          RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED BY THE ANNUAL CONVENTION
             OF THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
                           JULY, 1993
                        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 Chairman 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 1993 convention of the National Federation of the Blind: 

     Monitor readers will recall that the February issue of the
Braille Monitor included an article about the streamlining of the
resolution process beginning with the 1993 convention. As
Resolutions Committee Chairman I for one found this new process
to be a major improvement. Resolutions this year were submitted
well in advance of the convention. When several persons had an
interest in resolutions about the same matters, for the first
time it was possible to put them in touch with each other so that
they could resolve their differences before the committee
considered the resolutions. Thus we were relieved of the need to
find the time to do this during the crush of convention
activities. More important, resolutions presented to the
committee and then to the convention received more thought and
were in better form than had sometimes been true formerly.
     Twenty-five resolutions were brought to the committee this
year. Twenty were sent on to the convention with a recommendation
of "pass," and five were withdrawn. Hence twenty resolutions were
brought to the convention floor, and all were passed by the
convention.
     Resolutions adopted by the National Federation of the Blind
are written policy statements of the organization. Each
resolution is presented to the convention for discussion and a
vote. Prior to coming before the convention, resolutions are
ordinarily presented to the Resolutions Committee for discussion
and a recommendation. The committee may not block a resolution
from coming to the floor; it can only recommend "pass" or "not
pass." Any NFB member may present a resolution to the Resolutions
Committee and, through it, to the NFB convention. If the
presenter chooses to withdraw a resolution based on committee
discussion or for some other reason, that is also possible.
     I wish to thank publicly members of the Resolutions
Committee and others who worked on these NFB Policy Statements.
The 1993 NFB Resolutions which were passed are as follows:
     Resolution 93-01 discusses the use of the word "blind" and
other words and phrases which mean "blind" and states the policy
of the NFB pertaining to these terms.
     Resolution 93-02 commends government agencies for abandoning
their support of detectable tactile warnings in traffic and
architecture in favor of further study and expresses the view of
the NFB that such warnings are not helpful to the blind and may
be harmful to everyone. The resolution raises no objection,
however, to the efforts made by some transit authorities to use
differences in textured surfaces to indicate the various areas in
transit stations. The NFB's objection is to the specially applied
detectable warning tiles. 
     Resolution 93-03 calls upon vocational rehabilitation
agencies for the blind to adopt policies pursuant to the 1992
amendments of the Rehabilitation Act and lists areas to be
included in these policies.
     Resolution 93-04 reiterates the Federation's ability to
represent the blind and states a goal of discouraging other
national organizations which may seek to speak for both blind
persons and groups of persons with other disabilities.
     Resolution 93-05 calls upon the Social Security
Administration to adopt and implement a thirty-day standard for
the approval or denial of a Plan to Achieve Self Support.
     Resolution 93-06 urges President Clinton and the U.S.
Congress to take steps to modernize Supplemental Security Income
in accordance with recommendation of the SSI Modernization
Project.
     Resolution 93-07 seeks instruction for blind children whose
parents wish it in Nemeth Code and the Braille Music Code in
addition to instruction in standard Grade II Braille, and it
seeks instruction for Braille students in the Unified Braille
Code when it is adopted.
     Resolution 93-08 calls upon the Rehabilitation Services
Administration to adopt a policy of presumed eligibility of blind
persons for rehabilitation services, especially those receiving
SSI and SSDI.
     Resolution 93-09 The Randolph-Sheppard Act gives a priority
to a designated licensing agency in each state to establish
vending facilities to be operated by the blind in Federal
buildings. These facilities may be vending machines, of which
part of the income is paid to blind operators. Recently the U.S.
Department of Education ruled that NASA did not need to pay these
fees in a case in Mississippi. This resolution opposes the
position of the Department of Education in the NASA case and
calls upon the department to review its findings and policies and
not take a similar position in the future.
     Resolution 93-10 calls upon the Clinton Administration to
reverse the new and regressive policy of the General Services
Administration to award cafeterias in Federal buildings by
contract bids instead of by permit to State Licensing Agencies as
allowed by the Randolph-Sheppard Act.
     Resolution 93-11 calls upon Attorney General Janet Reno to
see that the U.S. Department of Justice defends the Randolph-
Sheppard Act, not the governmental agencies that violate it.
     Resolution 93-12 condemns the policy of the Federal
Communications Commission which excludes blind persons from being
volunteer examiners and calls upon the FCC to adopt a policy
affirming the ability of blind persons to do this and other
functions.
     Resolution 93-13 supports reauthorization of the Technology-
Related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities Act of 1988
and urges improvements in the act.
     Resolution 93-14 states that the NFB wishes to be consulted
about and evaluate assistive technology for the blind.
     Resolution 93-15 opposes employment of blind workers at less
than the Federal minimum wage and requests procurement policies
prohibiting the government from purchasing products produced by
blind persons who are paid less than the minimum wage.
     Resolution 93-16 urges the Social Security Administration to
provide to beneficiaries upon request a clear statement of their
individualized work incentives status.
     Resolution 93-17 urges the Clinton Administration and the
U.S. Congress to provide findings and personnel to implement the
Americans with Disabilities Act.
     Resolution 93-18 commends Congressman Jim Ramstad for the
introduction of H.R. 794 and urges Congress to hold hearings
without delay and pass the bill.
     Resolution 93-19 calls upon Congress to amend the Javits-
Wagner-O'Day Act to provide that blind persons operating for
profit businesses may apply for and receive government contracts
under the same terms that now apply to sheltered workshops.
     Resolution 93-20 commends the American National Standards
Institute for reflecting the true needs of Blind Americans by
excluding any reference to detectable warnings in its published
standards.

     There you have the summaries of this year's twenty
resolutions. Here are the texts of those resolutions: 

                        RESOLUTION 93-01

     WHEREAS, the word blind accurately and clearly describes the
condition of being unable to see, as well as the condition of
having such limited eyesight that alternative techniques are
required to do efficiently the ordinary tasks of daily living
that are performed visually by those having good eyesight; and 
     WHEREAS, there is increasing pressure in certain circles to
use a variety of euphemisms in referring to blindness or blind
persons--euphemisms such as hard of seeing, visually challenged,
sightless, visually impaired, people with blindness, people who
are blind, and the like; and 
     WHEREAS, a differentiation must be made among these
euphemisms: some (such as hard of seeing, visually challenged,
and people with blindness) being totally unacceptable and
deserving only ridicule because of their strained and ludicrous
attempt to avoid such straightforward, respectable words as
blindness, blind, the blind, blind person, or blind persons;
others (such as visually impaired, and visually limited) being
undesirable when used to avoid the word blind, and acceptable
only to the extent that they are reasonably employed to
distinguish between those having a certain amount of eyesight and
those having none; still others (such as sightless) being awkward
and serving no useful purpose; and still others (such as people
who are blind or persons who are blind) being harmless and not
objectionable when used in occasional and ordinary speech but
being totally unacceptable and pernicious when used as a form of
political correctness to imply that the word persons must
invariably precede the word blind to emphasize the fact that a
blind person is first and foremost a person; and
     WHEREAS, this euphemism concerning people or persons who are
blind--when used in its recent trendy, politically correct form--
does the exact opposite of what it purports to do since it is
overly defensive, implies shame instead of true equality, and
portrays the blind as touchy and belligerent; and 
     WHEREAS, just as an intelligent person is willing to be so
designated and does not insist upon being called a person who is
intelligent and a group of bankers are happy to be called bankers
and have no concern that they be referred to as persons who are
in the banking business, so it is with the blind--the only
difference being that some people (blind and sighted alike)
continue to cling to the outmoded notion that blindness along
with everything associated with it) connotes inferiority and lack
of status: Now, therefore,
     BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in
Convention assembled this ninth day of July, 1993, in the City of
Dallas, Texas, that the following statement of policy be adopted:

     We believe that it is respectable to be blind, and although
we have no particular pride in the fact of our blindness, neither
do we have any shame in it. To the extent that euphemisms are
used to convey any other concept or image, we deplore such use.
We can make our own way in the world on equal terms with others,
and we intend to do it.

                        RESOLUTION 93-02

     WHEREAS, in Resolution 92-07 the National Federation of the
Blind strongly opposed all further research on the color, size,
shape, and placement of detectable warnings, insisting instead
that, if further studies are made, the question whether such
warnings are needed or desirable should first be resolved; and 
     WHEREAS, the Department of Justice, the Department of
Transportation, and the Architectural and Transportation Barriers
Compliance Board have now suspended application of detectable
warning requirements and guidelines pending further study; and 
     WHEREAS, studies to be made on the question of detectable
warnings must not assume that such warnings are needed and should
fully examine the hazards which the warnings create for blind
people and others, including persons with disabilities: Now,
therefore, 
     BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in
Convention assembled this ninth day of July, 1993, in the City of
Dallas, Texas, that this organization commend the Department of
Justice, the Department of Transportation, and the Architectural
and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board for suspending
application of the detectable warnings rules and guidelines,
pending further study; and 
     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that studies on matters pertaining to
detectable warnings should critically examine the presumed
justification for such warnings rather than assuming that blind
people cannot travel safely without them; and 
     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that while the responsible government
entities are studying the need for detectable warnings, it is the
experience of this organization that the installation of such
warnings is not justified by any facts known to the blind and
that detectable warnings as a concept should be abandoned
altogether. 

                        RESOLUTION 93-03

     WHEREAS, the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1992 were
passed and signed into law at the end of the second session of
the 102nd Congress; and 
     WHEREAS, consumer empowerment is the dominant theme of this
legislation, stating policies such as the following: "respect for
individual dignity, personal responsibility, self-determination,
and pursuit of meaningful careers based on the informed choice of
individuals with disabilities"; and 
     WHEREAS, consistent with this policy, the Rehabilitation
Services Administration (RSA) has instructed each state
vocational rehabilitation agency to revise its state plan and in
doing so to specify among other things: "how clients are given
choice and increased control in determining their vocational
goals and objectives, the vocational rehabilitation services they
receive, the providers of those services, and methods to provide
or secure services"; and 
     WHEREAS, both the law and RSA's instructions have placed
state vocational rehabilitation agencies and their personnel on
notice that meaningful and informed choices by clients are
expected to become the normal way of doing business in
rehabilitation, and the days of counselor or agency mandates
which disregard the clients' expressed views and wishes are over:
Now, therefore, 
     BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in
Convention assembled this ninth day of July, 1993, in the City of
Dallas, Texas, that this organization call upon all state
vocational rehabilitation agencies serving the blind to adopt a
consumer empowerment philosophy and policies consistent with the
Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1992; and 
     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that among the consumer empowerment
standards to be followed by state agencies, we strongly urge the
following: (1) elimination of restrictive rules that could be and
have been used to impair client choice; (2) directing counselors
to become pro-active in assuring that clients assigned to them
are given choice and increased control over decisions made in
developing and carrying out individualized rehabilitation
programs; (3) mandatory disclosure of known sources for the
provision of service, such as adjustment-to-blindness services,
whether or not such sources are located within the state's
borders; and (4) referral of clients to known consumer groups
from which they may receive advice and advocacy assistance. 

                        RESOLUTION 93-04

     WHEREAS, the needs and characteristics of certain groups of
persons with disabilities are diverse and often even conflicting;
and 
     WHEREAS, there is far too much confusion about the needs and
characteristics of various groups of the disabled; and 
     WHEREAS, there is some real desire to include disabled
persons in the mainstream of society as evidenced by the passage
through Congress of the Americans with Disabilities Act; and 
     WHEREAS, persons with disabilities bear a large share of the
responsibility for helping the rest of society learn about their
needs and characteristics; and 
     WHEREAS, there has recently been a push toward the formation
of a national organization of persons with disabilities; and 
     WHEREAS, the existence and activities of such an
organization would inevitably cause increased confusion about the
differences in needs and characteristics among persons with
different types of disabilities; and 
     WHEREAS, improvements and changes for disabled persons are
best accomplished when they are sought by an organization dealing
primarily with one disability such as blindness; and 
     WHEREAS, in the event that a combined effort is needed on
behalf of persons with several different types of disabilities,
there already exists a coalition of citizens with disabilities:
Now, therefore,
     BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in
Convention assembled this ninth day of July, 1993, in the City of
Dallas, Texas, that, as the largest organization of blind persons
in the country, this Federation continue representing the needs
of the blind and taking leadership in making changes for the
blind and continue in its endeavors to advocate for and represent
the blind of the nation; and 
     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Federation of the
Blind actively resist and discourage the formation of any
national organization of disabled persons which claims to speak
for or represent all disabled persons or all types of
disabilities.

                        RESOLUTION 93-05

     WHEREAS, the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program
includes procedures which an applicant or recipient may use to
acquire, save, and spend income or resources to carry out an
approved Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS); and 
     WHEREAS, use of a PASS can be critical for some individuals
in establishing or retaining SSI eligibility or in protecting
benefit rights, including the amount of the benefit entitlement;
and
     WHEREAS, approval of a PASS by the Social Security
Administration is required before the income and resources to be
devoted to the PASS are excluded by the Administration in
determining SSI eligibility and payment amounts; and 
     WHEREAS, since applicants or recipients who submit PASS
applications seldom have control over the time schedule which
must be met in training programs or schooling involved in the
PASS, a prompt response by the Social Security Administration to
approve, amend, or deny a PASS application is almost always
essential; and 
     WHEREAS, the length of time taken by the Social Security
Administration bears no apparent relationship to critical time
schedules involved in implementing the PASS, but rather, once a
PASS is submitted there is often a lengthy wait and a period of
uncertainty before the applicant or recipient learns that a
decision has finally been made, and by then the decision may in
fact be too late; and 
     WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind is joined by
the panel of experts in the SSI Modernization Project who have
also recommended a prompt determination standard for PASS
applications: Now, therefore, 
     BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in
Convention assembled this ninth day of July, 1993, in the City of
Dallas, Texas, that this organization insist upon a thirty-day
prompt determination standard to be met by the Social Security
Administration, with approval by presumption to occur if a
decision has not been made during the thirty-day period following
the Administration's receipt of the application for a PASS; and
     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we ask the Social Security
Administration to implement the prompt determination standard
specified in this resolution, without the necessity for remedial
legislation. 

                        RESOLUTION 93-06

     WHEREAS, the Social Security Administration has undertaken a
project to modernize the Supplemental Security Income for the
Aged, Blind, and Disabled (SSI) program; and 
     WHEREAS, a panel of experts, including Sharon Gold from the
National Federation of the Blind, was used to review the program
and develop recommendations for updating the SSI law,
regulations, and policies; and 
     WHEREAS, among several other changes proposed, the panel of
experts has recommended the following: (1) increasing the Federal
benefit rate so that the standard for an individual would not be
less than twenty percent above the poverty line with equivalent
raises to be made in the SSI couples' benefit rate as well; (2)
raising the resource limits from $2,000 for individuals and
$3,000 for couples to $7,000 and $10,500 respectively; (3)
increasing the monthly general income exclusion from $20 to $30
and applying it to unearned income only; (4) increasing the
monthly earned income exclusion from $65 to $200 plus two thirds
of earned income over $200; and (5) eliminating reductions in SSI
benefits caused by living with families or friends or by the
receipt of in-kind support and maintenance; and
 
     WHEREAS, these recommendations respond forthrightly to the
need for SSI modernization, recognizing that many of the
program's most significant features, such as the basic resource
and income disregards, have not been updated in twenty years,
since they were placed in the original law; and 
     WHEREAS, a continuing national commitment is essential to
preserve and update the SSI program in light of economic and
social changes which have occurred and will occur: Now,
therefore, 
     BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in
Convention assembled this ninth day of July, 1993, in the City of
Dallas, Texas, that this organization urge the Clinton
Administration to give priority to Supplemental Security Income
modernization in developing the President's next budget; and 
     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this Federation inform members
of Congress of the need for a continuing national commitment to
maintain the SSI program as a critical income-support mechanism
for blind people in this country; and 
     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we call upon the members of the
103rd Congress to take prompt action to enact legislation
designed to update the SSI program in accordance with the
recommendations made by the modernization project. 

                        RESOLUTION 93-07

     WHEREAS, blind and sighted persons who possess a
comprehensive education have greater opportunities for employment
and career advancement; and 
     WHEREAS, literacy, mathematics, and various other areas of
study such as music, the arts, and the physical sciences are
integral parts of a full and complete education for both blind
and sighted persons; and 
     WHEREAS, specialized Braille and print codes exist that
enable both blind and sighted students to acquire a thorough
education; and 
     WHEREAS, a unified Braille code, making Braille mathematics
an extension of literary Braille, would facilitate the learning
and use of Braille by establishing a common standard that would
prevent the confusing duplication of symbols: Now, therefore,
     BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in
Convention assembled this ninth day of July, 1993, in the City of
Dallas, Texas, that this organization work to ensure that all
blind students pursuing an academic course of study receive
instruction in Grade II literary Braille; the Nemeth Code of
Braille Mathematics; and any other Braille codes, such as the
Braille Music Code, the student and/or the student's parents deem
necessary for a full and complete education; and 
     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization work to ensure
that a unified Braille code is adopted and that all blind
students pursuing an academic course of study receive instruction
in the unified Braille code, when it is adopted, and any other
Braille codes, such as the Braille Music Code, the student and/or
the student's parents deem necessary for a full and complete
education.

                        RESOLUTION 93-08

     WHEREAS, the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA)
will soon propose regulations to implement the client choice and
other provisions of the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1992;
and
     WHEREAS, new provisions for determining eligibility in the
program include a presumption that an individual's blindness or
disability is a substantial impediment to employment if the
individual is eligible to receive disability insurance or SSI
benefits paid under the Social Security Act; and
     WHEREAS, the receipt of such benefits should be evidence
that in most cases the applicant is eligible for vocational
rehabilitation services, particularly with respect to blind
individuals; and
     WHEREAS, regardless of the new presumption favoring
eligibility of blind or disabled Social Security or SSI
beneficiaries, state agencies have argued that eligibility for
any services whatsoever can still be refused if it is decided
that employment can be achieved without services; and
     WHEREAS, restrictive interpretations of the law such as this
have been used in the past to deny needed services, leading
Congress to include in the amendments a strong presumption in
favor of eligibility: Now, therefore, 
     BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in
Convention assembled this ninth day of July, 1993, in the City of
Dallas, Texas, that this organization register its most vigorous
opposition to efforts by state vocational rehabilitation agencies
to undercut the presumption that Social Security and SSI
beneficiaries are to be found eligible for vocational
rehabilitation services in all but the most unusual of
circumstances; and
     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we urge the Rehabilitation
Services Administration to issue clear rules and guidelines
designed to enforce a presumed eligibility policy, particularly
in the case of beneficiaries. 

                        RESOLUTION 93-09

     WHEREAS, the Randolph-Sheppard Act is administered by the
United States Department of Education, through the Rehabilitation
Services Administration, for the purpose of assuring that all
departments, agencies, and instrumentalities of the United States
give priority to blind persons in the operation of vending
facilities on Federal property; and 
     WHEREAS, the priority granted to blind persons under the law
is absolute and is not conditioned upon the ability or
willingness of blind persons to pay proceeds from the vending
facility for the support of Federal employee morale, welfare, or
recreation activities; and 
     WHEREAS, in a dramatic departure from this policy and the
law itself the United States Department of Education provided a
legal opinion to the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA), informing that agency that it could insist
upon payment of sales commissions from facilities operated under
the Randolph-Sheppard Act; and 
     WHEREAS, this opinion was issued during the course of an
appeal by NASA of a decision by an arbitration panel, directing
NASA to approve an application for a vending facility permit
filed by Mississippi Vocational Rehabilitation for the Blind; and
     WHEREAS, the opinion, which was fortunately rejected by the
Federal District Court, actually supported NASA in a position
taken against the blind vendor program in Mississippi in
contravention of the Department of Education's legal mandate to
provide policy and administrative leadership on behalf of blind
vendors: Now, therefore,
     BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in
Convention assembled this ninth day of July, 1993, in the City of
Dallas, Texas, that this organization express firm opposition to
the legal position taken by the Department of Education in regard
to the payment of vending facility proceeds for morale, welfare,
and recreation activities of Federal employees; and 
     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this Federation demand a review
by the Department of Education of the position taken in the NASA
case to the end that a similar opinion will not be issued in the
future.

                        RESOLUTION 93-10

     WHEREAS, the General Services Administration (GSA) controls
and manages buildings in which most of the civilian agencies of
the United States government are housed; and
     WHEREAS, GSA has often been cited as a leader among federal
property-managing agencies in giving priority to blind persons in
the operation of vending facilities as prescribed by the federal
Randolph-Sheppard Act; and
     WHEREAS, GSA'S positive record in awarding vending
facilities for operation by blind vendors is actually quite mixed
in regard to assigning cafeterias, following a policy that is
either variable or variably applied, sometimes favoring the
assignment of cafeterias for operation under the Randolph-
Sheppard Act and sometimes not; and
     WHEREAS, in its most recent actions to award cafeteria
contracts GSA has returned to an old and once-abandoned policy of
requiring state licensing agencies to submit extensive bids which
are judged in competition with those of commercial firms; and 
     WHEREAS, the bidding policy currently applied has never been
announced through any official form of communication with state
licensing agencies, with the National Federation of the Blind, or
in any other way, but it has occurred nonetheless during a time
of change-over in administrations, when bureaucrats, lacking
accountability, could presume to make decisions on their own; and
     WHEREAS, returning to the policy of competitive bidding for
federal cafeterias is not justified and should not be allowed by
regulations governing the vending facilities program: Now,
therefore, 
     BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in
Convention assembled this ninth day of July, 1993, in the City of
Dallas, Texas, that this organization express outrage over the
General Services Administration's return to the use of
competitive bidding procedures, which circumvent the goals of
improving business opportunities for blind people promised
through the priority granted by the Randolph-Sheppard Act; and 
     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that responsible officials of the
Clinton Administration who are given the authority to do so shall
be urged to review and reverse GSA'S policy change without delay.

                        RESOLUTION 93-11

     WHEREAS, the Randolph-Sheppard Act specifies that the
Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) is to be the lead
agency in issuing regulations and in coordinating compliance with
the Act by all departments, agencies, and instrumentalities of
the United States; and
     WHEREAS, the specification of a lead agency for
administration of the Act was necessary to ensure that priority
for blind vendors to operate vending facilities would be
uniformly applied throughout the Federal government; and
     WHEREAS, the lead agency designation under the law means
that RSA's interpretations of the law should receive deference
over opposing interpretations by other Federal agencies; and
     WHEREAS, the United States Department of Justice has
demonstrated a pattern of vigorously defending Federal agencies
whose actions or positions are inconsistent with the goals and
requirements of the Randolph-Sheppard Act, not to mention being
inconsistent with RSA's interpretations of the law; and
     WHEREAS, this pattern of failing to uphold the Randolph-
Sheppard Act is exemplified by the Department of Veterans Affairs
versus the Minnesota Department of Jobs and Training and Dennis
Groshel appeal, in which the Department of Justice is challenging
the constitutionality of the arbitration process which is used
under the Act to resolve disputes; and 
     WHEREAS, continued assaults upon the Randolph-Sheppard Act
by the Department of Justice are deplorable and cannot be
tolerated: Now, therefore, 
     BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in
Convention assembled this ninth day of July, 1993, in the City of
Dallas, Texas, that this organization urge the Attorney General,
Janet Reno, to rein in her Department and insist upon vigorous
defense of the Randolph-Sheppard Act, not the agencies that
violate it. 

                        RESOLUTION 93-12

     WHEREAS, examinations to qualify for amateur radio operator
licenses are administered by volunteer examiners authorized by
the Federal Communications Commission (FCC); and 
     WHEREAS, the FCC regulations governing the amateur radio
service state that a volunteer examiner must be present for and
observe the entire examination; and 
     WHEREAS, the Chief of the FCC's Private Radio Bureau has
issued an official opinion that individuals who are blind cannot
properly observe examinations because of their blindness; and 
     WHEREAS, despite this official opinion, many blind radio
amateurs have already successfully completed the duties of a
volunteer examiner; and 
     WHEREAS, because blind teachers, professors, instructors,
and volunteer examiners have clearly demonstrated that blind
individuals can competently and effectively administer all types
of examinations, the FCC's current policy amounts to officially
sanctioned and blatant discrimination against the blind: Now,
therefore,
     BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in
Convention assembled this ninth day of July, 1993, in the City of
Dallas, Texas, that this organization condemn and deplore the
discriminatory policy of the Federal Communications Commission
which excludes blind persons from serving as volunteer examiners;
and 
     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization call upon the
FCC to adopt a policy and issue an opinion which affirmatively
confirms the ability of blind individuals to administer licensing
examinations and carry out any other function under the amateur
radio service.

                        RESOLUTION 93-13

     WHEREAS, Congress enacted the Technology-Related Assistance
for Individuals with Disabilities Act of 1988 to ensure that
individuals with disabilities would have greater access to
assistive technology devices and services; and 
     WHEREAS, the Congress is currently considering legislation
to reauthorize this Act; and
     WHEREAS, the reauthorization proposal holds promise for
improving the Act in several important ways, especially by
emphasizing consumer empowerment; and 
     WHEREAS, with few exceptions technology assistance and
services designed to meet the needs of blind individuals have so
far received short shrift in the implementation of this Act, a
situation which can best be remedied by including in the
reauthorization bill an option for states receiving grants under
the Act to designate an agency specializing in services to the
blind in a manner similar to the designation of agencies under
Title I of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended; and 
     WHEREAS, further strengthening of the Act should be made by
adding provisions stating that grants to programs serving
specialized disability needs, such as the needs of blind
individuals, are both authorized and encouraged: Now, therefore,
     BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in
Convention assembled this ninth day of July, 1993, in the City of
Dallas, Texas, that this organization support legislation to
reauthorize the Technology-Related Assistance for Individuals
with Disabilities Act and applaud proposals being made to improve
consumer-responsiveness and self-determination in programs funded
under the Act; and 
     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we call upon the Congress to
make further improvements in the Reauthorization legislation,
such as those specified in this resolution, which will better
ensure that the technology needs of blind individuals are met.

                        RESOLUTION 93-14

     WHEREAS, the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act
of 1990 (ADA) has stimulated development of new assistive
technology with the intent of accommodations for blind persons
and other individuals with disabilities; and 
     WHEREAS, one such area has to do with audible signage; and 
     WHEREAS, such assistive technology may be developed in a
vacuum and subsequently be presented by well-meaning people as
the ultimate solution; and 
     WHEREAS, an accommodation must be practical in its intended
use while not demeaning the user; and 
     WHEREAS, overselling and exploitation of assistive
technology may occur where consumer input is absent or ignored;
and 
     WHEREAS, assistive devices should be unobtrusive and user-
controlled, and enhance a public image of ability not disability:
Now, therefore,
     BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in
Convention assembled this ninth day of July, 1993, in the City of
Dallas, Texas, that this organization is eager to consult with
people and organizations seeking to develop, market, and utilize
assistive technologies and to participate in the informal and
formal evaluation of said technologies.

                        RESOLUTION 93-15

     WHEREAS, the federal minimum wage has been established under
the Fair Labor Standards Act to set a floor-level pay standard
for American workers; and
     WHEREAS, blind people who work in special industrial
programs, generally referred to as "sheltered workshops," produce
products bought by the United States Government and valued at
over $200 million annually, and still these workers are not
guaranteed at least the minimum wage for their labor in producing
these products purchased by the government; and
     WHEREAS, it is ironic but true that employers in the
competitive labor force routinely pay their blind employees at
least the minimum wage and more, if for no other reason than
because they fear being charged with violating the Americans with
Disabilities Act of 1990 by virtue of having a double pay
standard; and
     WHEREAS, purchasing policies of the Federal government,
including price determinations made by the Committee for Purchase
from People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled, are a major
contributing factor to common practices of sheltered workshops
that exploit blind people by paying them subminimum wages; and
     WHEREAS, rather than contributing to or even causing
practices that lead to pay exploitation, the Federal government
should be a model and set an example by refusing to purchase
items from employers, including sheltered workshops, that do not
pay their workers at least the Federal minimum wage: Now,
therefore, 
     BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in
Convention assembled this ninth day of July, 1993, in the City of
Dallas, Texas, that this organization oppose as a matter of
principle the employment of blind workers at pay rates that are
less than the Federal minimum wage; and 
     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we request the cooperation and
leadership of responsible members of the Congress to adopt
federal procurement policies which prohibit rates of pay below
the minimum wage for the production of products or services
bought by the United States government. 

                        RESOLUTION 93-16

     WHEREAS, the Social Security Administration has regulations
and announced policies to promote incentives to work for
beneficiaries in the disability insurance program; and
     WHEREAS, uncertainty about how the work incentive provisions
apply at particular times and in particular circumstances is a
major if not the major factor which discourages work attempts;
and
     WHEREAS, the Social Security Administration has made efforts
to inform beneficiaries about their benefit rights when they
work, but beyond a point this general information is not
sufficient to overcome the uncertainty and fear of adverse
consequences which may result from work; and
     WHEREAS, this apparent policy not to emphasize careful
tracking of vital work incentive information, such as trial work
or extended eligibility months used and available, leads to
overpayment disputes and ultimately defeats the work incentive
goals: Now, therefore, 
     BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in
Convention assembled this ninth day of July, 1993, in the City of
Dallas, Texas, that this organization urge the Social Security
Administration to institute procedures for supplying
beneficiaries, upon their request, with clear, understandable,
individualized, and written work incentive status reports
including at a minimum (1) a listing of the specific trial work
months already used, (2) a statement of the number (if any) of
trial work months remaining and a reminder about the earnings and
services criteria used to determine trial work; (3) if the trial
work period has ended, information on when the extended
eligibility period began and when it will end; and (4) a reminder
about earnings allowed while receiving benefits during any month
of extended eligibility.

                        RESOLUTION 93-17

     WHEREAS, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990
was enacted to prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability
in employment, transportation, and public accommodations; and
     WHEREAS, enforcement of the ADA's civil rights provisions is
primarily the responsibility of the Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission, the United States Department of Transportation, and
the United States Department of Justice; and
     WHEREAS, the new legal rights provided for people with
disabilities under the ADA will have very little practical
meaning unless these government agencies are equipped with the
personnel and financial resources necessary to investigate and
prosecute complaints; and
     WHEREAS, the resources currently devoted to ADA technical
assistance and enforcement are woefully inadequate, even to the
point where those affected by the Act cannot obtain needed
information in response to written or telephone inquiries because
staffing is not sufficient to meet the demand; and
     WHEREAS, the history of civil rights enforcement in this
country amply demonstrates that covered entities will comply
based largely on their perception of the government's commitment
to enforce the law, a commitment which is currently in doubt with
respect to the ADA: Now, therefore, 
     BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in
Convention assembled this ninth day of July, 1993, in the City of
Dallas, Texas, that this Federation urge the Clinton
Administration to give priority to vigorous enforcement of the
Americans with Disabilities Act both in funding and assignment of
personnel under the present budget and in its future budget
proposals presented to the Congress; and 
     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we urge the Congress to place a
high priority on providing resources for ADA enforcement through
appropriate provisions in relevant spending and authorization
bills. 

                        RESOLUTION 93-18

     WHEREAS, blind persons have traditionally had few
opportunities to become employed and even fewer opportunities to
establish and maintain their own businesses; and
     WHEREAS, Sections 8(a) and 7(j) of the Small Business Act
establish a Minority Small Business and Capital Ownership
Development Program to be conducted by the Small Business
Administration (SBA); and
      WHEREAS, this program is intended in part to foster
business ownership by individuals who are both socially and
economically disadvantaged and to promote the competitive
viability of businesses owned and operated by them; and
      WHEREAS, participants eligible for the program by
definition include members of racial and ethnic minorities, but
exclude persons with disabilities (including blind persons)
unless, on an individual basis, applicants can prove social
disadvantage under criteria not clearly specified; and 
     WHEREAS, the Americans with Disabilities Business
Development Act (H.R. 794) has been introduced in the 103rd
Congress by Representative Jim Ramstad specifically to include
persons with disabilities as a recognized minority group having
the presumed status of social disadvantage for purposes of the
minority small business program: Now, therefore,
     BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in
Convention assembled this ninth day of July, 1993, in the City of
Dallas, Texas, that this Federation commend Congressman Ramstad
for standing tall with the blind of America in his introduction
of H.R. 794; and 
     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization urge the
Congress through the Small Business Committees in the House of
Representatives and the Senate to hold hearings on this
legislation and take further action to bring it to a vote and
have this bill enacted as soon as possible.

                        RESOLUTION 93-19

     WHEREAS, Congress enacted the Javits-Wagner-O'Day Act
(originally the Wagner-O'Day Act) in 1938 to promote employment
opportunities for blind people through the manufacturing of
products purchased by the federal government; and 
     WHEREAS, non-profit agencies that employ blind people or
others with severe disabilities in their manufacturing operations
can qualify to sell products or services to the federal
government on non-competitive terms; and 
     WHEREAS, since 1938 federal employment policy regarding the
blind has changed dramatically from an emphasis on sheltered
employment to the goal of competitive employment in integrated
work settings; and 
     WHEREAS, full participation in the economic life of our
society involves performing work that is far more complex and
challenging than the assembly line jobs in non-profit agencies
currently supported by contracts under the Javits-Wagner-O'Day
Act; and 
     WHEREAS, the operation of small, for-profit businesses by
blind persons could be stimulated through the use of federal
contracts if the Javits-Wagner-O'Day Act allowed such contracts
to be offered to businesses owned and operated by blind
individuals: Now, therefore, 
     BE IT RESOLVED BY the National Federation of the Blind in
Convention assembled this ninth day of July, 1993, in the City of
Dallas, Texas, that this organization urge the Congress to enact
amendments to the Javits-Wagner-O'Day Act which will permit for-
profit businesses owned and operated by blind individuals to be
awarded federal contracts under essentially the same procedures
and terms that now apply exclusively to sheltered workshops. 

                        RESOLUTION 93-20
 
     WHEREAS, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is
the recognized authority in setting building and construction
standards for private-sector facilities in the United States; and
     WHEREAS, in the latest revision of its standards, ANSI
considered including guidelines for detectable warnings but
rejected the guidelines altogether after learning of the
experience and considered views of blind people; and
     WHEREAS, ANSI's decision not to include detectable warnings
in its guidelines represents a constructive philosophy and an
enlightened view about the true needs of blind people: Now,
therefore, 
     BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in
Convention assembled this ninth day of July, in the City of
Dallas, Texas, that this organization commend the American
National Standards Institute for reflecting the true needs of
blind Americans by excluding any reference to detectable warnings
in its published standards.
