The official policy statements of the National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey are established every year with annual resolutions adopted at the state convention.

The resolutions committee meets early during the convention. Each proposed resolution is read, spoken for by the authoring member, considered, and then ultimately withdrawn or recommended for passage or disapproval by the Convention.

RESOLUTION 2023-01: Regarding Fully Accessible Vote-by-Mail Legislation Currently Before the New Jersey State Senate

WHEREAS, the ability to cast a secret ballot independently is a cornerstone of our democracy that enables citizens to vote their conscience without fear; and

WHEREAS, Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that voters with print disabilities must be able to cast their ballots privately and independently using the same methods available to voters without disabilities; and

WHEREAS, American military personnel and citizens living overseas are permitted to return their completed ballots either by email, fax, or web portal; and

WHEREAS, thirteen states also allow print disabled voters to submit their vote-by-mail ballots electronically; and

WHEREAS, New Jersey currently provides neither a method for independently marking such ballots nor returning them electronically to print disabled voters, depriving them of the right to a secret vote; and

WHEREAS, there is legislation in the New Jersey Legislature that would remove both of these barriers, State Assembly bill A4746 and State Senate bill S3302; and

WHEREAS, A4746 has already passed out of the Assembly, and S3302 is in the Senate’s State Government, Wagering, Tourism and Historic Preservation Committee awaiting debate; and

WHEREAS, organizations such as Common Cause, Free Speech for People, and the Brennan Center for Justice say that their missions are to “ensure that every eligible American can cast a ballot,” and “to ensure people can participate equally and meaningfully in our democracy”, yet these same organizations oppose fully accessible vote by mail systems, therefore denying the right of voters with print disabilities to vote by mail privately and independently, claiming security concerns as their reason; and

WHEREAS, multiple electronic ballot return applications have been used securely for many years, and have received complete approval from our federal security and intelligence agencies, refuting these unfounded and antiquated concerns: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey in Convention assembled this twelfth day of November, 2023, in the Township of Edison, New Jersey, that this organization strongly urge the New Jersey Senate to pass bill S3302 to ensure that New Jerseyans with print disabilities can cast private and independent votes guaranteed to all voters in this state.

Resolution 2023-02: Regarding the Rights of Blind people who are incarcerated

WHEREAS, the Bureau of Justice Statistics identified in 2016 that 11 percent of people who are held in state and federal prisons report having a vision disability; and

WHEREAS, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Americans with Disabilities Act protect the rights of individuals with disabilities, including those who are incarcerated; and

WHEREAS, the United States Constitution guarantees citizens’ right to due process of law and prohibits cruel and unusual punishment; and

WHEREAS, blind people who are incarcerated within New Jersey have reported disparate and discriminatory treatment by the Department of Corrections, including the denial of necessary medical care and prescriptions, failure to provide accommodations and effective communication, lack of equal access to training and work programs, and inclusion among dangerous prisoners; and

WHEREAS, this disparate and discriminatory treatment has forced many blind people who are incarcerated to purchase their own accommodations or to rely on the help of sighted people who are also incarcerated , causing these blind people to be beholden to other inmates to read and write mail, navigate to the dining hall and other areas, read posted prison rules, use the law library, prepare grievances, and complete commissary sheets, among other tasks; and

WHEREAS, this has compromised the privacy of these blind people and exposed them to extortion, stealing, and other harm; and

WHEREAS, the lack of equal access to prison-based training and vocational programs has resulted in the inability of blind people who are incarcerated to earn wages, reduce their sentences through participation credits, and engage in work release; and

WHEREAS, blind people who are incarcerated and advocate for equal access and their other rights risk retaliation from prison staff and receive limited to no support from prison ADA coordinators, ombudsmen, and state lawmakers; and

WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind has sued on behalf of blind people who are incarcerated in Maryland and Colorado and secured systemic relief within both states; and

WHEREAS, this relief from discrimination does not exist in the New Jersey prison system: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey in Convention assembled this twelfth day of November, 2023, in the Township of Edison, New Jersey, that this organization demand that prisons under the control of the New Jersey Department of Corrections comply with requirements of the United States Constitution, Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Americans with Disabilities Act, and other state and national disability rights laws; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization urge active state and federal oversight of the treatment of blind people who are incarcerated, including the provision of medical care, accommodations, and effective communication; equal access to training and work programs; and separation from dangerous prisoners.

RESOLUTION 2023-03: Regarding the Establishment of Access Link Scheduling Rides Based on Arrival Time

WHEREAS, Access Link is designated as the Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant carrier for the NJ Transit bus and rail system in New Jersey; and

WHEREAS, Access Link is required to provide to disabled riders transportation reasonably equivalent to NJ transit’s scheduled bus service; and

WHEREAS, standard bus routes have designated time schedules which allow riders to choose the optimal pick-up and/or drop-off time, Thereby assuring with reasonable certainty that the rider will arrive on time for such things as work, meetings, and doctor’s appointments; and

WHEREAS, the current Access Link system for reserving rides is based solely on pick-up times; and

WHEREAS, this system does not provide equivalent certainty of on-time arrival for disabled riders, and often causes these riders to arrive late to their destination, which can lead to negative consequences for them; and

WHEREAS, paratransit systems within the State of New Jersey, and in other states, already utilized technology which allows scheduling based on arrival time: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey in Convention assembled this twelfth day of November, 2023, in the Township of Edison, New Jersey, that we urge NJ transit and Access Link to establish a method of scheduling Access Link rides based on destination arrival time, while maintaining the current pick-up time scheduling.

RESOLUTION 2023-04: Regarding Blind Leadership at the New Jersey Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired

WHEREAS, the New Jersey Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired plays a pivotal role in serving the blind and visually impaired community in the state of New Jersey; and

WHEREAS, the governing structure of an agency for the blind must be designed to be highly responsive to the interests, needs, and aspirations of its constituents; and

WHEREAS, to achieve this, it is imperative to have representatives of the blind and visually impaired community who have had lived experiences of blindness, and have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to self-organization and a strong willingness to lead or advise in such agencies: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey in Convention assembled this twelfth day of November, 2023, in the Township of Edison, New Jersey, that we strongly urge the New Jersey Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired to adopt the formal goal of achieving numeric parity between blind and sighted trustees, managers, supervisors, and staff within its governing structure; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we call upon and invite the New Jersey Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired to adopt the following Blindness Parity Pledge:

“Our agency, the New Jersey Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired, was established with the sole purpose of serving blind and visually impaired individuals. We strongly believe that those whom we serve should be equally represented at all levels of our agency’s governance and management, including trustees, managers, supervisors, and staff. This commitment to parity will ensure that blind individuals have a truly pivotal role in shaping the services we provide and guiding their effective implementation.

We solemnly acknowledge that our agency is led by compensated executives who, in turn, are overseen by a board of Trustees. We firmly recognize the critical importance of blind individuals being integral to both levels of our management team. To demonstrate our commitment, we pledge that within the next five years, at least half of our management team, as well as supervisors and staff, will consist of individuals who are blind. Furthermore, within the same five-year period, we wholeheartedly commit to ensuring that a minimum of 50 percent of our governing Board of Trustees is composed of blind individuals.

To solidify our dedication to this parity, we also pledge to amend our bylaws to enshrine it as an enduring hallmark of our agency. We profoundly understand that the invaluable insights of blind individuals must guide our agency’s operations and future goals, both in appearance and in practice.

We fully recognize that blind inclusion and parity will unquestionably elevate our agency’s ability to address the accessibility needs of those we serve. This unwavering commitment extends to ensuring that all documents we create are absolutely accessible, our website is exceptionally user-friendly with screen reading technology, and any visual materials we produce are unquestionably made accessible through state-of-the-art technology.

We deeply value the active participation of blind individuals in shaping our services. In addition to achieving parity on our board and management team, we pledge to establish a working committee comprising the consumers we serve. This independent advisory committee, including its chairperson chosen by the consumers themselves, will meet regularly to provide invaluable insights and advice to senior management, fostering an agency that will undeniably continue to evolve in an exceptionally responsive, relevant, and supremely blind-positive manner.”