Resolution A2019-01

Regarding Adjustment-to-Blindness Training

WHEREAS, research data,¹ along with the lived experience of generations of blind people across the nation, have shown that, in the vocational rehabilitation (VR) process, an approach to adjustment-to-blindness training that is concentrated and comprehensive yields better employment outcomes than training that is narrowly-focused and conducted over multiple shorter segments; and

WHEREAS, because a positive attitude about blindness, in addition to mastery of blindness skills, is a critical indicator of a person's success on the job and in life, students need time not only to learn nonvisual techniques for independent travel, reading, home management, and the like, but also to gain the confidence to deal with the vast misconceptions and low expectations they will encounter in the public; and

WHEREAS, Minnesota State Services for the Blind (SSB), a division of the Department of Employment and Economic Development and the primary agency empowered to provide vocational rehabilitation services to blind Minnesotans, has at times during the last decade demonstrated leadership in its commitment to high-quality adjustment-to-blindness training for those preparing to enter the workforce; and

WHEREAS, during the recently-completed federal fiscal year, increased constraints on SSB's VR services, resulting from efforts to better track spending in VR, have led some to view SSB's counselors and supervisors as becoming overly focused on dollars in preference to seamless, quality training designed for long-term success; and

WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind of Minnesota has learned recently of instances in which SSB counselors opted to pick and choose individual classes instead of authorize a complete program—even for a person who had never had other adjustment-to-blindness training (for example, "since your vocational goal is in technology, we will only authorize computer training" or "don't take the careers class while you are at the training center—we will provide that in-house for you later"); and

WHEREAS, the creation this year of a new Rehabilitation Teacher/Coordinator position—the only one of its kind—to provide VR services which, have up to now, been provided by multiple contractors, has prompted further concern that SSB is moving toward smaller, quick-fix solutions instead of complete programs that bring lasting results; now, therefore

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind of Minnesota in Convention assembled this 27th day of October, 2019, in the city of St. Cloud, Minnesota, that this organization call upon Minnesota State Services for the Blind to renew its commitment to the long-term success of blind vocational rehabilitation customers by ensuring that vocational rehabilitation counselors and supervisors understand the true benefits of full-time, comprehensive adjustment-to-blindness training, and that they will actively encourage their customers toward a complete program rather than classes on a piecemeal basis.

¹ For example, see Bell and Mino: Employment Outcomes for Blind and Visually Impaired Adults https://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/jbir/jbir15/jbir050202.html.

Resolution A2019-02

Regarding the Use of Kneelers on Buses

WHEREAS, blind residents of Minnesota's cities commonly use public transportation on a daily basis to travel to places of employment, to do shopping, and to participate in countless other social and business activities in our communities; and

WHEREAS, at bus stops, blind travelers rely on sound to identify the number of the bus (via verbal announcements), to locate the entrance of the bus, and to gather other needed information; and

Whereas, many buses used by public transit providers in Minnesota have the capability for the front of the bus to be lowered (kneeled) so that the step at the entrance is positioned closer to the ground; and

WHEREAS, the kneeling of the bus is usually accompanied by a loud beeping and hissing sound (louder outside the bus than inside it), which last several seconds and can mask the announcement of the bus number and the sounds coming from the entrance of the bus, followed by another several seconds of beeping and hissing while the bus is raised again; and

WHEREAS, no doubt under the impression that they are being helpful, many drivers, while not using the kneeler at most stops, will activate the kneeler whenever they see a blind person waiting at the bus stop—sometimes even before determining that the blind person wishes to board that particular bus; and

WHEREAS, on daily commutes or occasional trips, the obstruction of the sounds of verbal announcements or of the bus entrance can cause the blind person to need to pause until the kneeler sound stops, thereby slowing down the boarding process unnecessarily; and

WHEREAS, although some blind people do have other walking-related disabilities which make the activation of the kneeler beneficial, other blind people have different disabilities, like hearing loss, which make the kneeler and its accompanying loud sound downright disorienting and problematic; and

WHEREAS, a brief conversation between driver and passenger is generally a much more precise and time-efficient method of determining and providing any needed assistance, as exemplified by the documentation of some transit providers² which encourages passengers to "feel comfortable asking for the bus to be kneeled": now, therefore

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind of Minnesota in Convention assembled this 27th day of October, 2019, in the city of St. Cloud, Minnesota, that this organization call upon public transit providers in the state of Minnesota to emphasize in their policies and in their driver training that blindness does not correlate with the need for a bus to be kneeled and can, in fact, make activation of the kneeler undesirable because of the associated loud sounds; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization urge transit providers to work with the National Federation of the Blind of Minnesota to refine their policies and training around blindness and to find solutions for reducing the noise caused by the bus kneelers.

2 See Minnesota Valley Transit Authority's page on riders with disabilities: https://www.mvta.com/riders-with-disabilities/.

Resolution A2019-03

Regarding the Parking of Dockless Motorized Foot Scooters

WHEREAS, dockless motorized foot scooters have become an increasingly popular mode of transportation in many cities in Minnesota and around the country; and

WHEREAS, the appeal of these scooters is that they may be retrieved from and left anywhere because they need not be parked at a docking station or rack; and

WHEREAS, sometimes, users leave these scooters in locations that block curb cuts, obstruct sidewalks, block bus stops and stoops, and generally disrupt the flow of pedestrian traffic; and

Whereas, Minnesota Statutes Chapter 169.225 states that "no person may operate a motorized foot scooter upon a sidewalk, except when necessary to enter or leave adjacent property ...", but the statute does not regulate the parking of these scooters; and

WHEREAS, some city ordinances do place restrictions on scooter parking, but these ordinances are inconsistent from city to city; and
 

WHEREAS, the public is, in most cases, encouraged to contact the various scooter companies directly to report scooter misuse, request that a scooter be moved, or report an injury or other concern by calling the company, visiting the website, or making a report using the app; and

WHEREAS, blind people cannot identify the scooter companies’ names, phone numbers, or websites because the information on the scooter is available only in print; and

WHEREAS, the blind are further denied the opportunity to make reports or issue complaints, since scooter websites and apps are generally not accessible using screen reader technology: Now, therefore

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind of Minnesota in Convention assembled this 27th day of October, 2019, in the city of St. Cloud, Minnesota, that this organization call upon the Minnesota Legislature to work with the National Federation of the Blind of Minnesota to enact legislation for consistent regulation of the parking of dockless motorized foot scooters to keep pedestrian walkways safe and free of obstacles for all citizens; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization demand that all dockless scooter companies place their company name, scooter identification number, and contact information on each scooter in a format that is, upon consultation with the National Federation of the Blind, determined to be accessible and easily detectible by the blind; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization demand that these companies develop accessible websites and mobile applications so that blind pedestrians can easily communicate reports of misuse or injury.