Re: Commendation of Forrest ("Frosty") Chapman

WHEREAS, the 1976 convention of the National Federation of the Blind of Nebraska passed a resolution establishing an employment committee to study the status of employment of blind persons, and

WHEREAS, one goal of the committee was to work for the elimination of the question concerning disability on State employment application forms and

WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind of Nebraska made its views known at the 1977 state convention concerning this matter and

RE: Renaming of the NSVH/Parents' Committee

WHEREAS, the Nebraska School for the Visually Handicapped/Parents' Committee has had more activity than it can deal with effectively as one body and

WHEREAS, the size of the group has proved unwieldy and

WHEREAS, all of this committee's activities center around the education of the blind and the committee has found that their [word omitted]

RE: Education of Blind Children—Resource Center

WHEREAS, Public Law 94-142 (the Education of All Handicapped Childrens’ Act) mandates that all blind children be placed in the "least restrictive educational environment" and

RE: Establishment of a Full-Time Position for the Coordination of Educational Services to Visually Impaired Children

WHEREAS, Government is designed to be the servant of the people, not their master, and

WHEREAS, this ideal relationship calls for clearly delineated lines of responsibility which provide adequate access to the appropriate arm of the delivery system and

RE: Support for a State-Wide Radio Talking Book Service

WHEREAS, one of the major disadvantages of blindness is the lack of material readily available in a form usable by the print handicapped and

WHEREAS, Radio Talking Book Inc. airs material not otherwise easily available to the print handicapped (such as daily newspaper articles, shopping ads, and magazine articles) and

WHEREAS, Radio Talking Book Inc. provides information of special interest to the print handicapped and

WHEREAS, Radio Talking Book Inc. presents a positive view of blindness and

RE: Concerning Proposed Directory Assistance Charges

WHEREAS, North-Western Bell is formulating plans to charge for the use of Directory Assistance and

WHEREAS, telephone directories are not available to blind persons in a readily accessible form, and

WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind of Nebraska condemns and deplores the process of charging for Directory Assistance now, therefore,

RE: Concerning the Establishment of Insurance Regulations Prohibiting Discrimination Against the Blind

WHEREAS, the blind have been discriminated against in the purchase of insurance solely on the basis of blindness and

WHEREAS, no actuarial evidence exists to support treatment of the blind as a class in the purchase of insurance and

WHEREAS, no actuarial evidence exists to prove that blind people are a greater risk and

WHEREAS, the burden of proof rests with the insurance carrier and not with those seeking insurance and

RE: Commendation on Insurance Rule 35

WHEREAS, the blind of the State of Nebraska have, in the past, been subject to the unfair and discriminatory practices and policies of insurance carriers regarding life and health insurance and,

WHEREAS, optional coverage in life and hospital insurance was denied to the blind totally on the basis of blindness and not actuarial and sound evidence to justify such discrimination and denial and,

RE: Request for Planning Money for Remodeling and Construction of Division of Rehabilitation Services for the Visually Impaired.

WHEREAS, the Nebraska Unicameral, 86th Legislature, first session failed to appropriate funds for badly needed remodeling of, and construction at, the Division of Rehabilitation Services for the Visually Impaired’s building at 1047 South Street in Lincoln and,

RE: City of Omaha Discriminatory Employment Practices

WHEREAS, the employment form for the city of Omaha requires every applicant to list any "physical defect or disability" and state whether he or she received a disability pension and,

WHEREAS, the city of Omaha conditions an offer of employment on meeting physical standards which are arbitrary and capricious and,

WHEREAS, neither of these employment practices necessarily has any relevance to an applicant’s ability to perform essential job functions and,