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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message -----
<DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A
title=joeharcz@comcast.net href="mailto:joeharcz@comcast.net">joe harcz
Comcast</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>To:</B> <A title=gastond@michigan.gov
href="mailto:gastond@michigan.gov">gastond@michigan.gov</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>Cc:</B> <A title=Craig.McManus@ed.gov
href="mailto:Craig.McManus@ed.gov">Craig McManus RSA</A> ; <A
title=Carol.dobak@ed.gov href="mailto:Carol.dobak@ed.gov">Carol Dobak</A> ; <A
title=nfbmi-talk@nfbnet.org
href="mailto:nfbmi-talk@nfbnet.org">nfbmi-talk@nfbnet.org</A> ; <A
title=fschroeder@sks.com href="mailto:dandrews@visi.com>)">Fredric Schroeder (by
way of David Andrews<dandrews@visi.com>)</A> ; <A
title=president.nfb.mi@gmail.com
href="mailto:president.nfb.mi@gmail.com">president.nfb.mi@gmail.com</A> ; <A
title=laschuck@juno.com href="mailto:laschuck@juno.com">lydia Schuck MCB
Comm.</A> ; <A title=jcscot@sbcglobal.net
href="mailto:jcscot@sbcglobal.net">John Scott MCB Comm.</A> ; <A
title=sally.conway@usdoj.gov href="mailto:sally.conway@usdoj.gov">Sally Conway
USDOJ</A> ; <A title=Ocr.cleveland@ed.gov href="mailto:Ocr.cleveland@ed.gov">OCR
Cleveland Office</A> ; <A title=rbernstein@sambernstein.com
href="mailto:rbernstein@sambernstein.com">Richard Bernstein Esq</A> ; <A
title=mbrunson@acb.org href="mailto:mbrunson@acb.org">Melanie Brunson ACB</A> ;
<A title=joe.sibley@comcast.net href="mailto:joe.sibley@comcast.net">Joe Sibley
MCBVI Pres.</A> ; <A title=MCODY@mpas.org href="mailto:MCODY@mpas.org">MARK
CODY</A> ; <A title=cannonp@MICHIGAN.GOV
href="mailto:cannonp@MICHIGAN.GOV">Patrick Cannon MCB Dir.</A> ; <A
title=ECERANO@mpas.org href="mailto:ECERANO@mpas.org">Elmer Cerano MPAS</A> ; <A
title=charis533@COMCAST.NET href="mailto:charis533@COMCAST.NET">Charis
Austin</A> ; <A title=valarie@misilc.org
href="mailto:valarie@misilc.org">valarie Barnum Yarger MISILC</A> ; <A
title=lukez@disnetwork.org href="mailto:lukez@disnetwork.org">Luke Zelley
TDN</A> ; <A title=susanfitzm@gmail.com href="mailto:susanfitzm@gmail.com">Susan
Fitzmaurice</A> ; <A title=mikezelley@aol.com
href="mailto:mikezelley@aol.com">Mike Zelley TDN</A> ; <A
title=jmagyar@aacil.org href="mailto:jmagyar@aacil.org">Jim Magyar AA CIL</A> ;
<A title=zimmerm@michigan.gov
href="mailto:zimmerm@michigan.gov">zimmerm@michigan.gov</A> ; <A
title=eve.hill@usdoj.gov href="mailto:eve.hill@usdoj.gov">Eve Hill USDOJ</A>
</DIV>
<DIV><B>Sent:</B> Friday, July 13, 2012 4:33 PM</DIV>
<DIV><B>Subject:</B> comments state plan mcb</DIV></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">July 13, 2012 <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Comments MCB State Plan Effective
Communications</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Paul Joseph Harcz, Jr.</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">To: D. Gaston State Plan
comments</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">I am writing today to comment on
the following segment of MCB’s proposed state plan:</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">“Personnel to Address Individual
Communication Needs</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Describe how the designated state
unit has personnel or obtains the services of other individuals who are able to
communicate in the native language of</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Applicants or eligible
individuals who have limited English speaking ability or in appropriate modes of
communication with applicants or eligible individuals.</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">All consumers of BSBP are
entitled to receive materials in their preferred format whenever possible.
Typical options are Braille, large print, CD, email,</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">or audiotape. The bureau
continues the practice of putting all brochures, as well as other documents like
the Annual Report, on the BSBP website. This</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">makes all materials accessible to
anyone with a computer.</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Currently, there is one person in
the bureau’s deaf/blind unit who is able to communicate in sign language. There
is also at least one person at the BSBP</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Training Center who is able to
communicate by sign. When needed, the agency is able to make arrangements for an
interpreter or translator to facilitate</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">communication. This occasionally
becomes an issue in southeast Michigan due to the large number of Arabic
speaking individuals.</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">“</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">What can I say on this?<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 both in
Title I and in Section 504 (auxiliary aids and services) and The Americans with
Disabilities Act, title II, subpart e, communications requires timely and
effective delivery of information in the most effective format of the individual
for not only clients of MCB, but also employees, MCB commissioners who are blind
and indeed members of the public including myself who are blind.</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">This is the Commission for the
Blind isn’t it?</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Yet, over the past decade <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I’ve documented literally thousands of
instances where Director Cannon and other staff of MCB have violated this for
myself and others including by the way this very day July 13, 2012 and including
issues of effective communications regarding these very public hearings!</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Customers of MCB get little or
nothing including even their own IPEs in accessible format even upon request.
Ditto for business enterprise operators. </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Moreover, Tyler v. Manhattan
requires that such an agency act affirmatively in the remittance of accessible
visually delivered information and not on an ad hoc basis, but this agency again
in and with copious documentation does not remit it upon request! Shoot
potential customers don’t even get return phone calls in a timely manner, some
for literally years let alone all information in their most effective
format.</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Because the agency Director and
all staff have been notified of these obligations by me and others they thus act
with deliberate indifference to these civil <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>rights laws against the entire class of
blind people in this state. In fact I’ve demonstrated that especially in the
case of the Director that these willful acts of discrimination are done with
malice of forethought and thus are a chronic <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>pattern and practice of wilful
discrimination which is cause for damages.,</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">By the way the failure to
affirmatively remit all information to customers or applicants violates the
Title I “informed choice provisions in the ffirst instance for no one who is
blind can have “informed choice” without accessable information!</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Thus in breif we have an agency
for the blind that discriminates en masse against the blind! And it shows that
the assurances sent to RSA and other agencies of government are lies; despicable
and hidious lies! Contentions including in the State Plan that they do so when
they do not are violations of the False Statements Act whenever they report them
to RSA.</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Sincerely,</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Paul Joseph Harcz, Jr.</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Cc: RSA</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Cc: NFB</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Cc: MRC</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Cc: MPAS</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Cc: OCR</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Cc: USDOJ</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Cc: Patrick D. Cannon</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Cc: ACB, MCBVI</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Cc: Richard Bernstein, Esq.</P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P></DIV></BODY></HTML>