WHEREAS, Guide Dog users, Inc., is a special-interest affiliate of the American Council of the Blind; and

WHEREAS, ACB is, through membership and involvement, strongly affiliated with the National Accreditation Council for Agencies Serving the Blind and Visually Handicapped; and

WHEREAS, NAC has instituted standards for the accreditation of dog guide schools; and

WHEREAS, to date only one dog guide school has sought and attained accreditation; and

WHEREAS, NAC is considering withdrawal of its dog guide school accreditation due to lack of interest of the dog guide schools; and

WHEREAS, Guide Dog Users, Inc., is a special supporter of NAC and believes strongly that the NAC standards should be revised and not withdrawn,

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The American Council of the Blind, assembled in convention July 9, 1981, in St. Louis, Missouri, send a letter to all dog guide schools urging them to seek accreditation and to get involved with the revision of NAC's dog guide standards, together with a copy of this resolution.

Submitted By Guide Dog Users, Inc,

Resolution Adopted 

WHEREAS, there are many agencies for the blind throughout the nation that are entrusted with public and private funds to provide service to blind persons, and one or more of such services touches the lives of almost every blind person in the nation, and, indeed, many are greatly dependent on such services to provide educational, vocational, social, and recreational opportunities; and

WHEREAS, services available to blind persons vary greatly in quality, quantity, and adequacy throughout the nation; and

WHEREAS, it is our conviction that many agencies, if given an opportunity, will welcome an enlightened, conscientious, objective effort to assist them in the improvement of their service programs; and

WHEREAS, the American Council of the Blind, out of its concern for the adequacy of services to all blind persons, could provide a valuable service to the field of work for the blind by offering a planned program of advice and consultation to those agencies requesting it on a wide range of program issues and service delivery systems,

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the Blind, in convention assembled on this 10th day of July, 1981, in St. Louis, Missouri, that the ACB Board of Directors and staff develop a program that will provide to agencies advice and consultation concerning program matters and service delivery. Such a program shall be consumer oriented and involve consumers in the agencies' service area. Once the consultative service program is ready to be implemented, it could be actively promoted throughout the nation.

Submitted By Resolutions Committee

Resolution Adopted 

WHEREAS, freedom from censorship is one of the cornerstones which this nation's founding fathers espoused; and

WHEREAS, the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped should retain absolute discretion to publish those magazines that are in greatest demand in any format; and

WHEREAS, most periodical material for the print handicapped available in the United States is paid for by funds provided by NLS; and

WHEREAS, the sentiment has been expressed in Congress that a particular braille magazine be discontinued because the subsidizing taxpayers would object to its content,

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the Blind, in convention assembled on the 10th day of July, 1981, in St. Louis, Missouri, that the ACB National Representative take all necessary steps to oppose any banning of a periodical in any format that does not fall within the accepted criteria mentioned above; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the ACB National Office be directed to take whatever steps it can to advise all readers whenever any such unacceptable legislation is pending.

Submitted By James Eccles

Resolution Adopted 

WHEREAS, the braille system provides, in our opinion, the soundest tool for educating blind readers; and

WHEREAS, the details of any text, whether literary, musical, mathematical, or otherwise, can be grasped and retrieved more thoroughly in braille than in any other medium available to blind persons; and

WHEREAS, recorded materials fail, as braille does not, to provide the reader with an exact duplication of the printed text, including such information as spelling, punctuation, and format; and

WHEREAS, sufficient evidence exists that emphasis on braille is being neglected and its importance as an educational tool is being minimized in both the public and private education of blind individuals; and

WHEREAS, this trend has led to, and will continue to bring about, a lowering of the educational standards in this same segment of the population,

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the American Council of the Blind, in convention assembled on this 10th day of July, 1981, in St. Louis, Missouri, petition the Braille Authority of North America to develop and embark upon a strategy, in conjunction with its various technical committees and the National Library Service, to encourage and promote the revitalization of braille instruction whenever blind and visually impaired persons are being educated and rehabilitated.

Submitted By Braille Revival League

Resolution Adopted 

WHEREAS, the National Eye Institute remains the funding source for more than 75 per cent of all eye research in the United States; and

WHEREAS, the NEI is the primary source of funds for research on the human eye,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the American Council of the Blind, in convention assembled on this 10th day of July, 1981, in St. Louis Missouri, urges the Institute to devote at least ten percent (10%) of its extramural grant support to practical applied research that will improve the quality of life and function of our nation's 1.8 million low-vision citizens.

Submitted By Council of Citizens with Low Vision

Resolution Adopted 

WHEREAS, becoming oriented in a strange town is a time-consuming task for blind people; and

WHEREAS, the accessibility of public signage is a legitimate concern under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973,

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the Blind, in convention assembled on this llth day of July, 1981, in St, Louis, Missouri, that the ACB Board of Directors be instructed to establish a project committee to look into the feasibility of installing accessible signs; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the project committee's final report be considered as part of the ACB 1982 national convention agenda.

Submitted By James Eccles

Resolution Adopted 

WHEREAS, the American Council of the Blind supports the concept of standards and accreditation; and

WHEREAS, ACB recognizes the need for all agencies and schools serving the blind and visually impaired to be held accountable for the services they provide,

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the Blind, in convention assembled this 10th day of July, 1981, that we reaffirm our support for standards and accreditation, and that we would support the concept of public and private funds being allocated based on criteria that agencies and schools serving the blind and visually impaired receiving such funds be accredited.

Submitted By Durward K. McDaniel National Representative

Resolution Adopted 

WHEREAS, we in the American Council of the Blind have traditionally and consistently supported the rights of blind citizens to democracy and freedom of choice; and

WHEREAS, we in the American Council of the Blind have also consistently supported the aspirations of blind workers to advance and improve their economic conditions; and

WHEREAS, this resolution is not intended to apply to those individuals who are engaged in work activity center work or who are not employed in the regular production program of a sheltered workshop for the blind,

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the Blind, in convention assembled on this llth day of July, 1981, in St. Louis, Missouri, that we in the American Council of the Blind espouse the view that blind workshop workers employed in the regular production programs of sheltered workshops for the blind are in fact employees and not mere clients, as asserted by the management of many workshops; and that, as employees, such blind workers have the right under the provisions of the National Labor Relations Act to organize and select their own collective bargaining representative and to take concerted action to promote their best economic objectives.

Submitted By Charles Hodge

Resolution Adopted 

WHEREAS, Mr. Henry Degenkolb, Assistant Chairman of the California Commission of Seismic Safety, recently testified in Federal Court in connection with a suit brought by more than twenty parents of children attending the California School for the Blind, American Council of the Blind of California, and the National Federation of the Blind of California, to prevent the removal of the school from Berkeley to Fremont, to the effect that the new site is far less safe and that the new buildings, constructed by the State at the cost of many millions of dollars, would cause many more deaths of blind children in the event of a major earthquake; and

WHEREAS, the American Council of the Blind of California and the American Council of the Blind have previously cited the same reasons, as well as serious environmental reasons, for not moving the Berkeley school to Fremont,

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the Blind, assembled in convention on this llth day of July, 1981, in St. Louis, Missouri, that ACB deplores the irresponsible action of the State Department of Education of California and the Administration of the State Government in not fully investigating the seismic hazards of the proposed new location and in not fully understanding the environmental needs of the education of the blind, and prays the Court to take all action necessary in behalf of the blind children attending the school to provide for their safety and adequate education; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Board of Directors of the American Council of the Blind take the appropriate steps necessary to immediately convey our concerns to the Federal Court in Sacramento, California.

Submitted By George Fogarty

Resolution Adopted 

WHEREAS, the Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of America is the national organization of blind vendors employed in the Randolph-Sheppard vending facility program; and

WHEREAS, it is timely that a thoroughgoing review and analysis of this very important employment program be conducted by the new Commissioner of the Rehabilitation Services Administration,

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the Blind, in convention assembled on this llth day of July, 1981, in St. Louis, Missouri, that the officers and directors of the American Council of the Blind work with the Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of America in its efforts to initiate and plan for a national conference to review all aspects of the Randolph-Sheppard vending facility program, in cooperation with the Commissioner of the Rehabilitation Services Administration, its staff, and other appropriate participants.

Submitted By Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of America

Resolution Adopted 

WHEREAS, statutory authorization for appropriations which would provide funding for the Randolph-Sheppard vending facility program has long existed without implementation by Congress; and

WHEREAS, the Randolph-Sheppard vending facility program has been partially but inadequately funded by the discretionary use of vocational rehabilitation appropriations; and

WHEREAS, this effective employment program has fallen far short of its employment potential because of the lack of sufficient Federal funding; and

WHEREAS, the Bureau for the Blind and Visually Handicapped, Rehabilitation Services Administration, has never been able to carry out its responsibility to make national surveys for vending facility locations and other job opportunities because of the lack of specific funding,

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the Blind, in convention assembled on this Ilth day of July, 1981, in St. Louis, Missouri, that the officers and directors of the American Council of the Blind join with the Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of America in petitioning Congress to include the Randolph-Sheppard vending facility program in the budgeting and appropriating actions of Congress, and that the Secretary of the Department of Education and the Commissioner of the Rehabilitation Services Administration be requested to support the budgeting and appropriating of special Federal funding for these purposes.

Submitted By Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of America

Resolution Adopted 

WHEREAS, the 1974 Amendments to the Randolph-Sheppard Act authorized the arbitration of disputes arising in the course of the administration of the Randolph-Sheppard vending facility program; and

WHEREAS, the membership of this organization believes that such arbitration procedures are necessary and desirable to resolve such disputes between licensed blind vendors and state licensing agencies or between state licensing agencies and Federal departments or agencies; and

WHEREAS, the number of such complaints for arbitration has not been excessive; and

WHEREAS, the Randolph-Sheppard Act provides no alternative remedy for resolving such disputes; and

WHEREAS, such arbitration decisions will provide Federal and state administrators and blind vendors with effective interpretations of the law without excessive cost,

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the Blind, in convention assembled on this llth day of July, 1981, in St. Louis, Missouri, that the ACB join with the Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of America in requesting the United States Department of Education, Rehabilitation Services Administration, to authorize the use of adequate funds to pay for the costs of such arbitration as they arise.

Submitted By Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of America

Resolution Adopted 

WHEREAS, the Randolph-Sheppard Act Amendments of 1974 provide for the payment of certain revenues derived from vending machines operating on Federal property to state licensing agencies and to licensed blind vendors; and

WHEREAS, Federal departments and agencies are responsible for the collection, reporting, and payment of such revenues; and WHEREAS, many responsible officials of Federal departments and agencies have not reported or remitted such revenues to the appropriate state licensing agencies; and

WHEREAS, the Randolph-Sheppard Act, as amended, authorizes the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct investigations and audits of such Federal departments and agencies, including their responsibility for the collection, reporting and payment of such vending machine revenue,

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the Blind, in convention assembled on this Ilth day of July, 1981, in St. Louis, Missouri, that the officers and directors of this organization join with the Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of America in petitioning members of Congress to have the Comptroller General of the United States and the General Accounting Office conduct thoroughgoing investigations and audits of Federal departments and agencies, and to take such other action as may be necessary to ensure compliance with their statutory duties and responsibilities.

Submitted By Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of America

Resolution Adopted 

WHEREAS, fund-raising activities involving the purpose or promise of services and benefits for blind and visually impaired persons are widely practiced throughout the country by countless organizations and individuals; and

WHEREAS, the Federal Government has set no legal standards or requirements to guide or regulate such fund-raising activities, and among the several states regulatory statutes vary greatly, with some states having no applicable statutes dealing with such fund-raising activities; and

WHEREAS, uniform standards and objective criteria for the determination of the ethics and propriety for such fund-raising do not exist at this time, nor do uniform standards and requirements for registering, reporting, and accounting for the use of donated funds exist; and

WHEREAS, such uniform state statutes in these fund-raising areas could provide legal protection for the best interests of blind and visually impaired persons and for bona fide organizations wishing to raise funds to effectuate their legitimate purposes and programs; and

WHEREAS, the Affiliated Leadership League of and for the Blind of America has recognized this problem and resolved to formulate and advocate uniform state statutes in all of the states,

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the Blind, in convention assembled on this llth day of July, 1981, in St. Louis, Missouri, that the Board of Directors and National Office staff of ACB work with the Affiliated Leadership League and other interested organizations in the attainment of this goal, including particularly the National Governors Association, the National Conference of State Legislatures, and the National Association of Attorneys General.

Submitted By Durward McDaniel

Resolution Adopted 

WHEREAS, the American Council of the Blind has for many years recognized the value of and supported the establishment of radio reading services for blind and visually impaired persons; and

WHEREAS, the ACB has participated in the Association of Radio Reading Services to promote the expansion of such services through its National Representative, who serves on the national board of ARRS; and

WHEREAS, the expansion of such services has been slow, reaching a comparatively small number of the potential beneficiaries; and

WHEREAS, it is timely that consideration be given to the expansion of such services through the use of communications satellites and cable transmissions to facilitate the providing of radio reading services to audiences throughout the country, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the Blind, in convention assembled on this Ilth day of July, 1981, in St. Louis, Missouri, that its officers and directors participate actively with the Association of Radio Reading Services and its members, as well as other interested organizations, in the development of advanced plans for the utilization of a nationwide system involving radio, communications satellites, and cable transmissions.

Submitted By Durward McDaniel

Resolution Adopted 

WHEREAS, the Revenue Act of 1978 (P.L. 95-600), which grants tax credits to employers for hiring minority group members, of which the handicapped are one, has been generally interpreted to refer to only those handicapped persons certified as handicapped by state departments of rehabilitation; and

WHEREAS, the obvious intent of the law is to encourage the hiring of all qualified handicapped job candidates; and

WHEREAS, there exist many qualified handicapped job candidates who are not clients of state departments of rehabilitation; and

WHEREAS, at present, many employable handicapped persons do not benefit from the law,

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the Blind, in convention assembled on this 11th day of July, 1981, in St. Louis, Missouri, that the law be amended to apply to all handicapped job candidates, regardless of whether or not they are clients of state departments of rehabilitation; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that copies of this resolution be sent to the appropriate Congressional committee.

Submitted By San Francisco Chapter American Council of the Blind of California

Resolution Adopted 

WHEREAS, the American Council of the Blind has consistently advocated the widest possible access to literature of all types and persuasions for blind and visually impaired citizens; and

WHEREAS, ACB takes the position that it is the constitutional right of all citizens to read any and all literature of their selection, and that such right shall remain inviolate,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the American Council of the Blind, in convention assembled on this llth day of July, 1981, in St. Louis, Missouri, that this organization decries efforts to censor or restrict the types of literature made available through programs and services for blind and visually impaired citizens, and that ACB opposes any initiative to bar distribution of any materials made available to the public at large; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that copies of this resolution be distributed to all members of Congress and to the American Library Association, Office for Intellectual Freedom.

Submitted By American Council of the Blind Federal Employees

Resolution Adopted