By Judy Sanders

As you read this, our Day at the Capitol is over and we are in the midst of another hectic legislative session.  Here is a brief summary of the NFB of Minnesota's legislative agenda for 1995:

BRAILLE LITERACY.  This is our third, and we hope final, attempt at perfecting our Braille Literacy law.  We are proposing to add a requirement that all "vision teachers" pass a braille competency test developed by the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped.  Teachers are balking at the idea of testing their skill, but we think such a test will ensure that educators of blind children are adequately prepared to instill excellent braille skills in Minnesota's blind children.

MINIMUM WAGE FOR THE BLIND.  We are proposing that any employer (including sheltered workshops) who pays blind employees less than the minimum wage be prohibited from doing business with any state agency.  This would mean, for instance, if the Duluth Lighthouse for the Blind paid a blind person less than the prevailing minimum wage it could not do business with SSB.