Each October, the American Council of the Blind (ACB) joins the nation in celebrating National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) and the valuable contributions of employees with disabilities, including people who are blind or have low vision. This year marks the 80th anniversary of NDEAM, a milestone in recognizing the importance of disability inclusion in America’s workplaces and economy.

On Tuesday, September 30, Claire Stanley and Melanie Brunson from GDUI had the opportunity to speak with an attorney from the U.S. Department of Justice about the Uber lawsuit. They were given basic information regarding the lawsuit and important upcoming dates. Uber is required to respond to the court by November 17. The court in Northern California generally requires a first attempt of dispute resolution, which is likely to take a few months. However, the potential government shutdown could impact these timelines.

We now have a campaign link to tell Congress to pass the Websites and Software Applications Accessibility Act. We were all excited when Congress reintroduced H.R.3417. Lets now use our voices to tell Congress to pass the bill. Please use the link below to reach out to our representatives.

https://speak4.app/lp/0801fs6x/?ts=1758572774

On September 15, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) submitted its required semi-annual status report to the court. This requirement follows the 2008 court ruling that will require the BEP to make paper currency accessible for people who are blind. The report explains that the BEP is on track to produce $10 bills with the raised tactile feature in 2026. ACB is excited and anxious to see this development in the next calendar year.

The U.S. Department of Energy has once again extended the implementation of an earlier proposed Direct Final Rule (DFR) for an additional 90 days. ACB submitted comments to the Department on the DFR back in July. The DFR wants to dramatically impact the regulations under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act; builders would not be held to the same standards to make structures accessible for people with disabilities.

Please follow the link below to reach out to Congress to tell them to fund Bookshare services for students. Current budget proposals will cut Bookshare coverage for students. It is a vital resource to provide blind and low vision students with educational materials.

https://speak4.app/lp/ey01ss2s/?ts=1757949671

Please follow the link below to tell Congress to ensure the rights of jurors with disabilities. Blind and low vision persons who are called to jury duty are constantly discriminated against. Federal law currently prohibits such discrimination on the basis of characteristics such as race and gender but does not include disability. This new law would do so. It would also ensure the court would provide necessary accommodations such as documents in braille. Please follow the link below and reach out to Congress.

It was brought to ACB’s attention that the Department of Defense shared a letter with the Department of Education regarding Randolph-Sheppard venders on defense properties. Based on different resources, it is our understanding that the Department of Defense believes that blind venders cannot provide appropriate services and that the Secretary of Defense is seeking to replace current contracts held by blind vendors. ACB is reaching out to our sources to learn more about such rumors.

In July, the Department of Labor put out a notice of proposed rule-making (NPRM) requesting comments on the 7 percent utilization goal under Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act. The utilization goal, also seen as a benchmark, requires that businesses that receive federal contracts strive to have 7 percent of their employees be people with some kind of disability. Under this NPRM, the Department of Labor is asking to eliminate the 7 percent utilization goal.