Convention Resolutions '97

Convention Resolutions '97

The

Braille Monitor

August/

September 1997

(next)

(contents)

Resolutions Adopted

by the Annual Convention of the

National Federation of the Blind

July 1997

by Ramona Walhof

From the Editor: Ramona Walhof is the Secretary of the National Federation of

the Blind and President of the NFB of Idaho. She also serves as the Chairperson

of the Resolutions Committee. Each year she presides over the receipt and handling

of all resolutions until they are acted upon by the convention. This is what

she has to say about the resolutions considered at the 1997 convention of the

National Federation of the Blind:

For me in recent years it has been a thrill to pound the gavel and call the

Resolutions Committee Meeting to order. The response is a mighty yell from the

committee and the audience, friends and colleagues in the Federation. This occurred

at 1:30 p.m., Monday, June 30, 1997. A committee of nearly fifty representatives

considered resolutions brought by NFB membersfrom across the country. We require

that those who present resolutions attend the committee meeting.

As usual, there was an audience of several hundred people. Why do so many come?

Because NFB resolutions are policy statements of the National Federation of

the Blind, and NFB members take our policies seriously. After discussion by

the committee, resolutions which receive affirmative action are

brought to the floor of the convention for a final decision. There may or may

not be much discussion on the floor, but conventioneers will have been thinking

and talking about them all week long, especially if a particular resolution

is at all controversial.

This year nineteen resolutions were sent to the chairman as required before

the convention. Seventeen were passed by the committee and the convention. One

resolution had no sponsor at the committee meeting and therefore was not considered.

The Committee resoundingly voted not to recommend a second one to the Convention.

Short descriptions of the resolutions that were adopted as well as their complete

texts follow:

Resolution 97-01 thanks Senator John

Chafee and other

members of Congress for their affirmative action on the Copyright

Act passed in September, 1996.

Resolution 97-02 expresses gratitude to Representative

Barbara Kennelly, Senators John McCain and Christopher Dodd, and

other co-sponsors of the legislation to restore the policy of

work-incentive equity for blind people receiving Social Security

Disability Insurance.

Resolution 97-03 calls upon the Walt Disney Company to

abandon its plans to produce a movie featuring Mr. Magoo and

calls upon Leslie Nielsen and other actors not to associate

themselves with such a project.

Resolution 97-04 urges the Department of Veterans Affairs

not to attempt to serve blind persons who are not veterans and

not to seek payment for such service from other federal agencies.

Resolution 97-05 calls upon the Veterans Administration to

abide by the decision of the Eighth Circuit Court stating that

the Randolph-Sheppard Act applies to VA medical centers.

Resolution 97-06 urges Tektronix, Inc., to continue to

improve its newly demonstrated system of tactile graphic images

produced by its Phaser 600 printer and calls upon agencies of the

federal government to assist in improving the accessibility to

the blind of graphic images commonly used on computer screens and

print-outs.

Resolution 97-07 calls upon the electronics industry to

ensure that the needs of the blind are considered in the design

of electronic devices intended for the general public.

Resolution 97-08 urges equal access for the blind when

information is provided to the public through kiosks and other

public-access sources of electronic information and calls upon

those purchasing such equipment to keep this accessibility need

in mind.

Resolution 97-09 calls for better Braille music instruction

for blind children and their instructors and requests the

National Library Service to develop a Braille music competency

test for these instructors.

Resolution 97-10 deplores the proposed use of a means test

by vocational rehabilitation programs and calls upon Congress to

reject any proposal for a means test as a condition of receiving

services.

Resolution 97-11 calls upon the Social Security

Administration to establish within its teleservice system one or

more positions to provide technical information about its work

incentives.

Resolution 97-12 calls upon blood-glucose-meter

manufacturers to make all of these devices accessible to the

blind by providing voice output.

Resolution 97-13 praises Congress and the President for

supporting Braille instruction to blind children and calls for

parents, educators, and policymakers everywhere to see that the

law is implemented.

Resolution 97-14 strongly urges the Social Security

Administration to adopt revised standards and procedures for

approving PASS applications based on encouraging rather than

restricting recipients' efforts to achieve self-support and

insists upon clear and objective standards in evaluating PASS

applications which do not include governmental prejudgment on the

recipients' chosen goals.

Resolution 97-15 was not passed by the committee.

Resolution 97-16 opposes the position of the Department of

Defense which excludes Randolph-Sheppard vending facilities from

most Department locations and calls upon the Department to open

Defense food service sales facilities broadly to blind vendors.

Resolution 97-17 urges schools to provide access and

instruction in the use of computers and the Internet for their

blind students.

Resolution 97-18 supports the bill in Congress already

passed by the House of Representatives to consolidate job

training and employment programs, especially provisions to amend

and extend the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

RESOLUTION 97-01

WHEREAS, amendments to the Copyright Act of major and

historic consequence for blind people were enacted and became law

in September, 1996; and

WHEREAS, the amendments resulted from an agreement reached

between the National Federation of the Blind and the Association

of American Publishers with consultation and involvement by the

National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped

of the Library of Congress in the discussions leading to the

agreement; and

WHEREAS, an enthusiastic and positive response by United

States Senator John H. Chafee of Rhode Island to a request from

the National Federation of the Blind brought about prompt

enactment of the copyright amendments; and

WHEREAS, this legislation has had the immediate beneficial

effect of providing blind persons the chance to obtain a greater

degree of access to published works without the delay formerly

caused by the necessity to secure permission from publishers, but

the long-range benefits of the copyright amendments are likely to

be of even greater consequence with the inevitable growth in

creation and mass distribution of information by electronic

means: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in

convention assembled this fifth day of July, 1997, in the City of

New Orleans, Louisiana, that this organization convey its

official thanks and commendation to Senator John H. Chafee for

the understanding and commitment he has shown by providing the

leadership necessary for enactment of the Copyright Act

amendments during the first session of Congress in which this

legislation was proposed.

RESOLUTION 97-02

WHEREAS, the Social Security Act contains provisions for

determining the amount of exempt earnings used as a factor in

eligibility for blind people in the disability insurance program;

and

WHEREAS, the statutory exempt earnings guideline which

applies to blind persons was established as a matter of law to

reflect the fact that blindness, like retirement age, is a

definable condition; and

WHEREAS, an identical, annually-adjusted, exempt amount was

applicable to earnings of blind persons and age-sixty-five

retirees from 1978 until the law for retirees was changed in

1996; and

WHEREAS, the 1996 changes made for retirees will result in

an earnings exemption of $30,000 beginning in 2002, but the limit

on earnings of the blind in that year will be less than half the

amount allowed for seniors; and

WHEREAS, Representative Barbara Kennelly and Senators John

McCain and Christopher Dodd are leading an effort in Congress to

correct this inequity with a bill to provide the same annual

changes in the exempt amount for blind people as those now

approved for retirees: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in

convention assembled this second day of July, 1997, in the City

of New Orleans, Louisiana, that this organization express its

gratitude and appreciation to the members of Congress--

Representative Kennelly and Senators McCain and Dodd--as well as

to the cosponsors of the legislation in the House of

Representatives and the Senate who are leading the effort to

restore the policy of work incentive equity for blind Americans;

and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we urge all members of Congress

to join with the sponsors of this most significant work incentive

legislation for the blind so that action to secure its prompt

enactment will occur.

RESOLUTION 97-03

WHEREAS, for fifty-eight years the cartoon character Mr.

Magoo has perpetuated the old myth that blind people are

bumbling, unaware, helpless, and often crotchety; and

WHEREAS, two generations of blind children have already

endured taunts in school and elsewhere with the belittling label

"Mr. Magoo"; and

WHEREAS, the Magoo character has fortunately become such an

anachronism that no studio has filmed any new Magoo movies or TV

shows for thirty-two years; and

WHEREAS, until now the Walt Disney Company has never

offended blind Americans by producing entertainment which

included the inept and unaware Magoo character; and

WHEREAS, recent press reports indicate that the Walt Disney

Company has bought the rights to Mr. Magoo in order to capitalize

on Magoo's supposed nostalgia by filming a new feature-length,

live-action Magoo movie expected to be released during the

Christmas holiday of 1997; and

WHEREAS, the inescapable nature of Magoo is as offensive and

stereotypical to us today as Little Black Sambo and Amos and Andy

are to Americans of every race; and

WHEREAS, the Los Angeles Times has quoted the late Jim Backus, voice

of Mr. Magoo, as saying of Magoo in 1976 that he'd "like to bury the old

creep and get some good dramatic roles"; and

WHEREAS, a central element to the Magoo character is his so-

called funny ineptness in activities of ordinary life because he

can't see--an artless prejudice against the blind that the

National Federation of the Blind has fought to change since 1940;

and

WHEREAS, we believe that the multi-million dollar budget for

Magoo--which exceeds the entire annual operating budget of the

National Federation of the Blind--represents a colossal waste of

resources toward an end unworthy of the Disney name; and

WHEREAS, the nation's largest organization of blind people

finds it objectionable that the multi-billion-dollar Walt Disney

Company has apparently chosen to make new profits at the expense

of blind people; and

WHEREAS, we believe that the values of this year's holiday

season (when this movie is projected to open) would be better

served by portraying blind competence, not incompetence, blind

alternative techniques rather than helplessness, blind fellowship

rather than isolation, and blind inclusive humor rather than

ridicule of us; and

WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind stands ready

immediately to assist the Walt Disney Company in developing

movies and cartoons that show this positive, modern understanding

of the normal abilities of blind people without resorting to

ancient stereotypes: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in

convention assembled this second day of July, 1997, in the City

of New Orleans, Louisiana, that this organization condemn and

deplore Disney's attempt to raise Mr. Magoo from his deathbed;

and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we call upon the Walt Disney

Company to abandon production of this offensive project; to

return to Disney's tradition of making films which celebrate

people and their capacity to learn, adapt, and grow; and to let

Quincy Magoo die a natural death; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we call upon Leslie Nielsen and

other actors and Disney staff associated with the Magoo project

to stop working on this ill-conceived movie which will be an

embarrassment to their careers and an insult to the millions of

blind or visually-impaired Americans; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we take whatever action

appropriate to protest the revival of the Mr. Magoo character.

RESOLUTION 97-04

WHEREAS, the Department of Veterans Affairs is pursuing an

effort to obtain support from other agencies, including the

federal/state vocational rehabilitation program, to underwrite

the costs of its blind rehabilitation program; and

WHEREAS, this effort to expand its base of financial support

includes recruitment of trainees who are not veterans and are

actually not eligible to receive services from the Department of

Veterans Affairs except under special agreements made to serve

them; and

WHEREAS, the approach followed by the Department of Veterans

Affairs in conducting its rehabilitation program for the blind

has been designed as a medical model, with the emphasis placed on

skill development and the provision of prosthetic aids and

devices, rather than on teaching constructive views about

blindness and building the confidence needed by each blind person

to achieve full participation in society on terms of equality;

and

WHEREAS, references to blind students as "patients" and the description

of the training facility's capacity itself by reporting the number of "beds,"

rather than the number of training slots available, completely misstate the

mission and purpose of rehabilitation services for blind people but typify the

medical-model approach of the Department of Veterans Affairs; and

WHEREAS, in training facilities outside of the Department of

Veterans Affairs, use of the medical model for rehabilitation of

the blind has been rejected as a failed approach because it tends

to perpetuate the myth that blindness is a physical affliction;

and

WHEREAS, the Department of Veterans Affairs' announced

policy against the employment or training of blind persons as

orientation and mobility instructors is a further reason for

rejecting the efforts of that agency to position itself as a

service provider for the blind population in general: Now,

therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in

convention assembled this fifth day of July, 1997, in the City of

New Orleans, Louisiana, that this organization oppose the effort

of the Department of Veterans Affairs to double-dip from the

federal treasury by financing its tax-supported, hospital-based

program for veterans with funds received by serving clients of

other federally funded programs.

RESOLUTION 97-05

WHEREAS, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth

Circuit has issued a final and binding judgment in which the

priority granted to blind people by the federal Randolph-Sheppard

Act has been upheld as fully in effect in a medical center of the

Department of Veterans Affairs; and

WHEREAS, the court's decision in this particular instance

has brought to a final and satisfactory end more than a decade of

legal proceedings in which the Department of Veterans Affairs has

used every argument and legal strategy imaginable to no avail to

obtain a court-approved exemption from the Randolph-Sheppard Act;

and

WHEREAS, in the spirit of the oath of office taken by the

Secretary of Veterans Affairs and other top officials of that

Department faithfully to "execute the Constitution and laws of

the United States," the Department should now accept the federal

court's decision and take affirmative steps to abide by it at all

of the Department's 172 medical centers; and

WHEREAS, rather than honoring the blind-vendor priority

consistent with the Court's decision in the Eighth Circuit, the

Department of Veterans Affairs appears to be embarked on a policy

of attempting to defeat the priority by simply ignoring it and

hoping that officials in the blind-vendor program will simply not

notice their failure to comply with the law: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in

convention assembled this fifth day of July, 1997, in the City of

New Orleans, Louisiana, that this organization condemn and

deplore the take-no-prisoners posture of the Department of

Veterans Affairs in its efforts to undermine the priority now

confirmed by the courts in favor of the Randolph-Sheppard Act;

and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization seek the

assistance of those responsible in the Department of Education

and the Department of Justice in order that the Court's decision

in the Eighth Circuit may be honored as a matter of policy and

law throughout the Department of Veterans Affairs medical center

system.

RESOLUTION 97-06

WHEREAS, graphic images such as pictures, diagrams, maps,

and graphs are becoming more prevalent in educational materials;

and

WHEREAS, graphic images such as spreadsheets, diagrams, and

graphs are being more widely used as a means of conveying

information in the workplace; and

WHEREAS, there has until recently not been a system for

rapidly producing tactile images on an as-needed basis; and

WHEREAS, Tektronix, Inc., the world's leading manufacturer

of workgroup color printers, has recently demonstrated a usable

system for producing tactile line drawings and graphs using the

Phaser 600 printer: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in

Convention assembled this fifth day of July, 1997, in the City of

New Orleans, Louisiana, that this organization commend Tektronix,

Inc., for its efforts in creating this outstanding contribution

to the blindness community; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization urge Tektro-

nix, Inc., to continue the development of this technology by

working in cooperation with interested companies and the National

Federation of the Blind; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization call upon the

appropriate agencies of the federal government such as the

Rehabilitation Services Administration, the National Institute of

Health, the Department of Education, the Veterans Administration,

and the National Science Foundation to cooperate in funding

further research and developments in this area.

RESOLUTION 97-07

WHEREAS, the use of digital controls and computer technology

in today's consumer electronic appliances has resulted in devices

which are difficult if not impossible for blind persons to use

independently; and

WHEREAS, examples of some features that cause problems for

blind consumers include but are by no means limited to:

1. Buttons that cannot be located by touch but which all too

often require only a light touch to be pressed,

2. Buttons which can be located by touch but which provide

no indication, either by touch or by sound, that they have been

pressed,

3. Continuously rotating knobs whose settings cannot be

determined by touch but which are displayed on a screen, and

4. On-screen menus--particularly the more complex menus used

on more sophisticated devices--which tend to change with no

warning after a pre-determined amount of inactive time has

passed; and

WHEREAS, these features can be found not only in the home,

where a blind person has a certain amount of choice about which

appliance to purchase, but in the office--on telephones, fax

machines, copiers, and other devices--which often are essential

for an employed blind person to use in order to keep his or her

job; and

WHEREAS, the difficulties imposed on the blind by the

increased digitization of electronic devices can be attributed to

the lack of understanding and good information on the part of

designers and developers, who often do not even imagine that

their products are likely to be used by the blind: Now,

therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in

Convention assembled this fifth day of July, 1997, in the City of

New Orleans, Louisiana, that this organization work with the

Consumer Electronics Manufacturers' Association, CEMA, and other

major organizations within the electronics industry to ensure

that the needs of the blind are considered in the design of

electronic devices intended for the general public.

RESOLUTION 97-08

WHEREAS, communication by electronic means is becoming a

widespread method for conducting business with government agen-

cies and obtaining essential public services; and

WHEREAS, employment opportunities are also becoming

dependent upon the ability to acquire and manipulate data

presented by electronic means and stored in electronic files; and

WHEREAS, the benefits of information technology (including

the use of public-kiosk systems and other methods to access

information presented in electronic form) are readily apparent

for employees and members of the general public who can see, but

for blind people the same benefits are being denied because of

lack of accessible equipment and features and lack of planning to

obtain such features at the time of procurement of information

technology; and

WHEREAS, adoption of model legislation for information

technology access prepared by the National Federation of the

Blind is essential to remove the barriers resulting from the lack

of specific non-visual access standards for use as procurement

specifications: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in

convention assembled this fifth day of July, 1997, in the City of

New Orleans, Louisiana, that this organization insist upon a

policy of equal access to information technology in those

instances when such technology is purchased and deployed for

public or employee use; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization vigorously

promote the passage of laws with specific requirements for non-

visual use so that the growing reliance upon information

technology throughout the United States becomes a means of access

rather than a source of discrimination against the blind.

RESOLUTION 97-09

WHEREAS, goal 5 of the National Education Goals declares

that by the year 2000 every adult American will be literate; and

WHEREAS, the National Literacy Act of 1991 states in part

that literacy is "an individual's ability to read and write . . .

and to develop one's knowledge and potential"; and

WHEREAS, when a blind person decides to become literate in

music, one of the tools for acquiring this knowledge is the

Braille Music Code; and

WHEREAS, the second purpose of the National Federation of

the Blind Music Division is to develop and improve methods for

transcribing music into large print and Braille: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in

Convention assembled this fifth day of July, 1997, in the City of

New Orleans, Louisiana, that this organization strongly urge the

use and teaching of the Braille Music Code whenever appropriate;

and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we urge all entities preparing

instructors of blind students to offer courses in the Braille

Music Code; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Federation of the

Blind call upon the National Library Service for the Blind and

Physically Handicapped (NLS) to create an additional test for the

Braille Music Code to assure parents of blind children and music

students that these instructors are competent in Braille music.

RESOLUTION 97-10

WHEREAS, a federally mandated means test was eliminated from

the vocational rehabilitation program more than thirty years ago,

providing each state with the discretion to establish a

financial-need policy, including the policy of not applying a

financial-need standard for any vocational rehabilitation service

at all; and

WHEREAS, amid the consideration of amendments to the

Rehabilitation Act now occurring in the United States Senate, a

proposal to restore "means testing" as a federal mandate is under

review with the concept that many services, other than

eligibility and plan development, could be subject to some form

of means testing under certain, as-yet-to-be-determined

circumstances; and

WHEREAS, a means test by its very nature creates a significant disincentive

to the use of vocational rehabilitation services, since individuals who need

such services are often forced to live on public benefits and exhaust family

resources (including savings belonging to themselves and others) just to survive

financially, let alone taking on the burden of paying the costs of rehabilitation;

and

WHEREAS, a policy of means testing would be particularly onerous for blind people,

since service costs--such as the costs of personal adjustment and training--are

high enough that payment by individuals is an unrealistic expectation, even

though the services are necessary for lifelong success following rehabilitation:

Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in convention assembled

this fifth day of July, 1997, in the City of New Orleans, Louisiana, that this

organization deplore the notion that a means test required by the federal government

should become a part of the vocational rehabilitation program; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we call upon the members of Congress and the President

to reject any proposal for a federally mandated means test as a condition for

an eligible person to receive services under the Rehabilitation Act.

RESOLUTION 97-11

WHEREAS, attempts to work while receiving cash benefits under the Social Security

Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income programs will eventually

result in overpayment allegations being made against beneficiaries by the Social

Security Administration in virtually every case; and

WHEREAS, although the work-incentive provisions that may apply to any particular

claim and the unique circumstances of that claim may be complex and difficult

for employees of the Social Security Administration to understand, this is not

an acceptable excuse for failing to implement the law and certainly not an acceptable

excuse for threatening beneficiaries with allegations of overpayment without

developing a complete record of the facts; and

WHEREAS, beneficiaries, who cannot obtain correct information about the status

of their claims and the effect of using particular work incentive provisions,

will often choose not to attempt working at all, since this is still their safest,

most secure option; and

WHEREAS, the Social Security Administration has invested substantial resources

in creating and maintaining a toll-free, telephone-access network for use in

scheduling appointments, responding to personal inquiries, or providing general

information about Social Security programs, but competent and personalized help

or counseling in the use of work incentives is not provided through this network:

Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in convention assembled

this fifth day of July, 1997, in the City of New Orleans, Louisiana, that this

organization call upon the Social Security Administration to establish within

its nationwide teleservice system one or more positions with the exclusive responsibility

of providing work incentive technical assistance for the purpose of responding

to questions about the use of work incentives and for giving beneficiaries a

prompt and convenient means of access to their work-activity information on

file; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the particular, number one, responsibility of each

work incentive technical assistant should be to help beneficiaries overcome

the uncertainties caused by working by accurately informing them on matters

such as the record of their trial work months used, if any, and the method used

to decide whether a particular month should count against the trial work period;

the length of time remaining for extended eligibility and the importance of

knowing when this period will expire; the expected expiration date for the individual's

Medicare eligibility; and the facts on file concerning work expense and impairment-related

work expense deductions presently being allowed.

RESOLUTION 97-12

WHEREAS, diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in working age adults; and

WHEREAS, the Center for Disease Control estimates that up to 39,000 Americans

become blind from diabetes each year; and

WHEREAS, each year thousands of diabetic senior citizens become blind due to

other causes; and

WHEREAS, all diabetics need to monitor blood glucose levels accurately in order

to maintain their health and reduce their risk of further complications; and

WHEREAS, vision loss from diabetes is often gradual and fluctuates dramatically,

making it difficult for diabetics to read accurately the results from conventional

blood glucose meters; and

WHEREAS, the experience of the National Federation of the Blind proves that

blind diabetics can successfully manage their blood glucose levels if given

the appropriate training and voice technology; and

WHEREAS, adding voice feedback to electronic devices is now simple and cost-effective,

especially when voice access is added during product design and development

phases: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled

this fifth day of July, 1997, in the City of New Orleans, Louisiana, that this

organization call upon all blood glucose meter developers and manufacturers

to make all future blood glucose meters directly accessible via voice for diabetics

who are blind or losing vision; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization work directly with developers

and manufacturers to find cost-effective and workable solutions for making new

meters accessible.

RESOLUTION 97-13

WHEREAS, early acquisition of literacy skills to the extent of each individual's

ability is essential for lifelong success in our information age; and

WHEREAS, amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

recently enacted can provide the impetus necessary to secure literacy instruction

in Braille for every blind child in America; and

WHEREAS, with the enactment of the IDEA amendments, the focus of responsibility

now shifts to nationwide implementation so that the individualized education

program of each blind child actually includes Braille instruction and services

of sufficient scope and quality necessary for each child to learn and achieve

at the highest level possible; and

WHEREAS, the new law provides an opportunity for educators, parents, and blind

students themselves to join with the National Federation of the Blind in efforts

to achieve excellence in the design and implementation of Braille literacy programs

for blind youth: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in convention assembled

this fifth day of July, 1997, in the City of New Orleans, Louisiana, that this

organization acknowledge with praise and thanks the efforts of those in Congress

and the Clinton administration who have demonstrated a strong commitment to

Braille literacy services for blind children as a matter of national policy

and law; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization call upon educators, parents,

and policy makers at all levels to cooperate in assuring that the clear intent

of the law--that each blind child receive high quality instruction in Braille

reading and writing--is fulfilled in schools throughout our land.

RESOLUTION 97-14

WHEREAS, provisions in title XVI of the Social Security Act permit the exemption

of income and resources in the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program if

the SSI recipient's use of the funds is restricted to approved expenses under

a plan for achieving self-support (PASS); and

WHEREAS, the reported failure of the Social Security Administration to monitor

the use of the PASS provisions, coupled with allegations of program abuse, have

led to long delays in the approval of PASS applications and to an actual curtailment

in the type of applications approved; and

WHEREAS, the procedures now in use have vested in employees of the Social Security

Administration the power to determine the feasibility of each applicant's vocational

goal, even though the persons responsible for making such judgments are not

acquainted with and, in fact, have never met the individuals being judged; and

WHEREAS, the Social Security Administration's reported practice of disapproving

any application for a PASS that calls for education or training beyond that

necessary to obtain employment at the entry level is in itself an abuse of administrative

discretion; and

WHEREAS, without clear policies and objective standards for the evaluation of

PASS applications, the Social Security Administration is itself creating a disincentive

to fulfillment of self-support goals that recipients would otherwise pursue

if given the opportunity to do so: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in convention assembled

this fifth day of July, 1997, in the City of New Orleans, Louisiana, that this

organization strongly urge the Social Security Administration to adopt revised

standards and procedures for the approval of PASS applications that are based

on encouraging rather than restricting the efforts of recipients to achieve

self-support; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization insist upon clear and objective

standards to be used in evaluating pass applications which do not include the

power of governmental prejudgment of the goals chosen by recipients.

RESOLUTION 97-16

WHEREAS, amendments to the federal Randolph-Sheppard Act, passed more than twenty

years ago, were specifically designed to expand the quality and scope of business

opportunities made possible for blind persons on federal property; and

WHEREAS, the Department of Defense has recently requested support by the Clinton

administration for an exemption from the Randolph-Sheppard Act to apply in the

case of military food service facilities which, according to the Department

of Defense, should not be considered as vending facilities under the Randolph-Sheppard

Act since meals are paid for from appropriated funds and are not purchased individually

by the troops; and

WHEREAS, regardless of the manner of payment, the food service provided to members

of the armed forces can lead to business opportunities of significant size,

thus providing a means of expanding the blind-vendor program while fulfilling

an important government need: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in convention assembled

this fifth day of July, 1997, in the City of New Orleans, Louisiana, that this

organization strongly oppose the position of the Department of Defense that

food services which are paid for by the taxpayers rather than the troops should

be excluded from the priority for the blind granted by the Randolph-Sheppard

Act; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization call upon the Department of Defense

to do its duty as required by law and assure that opportunities for vending

facilities of all kinds are provided on a consistent and widespread basis under

the auspices of the blind vendor program.

RESOLUTION 97-17

WHEREAS, efforts by federal, state, and local agencies are now being made to

fulfill the commitment by President Clinton, that each child by the age of twelve

should be able to log on to and use the Internet in school; and

WHEREAS, the capacity for children at an early age to have access to the Internet

is unquestionably just as important for blind children as it is for sighted

children; and

WHEREAS, regardless of this undisputed fact, the investment in equipment and

software needed for schools to go online has, in almost every instance, not

included access by speech or Braille output for children who cannot see the

computer screen; and

WHEREAS, matters of access, such as speech and Braille output in the use of

computers, tend to be viewed as the exclusive responsibility of special education

when in fact the general education program is required by law to provide the

same opportunities for participation and learning by disabled and non-disabled

students alike, including instruction in the use of computers and access to

the Internet; and

WHEREAS, the failure to provide for securing the appropriate technology for

Internet access by non-visual means in all but a few exceptional situations

has shown a shocking disregard for the educational needs of blind students,

not to mention that this disregard is a flagrant violation of the laws which

prohibit discrimination against such students: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in convention assembled

this fifth day of July, 1997, in the City of New Orleans, Louisiana, that this

organization insist upon a policy of strict observance of the rights of blind

students to instruction in the use of computer technology and access to the

Internet as part of the general education program to the same extent that such

instruction and access are provided to students who are not blind; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the position expressed in this resolution shall

be communicated to responsible officials, teachers, and parents involved at

all levels of the education system so that corrective action will be made.

RESOLUTION 97-18

WHEREAS, legislation to consolidate federally assisted employment and training

programs is being considered once again in Congress; and

WHEREAS, the measure, presently in the form of H.R. 1385, proposes to extend

existing programs for blind persons and others with disabilities which are authorized

in title I of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and would not result in the consolidation

of these programs with generic job training and employment services intended

for use by the general population; and

WHEREAS, amendments to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which have been included

in H.R. 1385 as passed by the House of Representatives, would significantly

strengthen and improve upon the language now in the law pertaining to informed

choice of employment goals, services, and service providers by individuals eligible

for vocational rehabilitation services; and

WHEREAS, the amendments as passed by the House would also acknowledge the right

of each eligible individual to develop and submit for approval by the state

agency an individually prepared employment plan, rather than relying solely

upon evaluation and planning activities directed by the rehabilitation counselor;

and

WHEREAS, these features of the amendments to the Rehabilitation Act would continue

the constructive policy redirection of the vocational rehabilitation program

toward a more client-centered approach long advocated by the National Federation

of the Blind: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in convention assembled

this fifth day of July, 1997, in the City of New Orleans, Louisiana, that this

organization express strong support for the present proposal to consolidate

job training and employment programs, especially in regard to the provisions

of that bill as passed by the House of Representatives to amend and extend programs

now authorized by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we urge the Senate of the United States and the

leaders responsible for employment and training legislation to place the consolidation

bill as passed by the

House on a fast track for consideration so that final passage of amendments

to title I of the Rehabilitation Act may be achieved before the expiration of

the current authority for this important

program.