RE: Doty verses Holiday Skate World North

WHEREAS, on January 18, 1980 Gary Doty was denied access to the skating floor with the use of his long white cane at Holiday Skate World North; and,

WHEREAS, after Gary refused to give up the use of his long white cane, the Lincoln Police Department was called by the management to eject him; and,

WHEREAS, as a result of subsequent investigation by the Lincoln Commission on Human Rights which resulted in a finding of “just cause”, a public hearing was called (Doty verses Holiday Skate World North); and,

RE: The Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped

WHEREAS, the current status as well as potential changes in library services to the blind must be discussed with blind consumers;

WHEREAS, the NFB-N is the largest organized group of consumers in the state; and,

WHEREAS, the director of the Nebraska Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped declined an invitation to appear at the NFB-N state convention due to advanced sick leave;

RE: Call for the Immediate Resignation of the Director of the Nebraska Equal Opportunity Commission

WHEREAS, the Nebraska Equal Opportunity Commission was established to protect the rights of specified “Protected Classes”, including the blind, with respect to employment, housing, and public accommodation; and,

WEREAS, in the past, Lawrence Myers, the Director of the N.E.O.C. failed to oversee and direct an investigation in the case of Laurie Eckery, a blind person, leading to discriminatory and incomplete results on the art of the Commission; and,

RE: Work to make changes to the Fair Employment Practices Act

WHEREAS, the Fair Employment Practices Act (FEPA) was written to eliminate discrimination against certain “Protected Classes”; and,

WHEREAS, changes in the FEPA are necessary before equal opportunity can be achieved; and,

WHEREAS, such changes should include; restructuring of the Equal Opportunity Commission, deletion of the word “intent” in connection with discrimination, and limiting the role of medical personnel to the certification of disability; now, therefore,

RE: Mrs. Corinne Adams, Educator of Blind Children

WHEREAS, we the members of the National Federation of the Blind of Nebraska, recognize the importance of quality education for all persons; and,

WHEREAS, this kind of education is often denied to blind people as a result of the negative attitudes and low expectations harbored by those who teach in schools for the blind; and,

RE: Improvement of Training at the Nebraska School for the Visually Impaired

WHEREAS, blind children, in order to compete on terms of equality with their sighted peers, must receive training in the alternative techniques of blindness in addition to their academic instructions; and,

WHEREAS, persons who happen to be blind, and who possess varying degrees of vision, can benefit as greatly from the employment of alternatives such as braille and cane travel as can those who are totally blind; and,

RE: Nebraska Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped

WHEREAS, the current status of, and potential changes in library services for the blind, should and must be discussed with blind consumers; and,

WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind of Nebraska (NFB-N) is the largest organized group of blind consumers in Nebraska; and,

RE: Commend Cindy Wanek and the KOLN / KGIN Staff

WHEREAS, education of the public concerning blindness is one of the major purposes of the National Federation of the Blind; and,

WEREAS, the media plays an important role in helping us to educate the public; and,

WEREAS, the ETC. program of October 15, 1982, aired on KOLN / KGTN TV, portrayed the blind in a positive and realistic manner; now, therefore,

RE: Condemning John Knight for not appearing at the 1982 NFBN State Convention

WHEREAS, since the National Federation of the Blind of Nebraska is the largest organization of the blind in the State of Nebraska, it is imperative that the Governor’s Office interact with blind constituents on issues of concern to the blind; and,

WEREAS, this organization was led to believe that John Knight, Executive Director, Office of Human Services, Office of the Governor, would make an appearance at the 1982 convention of the NFB-N in Grand Island on Saturday, October 16th; and,

RE: Maintaining a Separate Agency for the Blind in Nebraska

WHEREAS, Governor Kerrey has entered into contracts with a number of national, prominent auditing firms to conduct management studies of state agencies including the Department of Public Institutions (DPI), which includes the Nebraska Services for the Visually Impaired (SVI); and,

WHEREAS, the Governor has been quoted in the Lincoln Journal as comparing this project with the Thone Task Force on Government Improvement; and,