2026 Resolutions

The following resolutions will be considered by the resolutions committee on July 4. Those that pass will be considered by the full convention on July 7.

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RESOLUTION 2026-01 Regarding an Immediate Motion to Dismiss Texas v. Kennedy

WHEREAS, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is a landmark civil rights statute for people with disabilities, protecting us from discrimination by federal agencies and recipients of federal funding in public education, work readiness programs, healthcare, elections, the court system, and more; and

WHEREAS, in 2024, seventeen states’ attorneys general filed a lawsuit known as Texas v. Kennedy alleging that Section 504 is unconstitutional and should be entirely or partially enjoined, limiting it only to those programs, services, and activities directly funded by and through the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; and

WHEREAS, on January 23, 2026, the states of Texas, Alaska, Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, and South Dakota, in an amended complaint, renewed their attack on Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the integration mandate stemming from the United States Supreme Court’s interpretation of that law in the landmark case of Olmstead v. l.C.; and

WHEREAS, in the updated lawsuit, the nine states asked the court to: declare Section 504 as unlawful, stop the Department of Health and Human Services from enforcing Section 504, and stop the Department of Health and Human Services from enforcing the integration mandate; and 

WHEREAS, on February 12, to defend the rights of all blind Americans, the presidents of the National Federation of the Blind affiliates in each of the nine plaintiff states in the lawsuit sent a joint letter to each of their attorneys general to advocate for the withdrawal of the states from the suit; and

WHEREAS, on March 19, the National Federation of the Blind issued an advocacy alert to all members of the Federation to contact the attorneys general in each of the nine plaintiff states to advocate for the withdrawal of the states from the suit; and 

WHEREAS, due to the advocacy of the National Federation of the Blind, on May 4, the attorney general of Indiana withdrew the Hoosier State as a plaintiff in the suit, bringing the total number of plaintiff states down to eight; and

WHEREAS, due to the advocacy of the National Federation of the Blind, on May 12, the attorney general of South Dakota withdrew the Mount Rushmore State as a plaintiff in the suit, bringing the total number of plaintiff states down to seven; and

WHEREAS, due to the advocacy of the National Federation of the Blind, on June 10, the attorney general of Kansas withdrew the Sunflower State as a plaintiff in the suit, bringing the total number of plaintiff states down to six; and

WHEREAS, if the remaining plaintiffs’ demands are granted, it will have a devastating effect on blind Americans’ rights to effective communication and reasonable accommodation in connection with government programs, services, and activities, including but not limited to education, employment, housing, healthcare, and other forms of civic life; and

WHEREAS, a separate but equally devastating effect of the lawsuit would be the threat of forced institutionalization for blind and other disabled Americans into sheltered workshops, nursing homes, and other institutions: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this seventh day of July, 2026, in the city of Austin, Texas, that this organization condemn and deplore Texas and the five remaining plaintiff states for their role in persevering with the Texas v. Kennedy lawsuit; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization immediately call upon Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to move to dismiss the Texas v. Kennedy lawsuit because of the far-reaching and harmful effects the lawsuit could have on the lives of blind and other disabled Americans; and 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization call upon the attorneys general of Alaska, Florida, Louisiana, Missouri, and Montana to immediately withdraw from the Texas v. Kennedy lawsuit; and 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization commend Todd Rokita, Marty Jackley, and Kris Kobach, the attorneys general of Indiana, South Dakota, and Kansas, respectively, for withdrawing their states from the Texas v. Kennedy lawsuit.  

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RESOLUTION 2026-02 Regarding Supporting Modernization of the AbilityOne Program and Reform of the Direct Labor Ratio

WHEREAS, the AbilityOne Program, authorized under the Javits-Wagner-O’Day Act, leverages federal procurement to create employment opportunities for people who are blind or have significant disabilities; and

WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind has long supported policies that expand genuine employment opportunities for blind people, including opportunities that promote advancement, career development, and competitive integrated workplaces; and

WHEREAS, the United States AbilityOne Commission is currently engaged in modernization efforts, including updated compliance policies such as draft Policy 51.405 on employee career development, intended to improve outcomes, accountability, and upward mobility within the program; and

WHEREAS, existing AbilityOne policy distinguishes between "direct labor" and "indirect labor," defining direct labor as work directly required by a contract’s statement of work, and excluding supervision, administration, inspection, and shipping from that definition; and 

WHEREAS, supervisory, managerial, and administrative positions are essential to the successful operation of AbilityOne projects and provide critical pathways for career advancement for blind workers, yet these roles are currently categorized as indirect labor and are not counted toward the direct labor hour ratio; and 

WHEREAS, the statutory and regulatory requirement that at least 75 percent of direct labor hours be performed by individuals who are blind or have significant disabilities can unintentionally discourage nonprofit agencies from promoting qualified blind employees into supervisory or administrative roles, thereby limiting career growth and upward mobility; and

WHEREAS, modern workforce practices emphasize integrated employment, career advancement, and equitable treatment of workers with disabilities, all of which require recognition of the full range of work, including leadership and administrative responsibilities, performed by blind employees; and

WHEREAS, updating the calculation of the direct labor ratio to include supervisory and administrative work performed by individuals who are blind or have significant disabilities would better align the AbilityOne Program with modern employment goals and the intent of ongoing policy modernization efforts: Now, therefore, 

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this seventh day of July, 2026, in the city of Austin, Texas, that this organization commend ongoing efforts to modernize the AbilityOne Program, including reforms that promote career advancement, competitive integrated employment, and improved program accountability; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization urge the United States AbilityOne Commission to continue advancing policies, including Policy 51.405 and related reforms, that recognize and incentivize career development and upward mobility for blind employees within the program; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization call upon the United States Congress to amend the Javits-Wagner-O’Day Act to explicitly permit the inclusion of supervisory, administrative, and other career advancement positions held by individuals who are blind or have significant disabilities in the calculation of the direct labor hour ratio.

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RESOLUTION 2026-03 Regarding Ongoing Facebook Accessibility Defects

WHEREAS, social media is a means of keeping in touch with friends, family, and business associates; and

WHEREAS, Facebook, operated by Meta, is the largest social media platform and is widely popular; and

WHEREAS, m.facebook.com had a simple semantic structure that made it a popular and functional tool for blind screen reader users; and

WHEREAS, Meta discontinued m.facebook.com in November 2024, citing security reasons but declining to offer further specifics; and

WHEREAS, although Meta attempted to provide alternative solutions, these alternatives have been inconsistent and do not adequately substitute for the accessible interface that was lost; and

WHEREAS, many screen reader users find the current Facebook website unwieldy, unreliable, and lacking in good semantic structure; and

WHEREAS, not all blind people use smartphones, making web accessibility critical for full participation; and

WHEREAS, blind smartphone users are frequently inconvenienced by high-impact defects within the Facebook mobile application that prevent them from accessing core functionality; and

WHEREAS, while Meta typically responds positively to these defects, fixes may take considerable time to reach end-users; and

WHEREAS, Meta’s delays in deploying accessibility fixes create ongoing barriers to using Facebook effectively; and 

WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind is deeply troubled by the ongoing struggles that blind people experience when using Facebook: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this seventh day of July, 2026, in the city of Austin, Texas, that this organization demand that Meta improve and enforce quality control processes that prevent high-impact accessibility defects from being introduced into the Facebook product; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization demand that Meta make accessibility a priority by collaborating with the National Federation of the Blind and screen reader developers; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization urge Meta to establish a target date of July 1, 2027, for a substantial revamp of the Facebook website that places accessibility at its heart.

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RESOLUTION 2026-04 Regarding the Accessibility of Delivery Robots

WHEREAS, the use of delivery robots is increasing in cities and on college campuses across the nation, providing convenient and efficient transportation and delivery of packages, food, and other goods; and

WHEREAS, these robots often operate quietly on sidewalks and in public spaces used by blind pedestrians; and

WHEREAS, it is essential that such technology be designed in a way that ensures the full and equal participation of blind people in our communities; and

WHEREAS, current implementations of delivery robot technology frequently lack nonvisual accessibility features such as audible identification signals, accessible mobile interfaces, and haptic or audio cues during interaction; and

WHEREAS, without such nonvisual accessibility, blind pedestrians face safety risks, barriers to independent travel, and exclusion from the benefits of this modern form of delivery; and

WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind has long advocated that emerging technologies must be designed to serve all members of society, including blind people, from their inception rather than as an afterthought; and

WHEREAS, companies deploying delivery robots, as well as the manufacturers of these devices, have the responsibility and technological capability to integrate nonvisual access solutions that ensure safe, independent, and equitable use by blind individuals: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this seventh day of July, 2026, in the city of Austin, Texas, that this organization call upon all companies deploying delivery robots and all manufacturers of these robots to work in partnership with the National Federation of the Blind and take immediate steps to ensure that delivery robots are nonvisually accessible; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we urge these stakeholders to integrate audible and haptic feedback mechanisms, accessible mobile applications, and other inclusive design features into all current and future delivery robot systems; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization urge all policymakers involved in promulgating regulations and guidelines regarding autonomous delivery robots to require nonvisual accessibility in the creation and deployment of the robots, ensuring that the blind can travel safely and independently in our communities while enjoying the convenience of these delivery robots on terms of equality.

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RESOLUTION 2026-05 Regarding Collaboration and Training in the Education and Rehabilitation of Blind Individuals

WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind is the largest nationwide organization of blind people that represents the collective experience, knowledge, and expertise of blind Americans, and advances the lives of our members and all blind people in the United States; and

WHEREAS, the alternative techniques and positive philosophy of blindness embraced by the Federation help raise expectations, create problem-solving ability, foster independence, and build confidence among blind people of all ages; and

WHEREAS, many blind students continue to face diminished expectations because educators have not been sufficiently exposed to the practical problem-solving skills, confidence-building strategies, and lived experiences of successful blind adults; and

WHEREAS, many blind vocational rehabilitation consumers encounter similarly low expectations from rehabilitation counselors who have not had meaningful exposure to successful blind professionals or the techniques they use to achieve competitive, integrated employment; and

WHEREAS, teachers of blind students are better equipped to deliver high-quality instruction when they understand the tools, strategies, and confidence-building practices that enable blind people to live, learn, work, and participate fully in society, and when they have a personal network of blind individuals to turn to with questions; and

WHEREAS, rehabilitation counselors provide more effective services when they understand the strategies blind people use to acquire training, pursue careers, and secure competitive, gainful employment; and

WHEREAS, the Teachers of Tomorrow program has already strengthened the professional preparation of more than one hundred teachers of blind students by introducing them to the strategies blind people use to live, learn, work, and play as active members of society and by fostering a firm belief in the capacity of their blind students; and

WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind is developing the Counselors of Confidence training program to provide similar opportunities for vocational rehabilitation professionals: Now, therefore, 

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this seventh day of July, 2026, in the city of Austin, Texas, that this organization urge university programs responsible for training and certifying teachers of blind students and rehabilitation counselors serving blind consumers to collaborate with the National Federation of the Blind to enhance their curricula through training in the alternative skills of blindness and meaningful exposure to successful blind adults; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization urge state departments of education and vocational rehabilitation service agencies to support current staff in forming these connections and to actively recruit and hire individuals who have acquired this expertise through collaboration with the National Federation of the Blind.

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RESOLUTION 2026-06 Regarding the United States Department of Justice Memorandum Pertaining to the Olmstead Decision

WHEREAS, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 ("Section 504") and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 ("Title II") make it illegal for a government entity to discriminate against a person with a disability on the basis of that disability; and

WHEREAS, Title II states that no qualified individual with a disability shall, "by reason of such disability," be excluded from participation in, or be denied the benefits of, a public entity's services, programs, or activities; and

WHEREAS, the regulations implementing Section 504 have, since their adoption, made clear that unnecessary segregation constitutes discrimination on the basis of disability; and 

WHEREAS, Congress directed the Department of Justice to publish regulations implementing Title II that were consistent with the Section 504 regulations; and

WHEREAS, the Department of Justice published such regulations, including, among others, a regulation requiring public entities to "administer programs and activities in the most integrated setting appropriate to the needs" of people with disabilities; and

WHEREAS, in the landmark civil rights case Olmstead v. L.C., 527 U.S. 581 (1999) ("Olmstead") these regulations, as well as Congressional intent and the statutory language of Section 504 and Title II themselves, were individually and collectively found by the Supreme Court to mean that people with disabilities have the right to participate in and benefit from government programs, activities, and services in our local communities rather than being institutionalized; and

WHEREAS, in 2024, the Texas Attorney General joined the Attorneys General in sixteen other states to sue the Department of Health and Human Services in an attempt to have Section 504 declared unconstitutional; and

WHEREAS, as a result of the advocacy of the National Federation of the Blind, eleven of those states’ Attorneys General have withdrawn themselves from the lawsuit; and

WHEREAS, although the remaining six states are no longer seeking to have Section 504 declared unconstitutional, they have now pivoted to attacking the community integration mandate of the Olmstead decision; and

WHEREAS, on June 18, 2026, the United States Department of Justice published a memorandum opinion stating that the Olmstead decision, the Title II and Section 504 regulations requiring integration, the court cases following the Olmstead decision, and the Department of Justice’s and other agencies’ enforcement actions pursuant to those regulations are all incorrect and not justified by the statutes; and 

WHEREAS, the memorandum specifically states: "neither section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act nor Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (‘ADA’) imposed an integration mandate on states in their treatment of mentally disabled individuals. Nor does either statute authorize the responsible Executive Branch agencies to impose such a mandate."; and 

WHEREAS, the opinion goes on to make such assertions as: "As the integration mandate imposed under Title II is now more than thirty-five years old, its vague findings about the social ills associated with discrimination against those with disabilities would likely be insufficient to justify the significant burden that the integration mandate imposes upon states."; and 

WHEREAS, the right to live in the world is a core civil and human right of people with disabilities, including the blind, as recognized by our leadership since the earliest days of the Federation; and

WHEREAS, blind people have too often been unnecessarily segregated in schools, made to work in sheltered workshops, and forced as we age into nursing homes, institutions which limit our quality of life and our ability to pursue the lives we want; and  

WHEREAS, in sum, the Department of Justice has reversed its position on the community integration mandate, thereby weakening the Olmstead decision and throwing open the door for the forced institutionalization of people with disabilities nationwide: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this seventh day of July, 2026, in the city of Austin, Texas, that this organization condemn and deplore any attempt to curtail the rights of Americans with disabilities, up to and including any measure which would seek to institutionalize people with disabilities against our will; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization urge the Department of Justice to rescind its memorandum on the Olmstead community integration mandate, Section 504, and Title II to clarify that people with disabilities do have the right to receive services in our local communities.

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RESOLUTION 2026-07 Regarding Ableism and Health and Human Services Access as Public Health Infrastructure

WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the characteristic that defines us or our future, and that blind people have the right to live the lives we want with privacy, independence, dignity, equality, and full participation in society; and

WHEREAS, access to medical information now requires independent use of patient portals; telehealth; online scheduling; electronic forms; prescription information; medical records; insurance and benefits systems; emergency and public health communications; kiosks; mobile applications; medical device interfaces; automated intake, triage, and coverage systems; and related technologies; and

WHEREAS, when those systems are inaccessible, blind people are forced to delay care, surrender privacy, depend on others, lose meaningful informed consent, or accept inferior service; and

WHEREAS, lack of access is ableism in practice because it makes sight the condition for using digital medical systems privately, safely, and on equal terms, and ableism is a root cause of health disparities and a structural determinant of health that creates preventable harm; and

WHEREAS, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 prohibits disability discrimination in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance, yet the United States Department of Health and Human Services has extended the compliance dates for Section 504 web and mobile accessibility requirements for recipients of HHS funding, even though inaccessible digital systems continue to impose current harm on blind people and other disabled people: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this seventh day of July, 2026, in the city of Austin, Texas, that this organization call upon Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and the United States Department of Health and Human Services to recognize ableism, including lack of access, as a public health crisis, a root cause of health disparities, and a structural determinant of health, and to treat accessibility in health and human services as a core component of public health infrastructure, prevention, and a necessary condition of health equity; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization urge the Department of Health and Human Services to rescind the Interim Final Rule that instituted the Section 504 compliance delay; oppose any further delay or weakening of accessibility requirements; fully enforce Section 504; and require immediate, equally effective accessible alternatives without penalty, delay, or inferior service; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization call upon the Department of Health and Human Services to require recipients of federal funding and their technology vendors to make medical access technologies and communications accessible and independently usable by blind people through procurement, contracting, licensing, oversight, applicable accessibility standards, nonvisual testing by blind users, meaningful human review, vendor accountability, prompt remediation, technical assistance that supports but does not replace enforcement, and direct involvement of blind people and the National Federation of the Blind.

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RESOLUTION 2026-08 Regarding hCaptcha Accessibility Cookies

WHEREAS, hCaptcha is a widely deployed bot-prevention service that blocks access to websites until users verify their humanity and is used by thousands of organizations across the web; and

WHEREAS, hCaptcha offers an "accessibility cookie" feature that it represents as a solution for blind users who cannot complete visual Captcha challenges; and

WHEREAS, this accessibility cookie requires blind users to navigate to a registration page, submit their email address, and complete a verification process that includes convoluted mobile-based steps such as sending one-time codes via SMS to specific phone numbers that many users find difficult or impossible to complete; and

WHEREAS, the registration process requires users to manage mobile hand-offs and verification links that are difficult to navigate, leaving people unable to obtain the cookie they need to access websites; and

WHEREAS, even for blind users who successfully obtain an accessibility cookie, the cookie is highly unreliable and frequently fails to function as intended, often being blocked by browser privacy settings such as enhanced tracking protection or third-party cookie filtering; and

WHEREAS, the accessibility cookie requires periodic manual refreshing, and when it expires or is cleared from the user's browser, blind users must repeat the entire inaccessible registration process again, creating an ongoing barrier to web access; and

WHEREAS, the effectiveness of the accessibility cookie depends entirely on the correct functioning of interface elements and the user's ability to enable cross-site tracking in their browser, but many blind users report that the system produces silent errors with no notification of failure, leaving them uncertain whether the cookie is active; and

WHEREAS, hCaptcha's documentation acknowledges that the accessibility cookie is subject to browser settings and device limitations, but provides limited transparency about expiration times or how to verify its current status, leaving blind users without recourse when access fails: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this seventh day of July, 2026, in the city of Austin, Texas, that this organization condemn and deplore the hCaptcha accessibility cookie and its use; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization call upon hCaptcha and any organizations that operate or manage hCaptcha services to immediately discontinue the use of the accessibility cookie feature; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization demand that hCaptcha replace this failed system with bot-prevention methods that do not rely on visual challenges, audio challenges, cookies, or other workarounds that burden blind and deafblind users with convoluted processes, inaccessible verification steps, and privacy violations; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization urge all website operators currently using the hCaptcha accessibility cookie to evaluate truly accessible alternatives such as proof-of-work systems that operate invisibly in the background, require no user interaction, and do not require blind and deafblind users to sacrifice their privacy in exchange for equal access.

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RESOLUTION 2026-09 Regarding the Inaccessibility of Automated and AI-Powered Pre-Employment Screening Platforms

WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind has long held that the right to earn an equal living through meaningful employment is fundamental to the full participation of blind Americans in society; and

WHEREAS, according to the 2024 American Community Survey conducted by the United States Census Bureau, 61 percent of blind Americans are either unemployed or underemployed, a statistic that reflects not the limitations of blind people, but the barriers embedded in the systems through which employment is obtained; and

WHEREAS, employers have increasingly adopted automated and AI-powered pre-employment screening tools that are heavily concentrated in the hiring pipelines of finance, consulting, technology, law, and other white-collar professions, where blind Americans seeking employment in those fields encounter inaccessible screening technology as an additional barrier layered on top of an already difficult job search; and

WHEREAS, these tools fall into two primary categories that together function as sequential barriers capable of eliminating a blind candidate before any human reviewer ever evaluates their qualifications: game-based cognitive and behavioral assessments and AI-powered video interview platforms; and

WHEREAS, game-based and skills assessment platforms deployed by vendors including Harver and its Pymetrics platform, Criteria Corp, SHL, TestGorilla, and HireVue are not fully usable with screen readers because their core tasks frequently include timed mouse-driven interactions, visual pattern recognition, photo-comparison exercises, emotion identification from photographs of human faces, visuospatial ability tests, and reaction-based games; and

WHEREAS, when such barriers exist, some vendors seek to overcome them only by granting extra time, which does not provide an adequate non-visual alternative to completing the assessment; and

WHEREAS, some AI-powered video-interview platforms evaluate candidates based in part on visual behaviors such as eye contact, facial expressions, and other purely visual behaviors that blind candidates cannot produce in the conventional manner, resulting in algorithmically lowered scores for reasons entirely unrelated to a candidate’s qualifications or fitness for the role; and

WHEREAS, although some AI-powered video interview platforms have made meaningful progress toward screen-reader accessibility in their video interview product (such as HireVue, which also discontinued the use of visual analysis in its platform), nevertheless, barriers remain including inaccessible timer notifications and cumbersome navigation between response options, such that technical completability is not the same as a fully accessible and equitable experience; and

WHEREAS, some pre-employment screening platform vendors, including Harver, HireVue, SHL, Criteria Corp, and TestGorilla, have published accessibility statements or Voluntary Product Accessibility Templates (a self-reported document that carries no independent verification, no certification of actual usability by blind screen-reader users, and no enforceable commitment to accessibility of the specific interactive tasks) and claim varying levels of WCAG compliance; and

WHEREAS, Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits employment discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities and requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations during the hiring process, including when third-party tools are used to screen applicants, and the employer bears legal responsibility for ADA compliance even when the inaccessible barrier is created by a vendor’s platform; and

WHEREAS, in May 2022, the United States Department of Justice and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) each issued technical-assistance documents addressing how employers' use of algorithmic and AI hiring tools may violate the ADA, and even though the EEOC's documents were subsequently removed from the agency's website in 2025, the underlying ADA obligations remain in force; and

WHEREAS, this guidance, while important, carries no independent regulatory force, imposes no enforceable technical standards on screening vendors, and leaves the entire burden of enforcement on individual blind job-seekers who must choose between filing an EEOC charge and preserving any chance of being hired: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this seventh day of July, 2026, in the city of Austin, Texas, that this organization demand that all pre-employment screening platform vendors, including Harver, HireVue, SHL, Criteria Corp, and TestGorilla, ensure that every component of their platforms (including navigation, controls, timers, instructions, and assessment tasks) is fully operable by blind applicants using screen readers and keyboard-only navigation, and that platforms be tested for compatibility with JAWS, NVDA, and VoiceOver by blind users as a condition of deployment; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization demand that where any game-based or visually dependent assessment task cannot be made fully accessible to blind screen-reader users in its existing form, vendors must build and offer by default a functionally equivalent alternative assessment pathway that measures the same job-relevant constructs without requiring visual or mouse-based interaction, and that such alternatives must be accessible through a clearly communicated, simple process that does not place undue burden on the candidate; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization demand that any AI-powered video interview platform employing eye contact, facial expression, or other visual behavior metrics in candidate scoring immediately cease using those metrics; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization demand that all pre-employment screening vendors make accommodation request processes clear, proactive, and frictionless and that vendors confirm in writing that accommodation requests are kept confidential from the hiring employer; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization call upon employers to require vendors to provide documentation of screen-reader accessibility verified by blind users and to reject or suspend use of any platform that cannot demonstrate such compliance, recognizing that the ADA makes employers liable for inaccessible third-party tools used in their hiring processes; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization call upon the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the United States Department of Justice to move beyond technical assistance guidance and promulgate enforceable rules that establish concrete, verifiable screen-reader accessibility standards for pre-employment screening technology and to pursue systemic enforcement investigations of widely deployed inaccessible platforms rather than requiring individual blind job-seekers to bear the cost and risk of bringing complaints themselves; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization urge pre-employment screening platform vendors, including Harver, HireVue, SHL, Criteria Corp, and TestGorilla, to enter into sustained dialogue with the National Federation of the Blind—with blind screen reader users participating as co-designers and testers—to develop truly accessible solutions, consistent with the Federation’s longstanding model of productive engagement with technology companies committed to genuine accessibility.

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RESOLUTION 2026-10 Regarding Deficiencies with Microsoft’s New Outlook Software

WHEREAS, in a variety of public articles and blog posts, it has been made abundantly clear that Microsoft is planning to end support for its Classic Outlook program sometime in 2029 and that this year it will start to release its Microsoft 365 product, replacing the Classic Outlook with what it calls the New Outlook; and

WHEREAS, in recent months, it has been reported by blind people who have installed Microsoft 365 on brand-new computers that it is no longer possible to revert to the Classic Outlook without assistance from the Microsoft Disability Answer Desk or someone with the appropriate technical skills; and

WHEREAS, blind people involved in the testing of the New Outlook have reported that while they are willing to test out the new features of the software, they revert to the Classic Outlook while performing the everyday tasks that need to be accomplished in order to be truly productive; and

WHEREAS, examination of the New Outlook software by blind people using screen-reading software such as JAWS for Windows and NVDA reveals significant accessibility issues with the New Outlook software that reduce the effective performance of nonvisual users—particularly, people in employment situations where productivity is critical and time is at a premium; and

WHEREAS, examples of the problems faced by blind users of the New Outlook include but are by no means limited to the following:

  1. The Classic Outlook makes it possible for keyboard users to attach files to and detach files from email messages using the standard copy and paste keyboard commands while the New Outlook only supports attaching files to a message;
  2. When spellchecking or grammar-checking an email, it is almost impossible for the screen-reader user to learn exactly what word has been misspelled or what grammar error has been made;
  3. There are many instances in the New Outlook where the screen reader loses focus, thus forcing the user to tab several times to return to work in progress, if tabbing is indeed possible;
  4. Pressing Escape to close a message window too often results in the New Outlook disappearing from the system with no nonvisually-accessible indication;
  5. Accepting a meeting invitation in the New Outlook requires the keyboard user to tab several times to respond to the meeting request while the Classic Outlook provides a much more efficient method to accept an invitation; and
  6. The New Outlook does not currently support copying emails into older archive files into which longtime users of the Classic Outlook may have stored decades of email messages; and

WHEREAS, for decades, the Classic Outlook has become an essential tool for the blind to send and receive emails efficiently, and training programs for the blind have invested considerable resources to train their students to use this software; and

WHEREAS, transitioning from the Classic Outlook to the New Outlook presents a significant need for additional training for blind users which stresses a service delivery system that is already overburdened; and

WHEREAS, much of the success and productivity that blind people have enjoyed with the Classic Outlook could not have been achieved without the interaction between Outlook and JAWS for Windows; and

WHEREAS, in recent months, the National Federation of the Blind and Microsoft have been working together to begin the process of identifying and addressing the issues with the New Outlook for the blind: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in convention assembled this seventh day of July, 2026, in the city of Austin, Texas, that this organization express our disappointment with Microsoft for creating a situation where the blind are driven to use the New Outlook despite its negative impact on their productivity and for failing to provide the Classic Outlook as an integral part of new Microsoft 365 installations; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization strongly urge Microsoft to offer the Classic Outlook software to everyone until the New Outlook is proven to be as good as or better than the Classic Outlook; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization call upon Microsoft, Vispero, and NV Access to continue working together to ensure that the interaction among the New Outlook, JAWS for Windows, and NVDA and makes it possible for the blind to use the New Outlook with productivity and efficiency that is equivalent to that experienced by blind users of the Classic Outlook.

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RESOLUTION 2026-11 Regarding Accessible Pedestrian Signals

WHEREAS, federal law, specifically Title 23 U.S.C. Section 217(g)(2), reads: "Safety considerations shall include the installation, where appropriate, and maintenance of audible traffic signals and audible signs at street crossings"; and

WHEREAS, federal guidelines for installation of accessible pedestrian signals (APS), formerly called "audible traffic signals," have been published by the United States Access Board as part of the Board's accessibility guidelines for pedestrian facilities in public rights-of-way (referred to as PROWAG), 36 CFR part 1190, Appendix Sections R206, R307, and R308, specifically as to APS, effective September 7, 2023; and

WHEREAS, PROWAG generally requires APS when pedestrian signals are newly installed or altered; and

WHEREAS, the Department of Justice has not yet adopted PROWAG as an enforceable Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility standard, leading to inconsistent and poorly planned installation, or more often no installation of APS at most signalized intersections; and

WHEREAS, without PROWAG being followed, installation of APS technology is usually done as an afterthought, leading to haphazard, ill-conceived, and too frequently poorly maintained APS devices being installed here and there with no apparent rhyme or reason, other than it seemed like a good idea; and

WHEREAS, while blind people with proper training can obtain information about intersections by listening to traffic sounds, using this skill for important navigation cues is becoming more difficult and less reliable in some areas because of trends toward more complex street intersections and traffic signal design, coupled with quieter cars and increasing ambient noise levels at many street crossings, trends that are bound to continue over time; and

WHEREAS, APS technology has improved and can be designed to provide additional pedestrian information, including countdown information where available, spoken cues, vibrating arrows for deafblind users to indicate when the walk sign comes on, and directional sound cues to support efficient navigation at roundabouts and other complex intersections; and

WHEREAS, regardless of the status of federal enforcement, local communities are free to adopt local traffic and pedestrian safety plans, which must consider the needs of community members and visitors who are blind, deafblind, or have low vision: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this seventh day of July, 2026, in the city of Austin, Texas, that this organization urge transit and traffic engineers and other responsible officials to adopt APS installation plans based on consultation with chapters and affiliates of the National Federation of the Blind and others with knowledge and interest in promoting pedestrian safety, including consultation with certified blind mobility instructors and our thousands of members whose expertise is informed by our lived experience crossing streets and navigating safely from place to place every day; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that, although PROWAG will effect the prevalence of APS in the years and decades ahead as signals are altered and new signals installed, this organization urge transit and traffic engineers and other responsible officials to give more immediate priority to installing APS technology at all intersections where walk signs do not coincide with stop and go signals for vehicular traffic, including intersections where signals are set to stop traffic from all directions while pedestrians get the walk sign to cross in any direction, diagonal included, and in all cases at intersections where signals include leading pedestrian intervals, requiring stopped traffic to remain stopped while pedestrians get the walk sign to start crossing before traffic is allowed to go in the same direction; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization urge proactive adherence to PROWAG with respect to accessible pedestrian signals to achieve more purposeful and consistent placement, design, and maintenance of APS technology to best meet well-understood and actual pedestrian safety needs as best explained by the blind ourselves.

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RESOLUTION 2026-12 Regarding the Realignment of Special Education Services, Rehabilitation Programs, and Civil Rights Enforcement Within the Federal Government

WHEREAS, on June 16, 2026, the United States Department of Education (ED) announced structural changes, including a partnership between the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), as well as a partnership between the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and the Department of Justice (DOJ); and

WHEREAS, specialized resources for blind students and consumers, including qualified teachers of blind students, orientation and mobility specialists, vocational rehabilitation counselors with expertise in blindness, and instructional materials in Braille and other accessible formats, are scarce and unevenly available across the states, and consistent federal standards and oversight have been essential to securing access to them; and

WHEREAS, for more than eighty-five years, the National Federation of the Blind has rejected the notion that blindness is principally a medical problem and has instead advanced the philosophy that blind people can live the lives they want through proper training, access to information, opportunity, and raised expectations; and

WHEREAS, the education, rehabilitation, employment, and independent-living programs serving blind people are built around training, opportunity, and the development of skills and self-confidence rather than around medical treatment, while the Department of Health and Human Services is, as its name states, the federal department responsible for health and human-services programs; and

WHEREAS, the unique educational needs of blind students, including those with residual vision, require instruction in the Expanded Core Curriculum, Braille literacy, orientation and mobility, and nonvisual access technology, all of which demand specialized expertise rooted in the belief that blindness need not prevent full participation in education, employment, and community life; and

WHEREAS, the vocational rehabilitation system administered through state rehabilitation agencies provides critical employment, training, education, and assistive technology services that enable blind Americans to obtain and retain competitive integrated employment; and

WHEREAS, the Rehabilitation Services Administration, housed within OSERS, administers not only the State Vocational Rehabilitation Services program but also the Randolph-Sheppard vending program that sustains blind entrepreneurs, Pre-Employment Transition Services for blind youth, and supported employment services, each of which depends on specialized administration and an unwavering focus on competitive integrated employment; and

WHEREAS, the vocational rehabilitation program is overwhelmingly federally funded, with the federal government providing approximately seventy-nine percent of its cost, so that the program depends on the continuity of federal funding and administration to deliver services to blind consumers; and

WHEREAS, the Older Individuals Who Are Blind program provides essential adjustment-to-blindness training, independent-living instruction, and nonvisual skills that allow older blind Americans to remain active, independent, and engaged in their communities; and

WHEREAS, the Department of Education announced that OCR will partner with the Department of Justice to combine capacities for evaluating and resolving complaints; and

WHEREAS, the proposed partnership would divide responsibility for evaluating and resolving civil-rights complaints between the Office for Civil Rights and the Department of Justice, even as the Department of Education asserts that no partnership alters its legal responsibilities or the rights afforded to individuals under federal law; and

WHEREAS, the protections guaranteed to blind Americans under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act depend on consistent and rigorous federal enforcement; and

WHEREAS, the purposes, eligibility standards, service mandates, and consumer protections of the programs serving blind Americans are established by federal statute, including the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Randolph-Sheppard Act, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act, together with their implementing regulations, none of which may lawfully be amended by an administrative reorganization or interagency partnership but only by Congress and through proper rulemaking: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this seventh day of July, 2026, in the city of Austin, Texas, that this organization condemn and deplore the federal realignment of programs serving blind Americans because such realignment diminishes accountability, weakens civil rights enforcement, and advances a medical model of blindness over the principles of education, rehabilitation, employment, independence, and equality; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization reject any effort to place blindness within a medical or custodial framework, reaffirming instead that blindness is a characteristic that calls for opportunity, training, raised expectations, and strong civil rights protections rather than medical management; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization demand that all federal statutes, regulations, and program requirements governing the education, rehabilitation, and civil rights of blind Americans remain in full force and effect, and that no reorganization, interagency partnership, or transfer of administrative authority be used to alter, dilute, reinterpret, weaken, or diminish the intent, purpose, scope, eligibility, funding, or consumer protections of these programs, all of which must continue to be administered in full accordance with their authorizing statutes and implementing regulations, with any change made only by Congress and through proper notice-and-comment rulemaking and not by administrative action; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization demand that the Department of Education maintain the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services and its specialized educational mandates required for blind students, including robust funding and enforcement for Braille literacy, orientation and mobility instruction, accessible educational materials, and nonvisual access technology; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization demand the preservation of a strong, consumer-driven vocational rehabilitation system that emphasizes competitive integrated employment, adjustment-to-blindness training, informed consumer choice, and the acquisition of skills necessary for independence and economic self-sufficiency; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization demand the preservation and strengthening of the Older Individuals Who Are Blind program and the assurance that older blind Americans continue to receive the training and services that promote independence, dignity, and full participation in society; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization demand that the Department of Justice ensure that the Office for Civil Rights and their coordinated enforcement mechanisms do not create systemic delays in investigating and resolving complaints, but instead provide vigorous and timely enforcement of federal disability rights laws, and that federal oversight remain sufficient to ensure that states and local entities do not weaken the protections owed to blind Americans.

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RESOLUTION 2026-13 Regarding Enforcement of Digital Accessibility Under Title I of the ADA

WHEREAS, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), signed into law on July 26, 1990, is a landmark civil rights law organized into five titles that together guarantee people with disabilities equal opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency; and

WHEREAS, Title I of the ADA prohibits private and state and local government employers with fifteen or more employees from discriminating against qualified individuals with disabilities in all aspects of employment, including requiring the provision of reasonable accommodations, adjustments, and/or modifications to enable employees with disabilities to perform their jobs; and

WHEREAS, blind Americans continue to face widespread discrimination in employment due to inaccessible workplace technology, including internal websites, software platforms, digital onboarding systems, and job‑related tools that are essential to performing required duties, because these tools feature such inaccessible elements as unlabeled buttons, missing or unhelpful alternative text, form errors, trapped keyboard focus, and misused or absent ARIA attributes among others; and

WHEREAS, the WebAIM Million report, which annually evaluates the top trafficked one million homepages worldwide for accessibility barriers, found in their latest 2026 report that 95.9 percent of tested websites contain detectable failures as measured by the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), internationally-recognized standards developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), and longitudinal data shows that accessibility has improved by less than three percentage points when compared to a failure rate of 97.8 percent in the first report in 2019, demonstrating a persistent and systemic disregard for accessibility standards across the digital landscape; and

WHEREAS, unlike public-facing websites, internal workplace systems are not subject to any monitoring, auditing, or public reporting, resulting in a complete absence of data on the accessibility of the digital tools blind employees are required to use, despite research showing that inaccessible systems reduce productivity, limit opportunities for advancement, and force blind workers to rely on workarounds or sighted assistance; and

WHEREAS, although thousands of accessibility lawsuits are filed each year under Titles II and III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), these cases overwhelmingly concern public‑facing websites and services, while very few cases are brought under Title I, not because discrimination is less severe in employment, but because Title I requires all complaints to pass through the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) or equivalent administrative agency before a private right of action can proceed; and

WHEREAS, the EEOC currently lacks formal investigative procedures for the digital environment, digital accessibility expertise, and technical expertise or WCAG‑based evaluation criteria, resulting in inconsistent, incomplete, or nonexistent investigations of digital accessibility complaints, thereby denying blind workers the protections Congress intended under Title I; and

WHEREAS, Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act establishes clear accessibility requirements for federal agencies and their technology, demonstrating that enforceable digital accessibility standards are both feasible and necessary, yet no equivalent standards exist for private employers under Title I; and

WHEREAS, employers across the United States continue to deploy new internal digital systems that are inaccessible to blind employees, either in whole or in part, despite the existence of well‑established accessibility guidelines, access-technology compatibility practices, and decades of technical knowledge about how to build accessible digital tools; and

WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind has long held that equality in employment requires not only nondiscrimination in policy but full accessibility in practice, including equal access to the digital tools that define modern work: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this seventh day of July, 2026, in the city of Austin, Texas, that this organization strongly urge the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to establish and enforce clear, WCAG‑based digital accessibility standards for evaluating Title I complaints involving internal workplace technology and to develop formal investigative procedures, including standardized technical review protocols, accessibility testing methodologies, and staff training requirements, to ensure that digital accessibility complaints are evaluated consistently, thoroughly, and in accordance with modern accessibility practices; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization call upon the EEOC to create federal digital accessibility standards for internal workplace systems to also include mandatory remediation timelines and penalties for noncompliance; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization demand that employers, software vendors, and government agencies recognize digital accessibility as a core civil right under Title I of the ADA and take immediate steps to ensure that all internal workplace technology is fully accessible to blind employees.

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RESOLUTION 2026-14 Regarding the Unjustified Delay of Americans with Disabilities Act Title II Digital Accessibility Regulation

WHEREAS, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), signed into law on July 26, 1990, is a landmark civil rights law organized into five titles that together guarantee people with disabilities equal opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency; and

WHEREAS, Title II of the ADA requires state and local governments to ensure that their programs, services, and activities are fully accessible to people with disabilities; and

WHEREAS, since the late 1990s, the National Federation of the Blind has worked persistently through advocacy, negotiated settlements, and successful litigation to establish that digital products and services—including websites, mobile applications, and other electronic information and communication technologies—are subject to the requirements of the ADA; and

WHEREAS, federal courts and the United States Department of Justice have repeatedly agreed that inaccessible digital services provided by ADA-covered entities deny blind people equal access in violation of the law; and

WHEREAS, despite this clear legal foundation, state and local governments and public entities have routinely claimed that they lack sufficient regulatory clarity regarding digital accessibility requirements; and

WHEREAS, on July 26, 2010, the United States Department of Justice issued an advance notice of proposed rulemaking titled "Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability; Accessibility of Web Information and Services of State and Local Government Entities" (hereafter referred to as "ADA Title II digital accessibility regulation") signaling its intent to develop such regulations, launching a process that spanned three presidential administrations and more than a decade of public engagement; and

WHEREAS, on April 24, 2024, the Department of Justice finally issued long-awaited Title II regulations governing the accessibility of websites, mobile applications, and digital content used by state and local governments, following extensive participation by the National Federation of the Blind, people with disabilities, advocates, and covered entities; and

WHEREAS, these regulations represented a carefully negotiated compromise that included five new classes of exceptions favoring covered entities beyond those already available under the ADA, concessions accepted by the National Federation of the Blind and the broader disability community in recognition of the importance of having a clear standard; and

WHEREAS, the announced compliance dates of April 24, 2026 and April 26, 2027, provided two years for large entities and three years for smaller entities to prepare (in addition to the fourteen years since the advance notice had been published in 2010) to implement web and mobile app accessibility; and

WHEREAS, despite having requested clarity and benefitted from years of delay, certain covered entities exerted pressure on the federal government to weaken or postpone the regulations as the compliance date approached; and

WHEREAS, on April 20, 2026, just four days before the regulations were set to take effect, the Department of Justice issued an interim final rule delaying implementation and signaling a willingness to reopen and reconsider the substance of the regulations; and

WHEREAS, this sudden reversal disregards decades of advocacy, undermines settled expectations, and perpetuates the ongoing exclusion of blind people from full participation in education, civic engagement, public services, local and statewide benefits, and employment; and

WHEREAS, Title III digital accessibility regulations remain stalled entirely, continuing uncertainty for places of public accommodation and denying blind people equal access across the digital marketplace; and

WHEREAS, the Department of Justice has itself consistently relied upon these same accessibility standards in enforcement actions and settlement agreements, confirming that the obligation already exists under the ADA; and

WHEREAS, every day of delay causes immeasurable harm to blind people who encounter inaccessible government websites, online forms, educational platforms, benefit portals, and mobile applications essential to daily life: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this seventh day of July, 2026, in the city of Austin, Texas, that this organization unequivocally condemn and deplore the Department of Justice’s decision to delay implementation of the Americans with Disabilities Act Title II digital accessibility regulations; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization demand the immediate implementation of the finalized ADA Title II digital accessibility regulations without further delay or substantive weakening; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization call upon the Department of Justice to proceed without delay in issuing comprehensive ADA Title III digital accessibility regulations covering public accommodations.

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