulatory authority over employment discrimination but no authority over Section 508; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, neither the Access Board nor EEOC has enforcement authority over Section 508, resulting in little oversight or accountability for employees and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>members of the public who encounter non-508 compliant ECT; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, inaccessibility to this degree after more than twenty years of the law being in effect and enforceable is outrageous, inexcusable, and unacceptable:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Now, therefore,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this fifth day of July, 2023, in the City of Houston, Texas, that this organization<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>demand federal agencies immediately cease the development, purchase, maintenance, or use of inaccessible information and communication technology as well<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>as the publication of inaccessible website content and PDFs; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization demand federal agencies develop and publish a roadmap by July 5, 2024, to remediate all Section 508 violations;<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization demand the United States Department of Justice publish the next required bi-annual accessibility report no<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>later than January 2025 and every two years thereafter; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization urge Congress to introduce and adopt legislation that gives the Access Board and EEOC the authority to enforce<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Section 508 and hold federal agencies accountable that fail to make their ECT 508 compliant; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization strongly urge that Congress and executive branch federal agencies adopt the recommendations in the December<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>1, 2022, Report of the Senate Committee on Aging; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization commend Senators Bob Casey of Pennsylvania and Tim Scott of South Carolina for leading a bipartisan effort<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>to demand the Department of Justice publish the Section 508 report and improve Section 508 across the federal government.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>RESOLUTION 2023-07<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Regarding Text Formatting in Real-Time Refreshable Braille<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, italics, boldface, underlining, and other formatting attributes are often used as an integral aspect of much written material to emphasize certain<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>words, indicate a shift in time or speaker, show insertions, or otherwise convey information that is necessary for comprehension of the full meaning of<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>the text; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, such text formatting can be displayed in Braille by the use of specifically defined Braille indicators that clearly identify which attribute is<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>being used and where it begins and ends; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, to reduce clutter, when formatting attributes are used for visual appeal but do not add meaning, they are generally not shown in Braille; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, screen reader technology makes the contents of a digital screen accessible via not only speech output but also by displaying the words in Braille<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>via real-time translation software and a connected refreshable Braille display; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, in speech output, most screen readers can, if set to do so, represent italics, boldface, underlining and the like by the use of a different pitch,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>tone, or voice when speaking the affected words; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, in Braille, indication of text attributes by screen readers is inconsistent at best—for example, NVDA is the only screen reader which will, when<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>set to do so, display the assigned Braille boldface, italic, and underline indicators wherever these formatting attributes occur in the text; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, a recent software update gave Apple’s VoiceOver screen reader the ability, in very limited circumstances, to render the Braille boldface, italic,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>and underline indicators, but the implementation does not extend to many popular applications such as the Kindle; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, the methods generally used by other screen readers to render this formatting information in their real-time Braille translation are either non-existent<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>or are very cumbersome and do not use the assigned Braille indicators; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, lack of access to this formatting information not only denies the Braille reader some needed elements of the full meaning of the text, but also<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>represents a missed opportunity for the Braille reader to learn about the print formatting customs used in résumés and many other documents they may be<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>called upon to create as part of employment or educational endeavors: Now, therefore,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this fifth day of July, 2023, in the City of Houston, Texas, that this organization<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>call upon developers of screen reader technology to prioritize the implementation of displaying the Braille indicators for boldface, italics, underlining,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>and other attributes with assigned Braille indicators, wherever these attributes appear in print, so that the user can show or hide the indicators as preferred.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>RESOLUTION 2023-08<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Regarding the Transportation Security Administration<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is responsible for screening all passengers and their belongings for safety purposes; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, blind people traveling through airports every day for work, vacation, or personal reasons interact with TSA agents while navigating through the<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>screening process; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, TSA agents frequently request long white cane users to send the cane through the X-Ray machines, but then fail to immediately return it, resulting<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>in blind travelers feeling inferior and being forced to rely on the agent to help navigate the screening area; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, for guide dog users, TSA officers frequently attempt to separate users from their animals, require that they be screened in a separate screening<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>room, or attempt to improperly remove the harness from the dog during the detection process; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, TSA agents often incorrectly inform these travelers that they are breaking the law, but, when pressed for said law, the agent is unable to provide<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>further information; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, blind passengers have been unnecessarily delayed or missed their flights entirely because of aggressive TSA agents not allowing us to quickly<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>and independently move through the screening process: Now, therefore,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this fifth day of July, 2023, in the City of Houston, Texas, that this organization<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>demand that the Transportation Security Administration adopt proper training on dealing with blind passengers, including how to handle long white canes,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>guide dogs, and assistive technology products, as well as respectfully asking blind people if they would like assistance, to be consistently used at all<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>airports while interacting with blind travelers; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization demand that the training be developed in direct consultation with the National Federation of the Blind, thereby<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>ensuring the agents understand how to best accommodate blind travelers’ needs.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>RESOLUTION 2023-09<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Regarding the Accessibility of Training Administered by the American Red Cross<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, the American Red Cross is the premier organization providing first aid and CPR training to individuals across this nation; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, accessibility to these training programs is vital to individuals who are blind and wish to administer life-saving aid to their friends and family<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>members who may experience medical emergencies and need assistance prior to when emergency medical personnel may arrive; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, members of the National Federation of the Blind have enrolled in American Red Cross training programs and found that over the last several years<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>the electronic portion of training, including materials provided after training, have been inaccessible to them; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, the American Red Cross has recently begun to include videos in their training programs, but these videos are not audio-described and thus do not<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>provide full access to blind participants; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, members of the National Federation of the Blind have communicated with the American Red Cross for over three years to offer assistance in making<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>the American Red Cross electronic materials accessible with limited success to date: Now, therefore,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this fifth day of July, 2023, in the City of Houston, Texas, that this organization<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>strongly urge the American Red Cross to take meaningful steps to make all training programs and services accessible to the blind and print-disabled; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we call upon the American Red Cross to seek the input and partnership of blind consumers, notably the National Federation of<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>the Blind, in its efforts to obtain and maintain accessibility.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>RESOLUTION 2023-11<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Regarding the Nonvisual Accessibility of Hearing Aids<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, the mission of the National Federation of the Blind is to improve the lives of blind people by fostering personal empowerment, coordinating nationwide<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>advocacy, and building a network of collective achievement; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, in today’s society, blind and deafblind individuals need equal access to a wide variety of information as well as access to computers, smart phones,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>and other communication devices; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, recently at least one hearing aid manufacturer, Sonova, has made the controls for its Phonak hearing aid accessible, demonstrating that blind<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>and deafblind individuals can use these controls independently and safely; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, other manufacturers of devices should be able to duplicate accessibility; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, many hearing-care professionals have the same misunderstandings about the abilities of deafblind individuals that the rest of the public has;<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, all hearing-care professionals must recognize the capabilities of deafblind individuals to manage their accessible devices; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, the United States Food and Drug Administration has recently issued a ruling, effective October 17, 2022, allowing the over-the-counter purchase<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>of hearing aids without a prescription from a hearing health specialist; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, such a ruling opens the market for hearing aid manufacturers to produce more widely available, affordable, and potentially accessible products:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Now, therefore,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this fifth day of July, 2023, in the City of Houston, Texas, that this organization<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>call upon all hearing-care professionals, marketers, and manufacturers to work with the National Federation of the Blind so that blind and deafblind individuals<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>can incorporate independent management of their own hearing aid and assistive listening device profiles; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization urge the Food and Drug Administration to require that all hearing aids be accessible to blind and deafblind<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>people.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>RESOLUTION 2023-12<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Regarding Expediting the Plan to Achieve Self-Support Processing<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, a Plan for Achieving Self-Support (PASS) is a Supplemental Security Income (SSI) provision to help individuals with disabilities return to work<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>so that the applicant can find employment that reduces or eliminates SSI or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, the Social Security Administration (SSA) fact sheet on Plan for Achieving Self-Support states, “PASS is a written plan of action for pursuing<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>and getting a particular type of job.”; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, a PASS can include supplies to start a business, school expenses, equipment, transportation, uniforms, and other items or services that an applicant<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>needs to reach his or her employment goal; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, an advantage of an approved PASS is that SSA does not count the money set aside to reach a work goal, thus making the participant eligible for<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>SSI and other public assistance programs such as Medicaid and SNAP; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, the SSA can take years to make a decision on the approval or denial of this plan, causing hardship to the applicant because its decision is not<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>retroactive and the client must wait in limbo for other public assistance programs; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, the SSA does not assist beneficiaries in developing a PASS, but instead directs the applicant to seek help from the state rehabilitation agency;<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, the applicant is forced to work with two bureaucracies, the state rehabilitation agency and SSA, resulting in duplication and indefinite delays;<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, the state vocational rehabilitation agency has organizational knowledge and experience evaluating education and training programs and already<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>has a good working relationship with the applicant; therefore, these agencies should take over the approval of the plan; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, precedent already exists for SSA to get information from the state rehabilitation agency because it currently uses disability determination from<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>the state vocational agency: Now, therefore,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this fifth day of July, 2023, in the City of Houston, Texas, that this organization<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>urge the Social Security Administration to issue rulemaking procedures that will delegate authority to state vocational rehabilitation agencies to approve<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>individual plans to receive self-support.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>RESOLUTION 2023-13<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Regarding Artificial Intelligence Chatbots and their Information on Blindness<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, an artificial intelligence chatbot is any computer program that can carry on a natural conversation with a user and provide responses drawn from<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>a set of existing data; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, chatbots and other artificial intelligence technologies are becoming increasingly prevalent in society, including in the provision of customer<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>service and information; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind is committed to ensuring that blind and low-vision people have equal access to information and technology;<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, it has come to the attention of the National Federation of the Blind that some chatbots, including ChatGPT and Bard, may provide users with stereotypical<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>and inaccurate information about blindness and blind individuals; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, the provision of such information perpetuates harmful stereotypes and contributes to the marginalization of blind individuals; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind believes that creators of chatbots have a responsibility to ensure that their technology does not perpetuate<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>harmful stereotypes or misinformation about blindness: Now, therefore,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this fifth day of July, 2023, in the City of Houston, Texas, that we urge<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>the creators of ChatGPT, Bard, and any future chatbots that may be developed to work with the National Federation of the Blind to build their chatbots<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>in a way that ensures the provision of accurate, non-stereotypical information about blindness and blind individuals; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we call upon the creators of these chatbots to collaborate with the National Federation of the Blind to develop and implement<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>best practices for ensuring that their technology is accessible and inclusive for blind and low-vision people and that these best practices should include<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>the use of blind and low-vision people in the development and testing of these chatbots.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>RESOLUTION 2023-14<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Regarding the Schedule A Hiring Authority for Individuals with Disabilities<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, the United States federal government claims that one of its primary goals is to be the model employer of individuals with disabilities; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, the federal government hires individuals either competitively into the competitive service or noncompetitively into the excepted service; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, since the 1930s, Schedule A appointments to the federal government have included a variety of categories of individuals who are hired non-competitively<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>and into the excepted service; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, President Jimmy Carter issued Executive Order 12125 on March 15, 1979, which, for the first time, established the Schedule A Hiring Authority<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>for Individuals with Disabilities as a section within the broader Schedule A Hiring Authority, in order to create a pathway to level the playing field<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>for applicants with disabilities who are seeking employment with the federal government; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, the Schedule A Hiring Authority for Individuals with Disabilities is intended to create a vehicle for individuals with severe psychiatric, mental,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>and physical disabilities, including blindness, to be excepted from the competitive hiring process in order to increase the number of individuals with<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>disabilities that are hired to work for the federal government; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, the Office of Personnel Management promulgated the implementing regulation for the Schedule A Hiring Authority for Individuals with Disabilities<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>at 5 C.F.R. 213.3102(u) and is responsible for oversight and implementation of this authority; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, this authority is applicable to both veterans and non-veterans with disabilities; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, though this regulation has been updated and modernized on multiple occasions in its forty-four year history, most recently in 2013, the federal<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>government has still struggled to hire and retain employees with disabilities and routinely fails to meet its own targets; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, the Schedule A Hiring Authority for Individuals with Disabilities requires a two-year trial period for newly hired employees, which is equivalent<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>to a probationary employment period, while other new employees are only required to serve one year of probationary employment; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, though existing employees with disabilities may use the Schedule A Hiring Authority for Individuals with Disabilities to non-competitively be<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>promoted or transferred within the federal government, they must serve a new two-year trial period every time the Schedule A Hiring Authority for Individuals<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>with Disabilities is used, effectively disincentivizing the process contrary to its intent; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, the two-year trial period was, in 1979, intended to protect employees with disabilities because it took significant time to procure and implement<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>reasonable accommodations; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, technological advancement, commercial availability, and equity principles have significantly reduced the amount of time to procure and implement<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>reasonable accommodations, rendering the prolonged trial period unnecessary and potentially punitive; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, on November 6, 2020, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) revised 5 C.F.R. 302, which governs the general Schedule A Hiring Authority, to<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>require the use of veterans preference and other significant restrictions for excepted service positions; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, this change has created tremendous confusion among federal agencies about how to implement the Schedule A Hiring Authority for Individuals with<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Disabilities, resulting in multiple federal agencies severely curtailing their use of this authority; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, some federal agencies have reacted to this amended regulation by outright prohibiting non-competitive hiring using the Schedule A Authority for<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Individuals with Disabilities; decommissioning non-competitive résumé databases containing applications and résumés for Schedule A applicants with disabilities;<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>ranking and rating applicants who seek to use the Schedule A Hiring Authority for Individuals with Disabilities behind all other applicant categories,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>even competitive applicants; and other consequences that effectively render the Schedule A Hiring Authority for Individuals with Disabilities meaningless;<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, OPM has indicated that the revised regulation does not apply to the Schedule A Hiring Authority for Individuals with Disabilities, but this guidance<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>is not easily available, prominently published, or enforced; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, on June 25, 2021, President Joe Biden issued Executive Order 14035, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in the Federal Workforce,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>which directs the federal government to “assess current practices in using Schedule A hiring authority to employ people with disabilities in the Federal<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Government, and evaluate opportunities to enhance equity in employment opportunities and financial security for employees with disabilities through different<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>practices or guidance on the use of Schedule A Hiring Authority”: Now, therefore,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this fifth day of July, 2023, in the City of Houston, Texas, that this organization<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>emphatically urge the Office of Personnel Management to provide federal agencies with clear instructions concerning the non-applicability of 5 C.F.R. 302<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>to the Schedule A Hiring Authority for Individuals with Disabilities and direct agencies to reinstate non-competitive hiring procedures for applicants<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>with disabilities; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization urge OPM to update the Schedule A Hiring Authority for Individuals with Disabilities regulations to reduce<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>the trial period to one year for new hires and eliminate it entirely for promotions and transfers consistent with competitive hiring principles; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization commend the Biden Administration for elevating accessibility including the Schedule A Hiring Authority for<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Individuals with Disabilities; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization urge OPM to promulgate updated regulations to implement the Schedule A Hiring Authority for Individuals with<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Disabilities that update and modernize the authority consistent with the federal government’s goal of being the model employer of individuals with disabilities<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>and include stakeholders with disabilities, including the National Federation of the Blind, in that effort.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>RESOLUTION 2023-15<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Regarding the Inaccessibility of C-SPAN's Coverage of Congressional Votes<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, C-SPAN provides complete coverage of the United States Senate and the House of Representatives; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, typically only C-SPAN equipment is permitted to cover Congressional proceedings, including coverage of floor votes in both chambers; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, as votes are taken on bills, nominations, motions and more, a tally is displayed on the screen listing the current vote; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, members of the Senate cast their votes orally, however members of the House record their votes by electronic device; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, despite the Senate using voice votes, at no point is the changing vote tally read out loud for either chamber for those who cannot see the current<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>vote margin on the screen; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, numerous pieces of legislation are debated and voted upon that would considerably impact the lives of the nation's blind; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, C-SPAN sometimes interrupts coverage for a moment to speak important details, such as what is about to be considered, but never to say the current<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>vote totals; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, C-SPAN has been contacted about adding a feature to make these votes accessible and has not returned correspondence: Now, therefore,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this fifth day of July, 2023, in the City of Houston, Texas, that we urge<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>C-SPAN to audibly update viewers as votes progress every few minutes; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization urge other services that offer coverage of state and federal legislatures and government proceedings to add<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>an accessible mechanism for following vote tallies and other pertinent information that is readily displayed on the screen for viewers at home.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>RESOLUTION 2023-16<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Regarding Urging the National Council of State Agencies for the Blind and Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation to Promote Certifications<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Issued by the National Blindness Professional Certification Board<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, all blind Americans deserve high-quality vocational rehabilitation (VR) services that empower and inspire them to live the lives they want; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, there continues to be a shortage of instructors to fill vacancies in positions providing adjustment-to-blindness training to blind consumers of<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>VR services; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, the National Council of State Agencies for the Blind (NCSAB) is composed of specialized state agencies providing VR services to the blind; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, the Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation (CSAVR) is composed of the chief administrators of state agencies providing VR<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>services; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, the National Blindness Professional Certification Board (NBPCB) was created in 2001 and now offers certifications in access technology, orientation<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>and mobility, rehabilitation teaching, and Unified English Braille and emphasizes a positive philosophy of blindness and the importance of blind role models;<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, some state VR agencies and contractors with state VR agencies do not accept certifications issued by the NBPCB, but recognize certifications by<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>the Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation and Education Professionals (ACVREP) when hiring instructional rehabilitation personnel; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, the pathway to obtaining certifications issued by ACVREP continues to be problematic for blind applicants, thus marginalizing blind people within<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>the professional community affiliated with ACVREP; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, the NBPCB was established to administer certifications for blindness rehabilitation professionals in a way that does not discriminate against<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>blind instructors and thus treats blind and sighted instructors equally; and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>WHEREAS, blind people holding certifications from the NBPCB have been successfully providing VR services to blind adults through VR programs funded by<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>the United States Department of Education since 2001, demonstrating their capabilities for the last twenty-two years: Now, therefore,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this fifth day of July, 2023, in the City of Houston, Texas, that this organization<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>urge the National Council of State Agencies for the Blind and Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation to urge their member agencies<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>and administrators to accept certifications issued by the National Blindness Professional Certification Board (NBPCB) and treat them equally to their counterpart<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>certifications issued by the Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation and Education Professionals (ACVREP) and to require their contractors to<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>accept NBPCB certifications wherever they accept ACVREP certifications.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>