Public

RESOLUTION 2008-03
RE: Books Formatted for Braille from Bookshare.org

WHEREAS, Bookshare.org is a project dedicated to the legal distribution of books and periodicals in accessible formats, including electronic Braille; and

WHEREAS, with creativity and ingenuity Bookshare.org offers unprecedented access to general books and periodicals to blind readers through a mechanism enabling the sharing of books scanned by thousands of individuals, which eliminates significant duplication of effort; and

RESOLUTION 2008-02
RE: Momentum Toward Solving the Quiet Cars Crisis

WHEREAS, the blind rely on the sound made by motor vehicles to determine when it is safe to cross streets and driveways, traverse parking lots, and otherwise be aware of when moving vehicles are present; and

WHEREAS, since 2003 the National Federation of the Blind has expressed deep concerns about the safety of the blind and other pedestrians due to the silencing of motor vehicles, particularly those hybrid and other electric vehicles that use batteries instead of combustion engines; and

RESOLUTION 2008-01
RE: Full Funding Of NLS Conversion Project

WHEREAS, access to library services is just as important for blind Americans as it is for our sighted peers, and the only public library service available to the blind is that provided by the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped of the Library of Congress (NLS); and

RESOLUTION 2007-7
RE: Accessible Textbooks for Higher Education

WHEREAS, blind persons in Arizona are enrolling in higher education at an ever-increasing rate; and

WHEREAS, blind students need textbooks in alternate format so they can succeed in higher education; and

WHEREAS, textbooks are available in electronic form, which can be downloaded for student use, yet are not readily available; and

WHEREAS, no Federal law exists to compel publishers of textbooks to provide electronic textbooks to blind students; NOW, THEREFORE,

RESOLUTION 2007-6
RE: Commendation of Senator Linda Gray

WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind of Arizona spearheaded legislation in the Arizona Legislature during the 2007 Session to gain additional funding for the Rehabilitation Services Administration to provide more services to newly blind persons receiving independent living services; and

WHEREAS, Senator Linda Gray served as chief sponsor of SB 1264, a bill which provided $500,000 to fund these services; and

WHEREAS, SB 1264 became a part of the state budget discretionary funds; NOW, THEREFORE,

RESOLUTION 2007-5
RE: No Child Left Behind Testing

WHEREAS, the federal legislation known as "No Child Left Behind" (NCLB) revised the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and, among other provisions, required periodic testing of K-12 students to assess progress of students and progress of schools as a whole; and

WHEREAS, re-authorization of NCLB is now before Congress, which will undoubtedly make changes throughout existing law; and

WHEREAS, under current NCLB, states have significant flexibility in the development of tests used to measure student progress; and

RESOLUTION 2007-4
RE: Services for Deaf / Blind Persons

WHEREAS, there are an estimated 21,000 persons in Arizona with varying degrees of combined vision and hearing loss; and

WHEREAS, deaf/blind persons in Arizona need support service providers to assist in communication, information and environmental access when in the community for situations such as for conducting personal business; going to medical appointments and meetings; and shopping, etc.; and

RESOLUTION 2007-3
RE: The Foundation for Blind Children

WHEREAS, the Foundation for Blind Children is a NAC-accredited agency for the blind; and

WHEREAS, NAC stands for the National Accreditation Council for Agencies Serving the Blind and Visually Impaired; and

RESOLUTION 2007-2
RE: The Randolph-Sheppard Act in Arizona

WHEREAS, the Randolph-Sheppard Act passed by the United States Congress and the Randolph-Sheppard Act passed by the Arizona Legislature delegate administrative implementation to the Department of Economic Security, Rehabilitation Services Administration; and

WHEREAS, the Arizona Department of Corrections has refused to allow blind Business Enterprise operators to operate vending facilities in its institutions, thus breaking the law by failing to give blind Business Enterprise operators the first right of refusal; and

RESOLUTION 2007-1
RE: Transition Services for Blind Youth

WHEREAS, The federal Rehabilitation Act as amended requires planning for needed transition services begin no later than age 14, and

WHEREAS, These requirements establish the ages at which activities must begin, but do not prohibit starting transition services at younger ages, and

WHEREAS, There is a demonstrated strong tie between summer youth programs for blind adolescents and eventual success in employment, and