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<H1 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3>RESOLUTION 2011-02</FONT></H1>
<H1 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3>RIGHT TO DUE PROCESS ADMINISTRATIVE
HEARINGS</FONT></H1>
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</SPAN>WHEREAS, all entities of State and local government are required to
follow the effective communications requirements of the Americans with
Disabilities Act of 1990, including the obligation to affirmatively, let alone
upon request, remit information in alternate formats to people who are blind;
and</P>
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</SPAN>WHEREAS, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 requires that all
recipients of federal funds provide auxiliary aids and services to those who are
blind; and</P>
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</SPAN>WHEREAS, the United States Supreme Court found in <U>Tennessee</U> v
<U>Lane</U> that state and local courts are not immune from these obligations
and, indeed, have high responsibilities in these regards, for lack of access
fundamentally denies “due process and equal protection under the law”; and</P>
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</SPAN>WHEREAS, the Michigan Administrative Hearing Systems (MAHS) is both a
Title II entity, federal fund recipient and an administrative law program where
blind Business Enterprise Program participants and advocates, as well as others,
routinely appear to seek justice and receive due process and equal protection
under laws, including Public Act 260 of 1978 as well as major aspects of the
Rehabilitation Act; and</P>
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</SPAN>WHEREAS, MAHS, in documented fashion and principals therein, have denied
advocates and respondents who are blind repeatedly information in accessible
formats and in a timely manner; and</P>
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</SPAN>WHEREAS, these are systemic, chronic, pervasive and fundamental
violations of the civil rights of all <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State
w:st="on">Michigan</st1:State></st1:place> citizens who are blind, as a class,
by failure to act affirmatively in these regards; and</P>
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</SPAN>WHEREAS, the Michigan Commission for the Blind has also been complicit in
not only ensuring that MAHS follows these laws, but rather, has repeatedly
violated these very same provisions of the law in these administrative
proceedings which are in and of themselves conscious and malicious acts of
discrimination perpetuated repeatedly against numerous blind individuals;</P>
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</SPAN>NOW THEREFORE, be it resolved by the National Federation of the Blind of
Michigan in convention assembled on November 6, 2011 in the City of Kalamazoo,
Michigan that forthwith, the National Federation of the Blind of Michigan will
lodge a Complaint against the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory
Affairs (MAHS’s parent), MAHS, and The Michigan Commission for the Blind within
the United States Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Disability
Rights Section, and the civil rights office of the United States Attorney in the
Eastern District of Michigan.</P>
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</SPAN>AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the NFB-MI will seek any legal support in
these matters from other resources, including our National
office.</P></DIV></BODY></HTML>