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,

RE: Inappropriate Decision and Ineptness on the Part of the Nebraska Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

WHEREAS, the intent of legislation passed by the Unicameral in 1973 was to prohibit discrimination against the disabled in employment and,

RE: Changes in the Nebraska Fair Employment Practices Act

WHEREAS, chapter 48-119, paragraph 3 of the Nebraska Fair Employment Practices Act, by the use of the word "intentionally" or references to intentional discrimination, limit and weaken the intent of the law and the powers of the Nebraska Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and,

WHEREAS, discrimination does exist without willful intent and is the product of unfounded assumption, myth and, misconception about the abilities of the blind and,

RE: Provision of Services to Blind Children by the Rehabilitation Agency

WHEREAS, Public Law 95-602, Rehabilitation Act Amendment of 1978, contains provisions that expand the traditional concept of rehabilitation to include "comprehensive services for independent living" and,

WHEREAS, the same law creates a program of reading services for the blind and,

WHEREAS, both these parts of the law explicitly identify services for handicapped children, and,

RE: Acceptance or Dismissal of the Task Force Recommendations by the Governor.

WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind of Nebraska is vitally interested in the delivery of high-quality rehabilitation services to blind Nebraskans; and,

WHEREAS, nationally, it has been found and authenticated by recent research that "the strongest, most effective and, most dynamic vocational rehabilitation systems are those in separate agency status": and,

RE: Hike-A-Thon/Bike-A-Thon Donation to the National Treasury.

WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind is a national movement; and,

WHEREAS, we are attempting to establish hike-a-thons and bike-a-thons to be held on a single weekend with national sponsorship and national recognition; and,

WHEREAS, this coordinated effort on the part of all state affiliates will benefit blind persons throughout the country in ways which cannot be achieved at the state or local level; now, therefore,

RE: Acceptance of Membership Subcommittee Guidelines.

WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind as an organized blind movement is the most effective means of dealing with the problems and issues concerning the blind; and,

WHEREAS, there remains a substantial number of blind Nebraskans who need to understand the impact of the blind movement on their lives and their right to participate; and,

WHEREAS, Resolution 1977-03 created a standing membership committee and set forth the intended goals of said committee; now, therefore,

RE: Student Services Provided by the Nebraska Services for the Visually Impaired.

WHEREAS, there has been a lack of direction and clarity of duties regarding student services provided by the Nebraska Services for the Visually Impaired Program Administrator, Donovan Cooper; and,

WHEREAS, it is not uncommon for book orders produced on tape or in braille-¬whether ordered through or from SVI--to be delayed for long periods of time; and,

RE: The Rejection of the Five-Year Master Plan for the Education of Blind Children.

WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind of Nebraska has long held that the education of blind children should be conducted in a manner which promotes positive, healthy attitudes about blindness; and,

WHEREAS, the collective experience of the organized blind movement can be invaluable in coming to understand and deal effectively with the real problems of blindness; and,

RE: NEOC Board Appointment

WHEREAS, the Nebraska Equal opportunity Commission (NEOC) is designed to help Nebraskans in resolving problems relating to discrimination, including employment discrimination; and,

WHEREAS, many of the complaints filed with the NEOC center around discrimination against ethnic minorities; and,