RE: State Rehabilitation Council

WHEREAS, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, required that each State rehabilitation agency, general and blind, establish a State Rehabilitation Advisory Council (SRAC), later called State Rehabilitation Council (SRC); AND

WHEREAS, each State Rehabilitation Council was required to have representation from several categories of programs, organizations and individuals; and

RE: Nebraska Information System

WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind of Nebraska (NFBN) is an affiliate of the National Federation of the Blind NFB), our country’s oldest and largest organization of the blind; and

WHEREAS, the NFB promotes security, equality, and opportunity for the blind; and

WHEREAS, most blind individuals are both qualified and willing to work; and

WHEREAS, in spite of the efforts of the NFB, the unemployment rate among the blind remains at 75 percent; and

RE: Computer Options

WHEREAS, Computer Options, a program offered by the National Federation of the Blind of Nebraska (NFBN) to blind people, primarily those over age 55, was in operation from February of 2001 through January of 2003; and

WHEREAS, since that time, while continuing to serve one student and field questions by telephone from others, reduced available space and lack of an internet connection resulted in the NFBN's being unable to do more; and

WHEREAS, this vital service was meeting the needs of a vastly underserved niche market in our community; and

RE: Independent Living Programs for Blind Youth and Blind Seniors

WHEREAS, early intervention in the lives of blind children provides the best possible rehabilitation experience, AND,

WHEREAS, public school systems have many responsibilities toward children with disabilities and blindness training is only one among many, AND

RE: Commending Senator Engel

WHEREAS, the largest and fastest-growing population of blind persons in Nebraska is the senior blind; and

WHEREAS, the Nebraska Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired (NCBVI) does not have sufficient funds to provide adequate training to this large and ever-growing population of older blind; and

WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind of Nebraska (NFBN) strives to improve the lives of all blind persons; and

RE: Proposed Amendment to Constitution of Nebraska.

WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind of Nebraska (NFBN) has long been the strongest voice advocating for the rights of the blind in Nebraska; and

WHEREAS, NFBN does not seek preferential treatment, but equal rights for the blind in education, employment and contracting; and

WHEREAS, NFBN firmly opposes any discriminatory practice by public or private entities; and

Re: Literary Braille Competency.

WHEREAS, Braille, the system of tactual dot combinations that represent all manner of necessary print symbols, since the time of its creation nearly 200 years ago, has become the preferred and only true means of independently reading and writing for the blind; and

WHEREAS, contemporary estimates of the unemployment and underemployment rates among the blind and visually impaired in the United States are at least 70 percent; and

RE: Regarding The Vending Facility Bidding Process

WHEREAS, both state and federal governments have long recognized that the Randolph-Shepard Program for blind vendors is crucial in helping to mitigate the roughly 70% unemployment rate among blind people, AND,

WHEREAS, blind vendors have operated successfully in the Lincoln State Office Building, Capital Building and, other state facilities for many years, AND,

RE: Access To Educational Technology.

WHEREAS, public schools receive funding from the State of Nebraska; and

WHEREAS, colleges within the Nebraska State College System and universities are funded and regulated as part of State Government; and

WHEREAS, the Nebraska Technology Access Clause requires that all technology purchased by Nebraska state entities be accessible to people who are blind or have other disabilities; and

RE: Fair Wages for Nebraska Workers with Disabilities

WHEREAS, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) was passed in 1938 to provide workforce protections to American employees by establishing a federal minimum wage prohibiting employers from exploiting workers through the payment of wages below this specified minimum; and