CCB Resolution 2021-1: Mandatory Disability Awareness Training for California Health Care Workers

Whereas: The California Council of the Blind, CCB, finds that California’s Health Care sector exhibits a widespread ignorance of the distinct needs, abilities, life experiences and cultural sensitivities of consumers with disabilities, including those who are blind or have low vision; and

Whereas: this widespread ignorance engenders discrimination, inadequate service and reduced health outcomes for consumers with disabilities; and

Whereas: most health care providers receive little or no disability awareness training; now therefore be it

Resolved by the California Council of the Blind in virtual convention assembled this 25th day of April 2021 that CCB shall work to achieve the enactment of future legislation and/or regulations to require that

1. all California training programs for health care providers shall incorporate mandatory disability awareness education into their curricula

2. Licensure or certification requirements for all health care providers shall mandate completion of disability awareness training, both in their initial education requirements and in their continuing education requirements; and

be it further.
Resolved: that CCB shall begin a dialogue with the Coalition on Long-Term Care Services and Supports and with other like-minded organizations to build up a broad-based, multi-year, statewide advocacy campaign to secure the legislative and regulatory changes called for in this resolution; and be it further

Resolved: that a copy of this resolution shall be submitted to the American Council of the Blind.

CCB resolution 2021-2: Translation Project

Whereas: The diversity of California’s population is reflected in the variety of languages spoken by the state’s residents; and

Whereas: many Californians communicate in a language other than English; and

Whereas: California’s vision loss community mirrors the linguistic diversity of the general population; and

Whereas: there is a significant gap in the availability of non-English language information provided in formats that are accessible to people who are blind or have low vision, including information provided by the California Council of the Blind (CCB); and

Whereas, the lack of accessible non-English language information constitutes a significant access barrier for Californians who are blind or have low vision whose primary language is not English; and

Whereas: working for the removal of these barriers an essential element of the mission of the CCB; now therefore be it
Resolved by the California Council of the Blind assembled in virtual Convention this 25th day of April 2021 that the CCB Publications Committee explore the feasibility, costs of, and consumer demand for translation into languages other than English of CCB publications information and other forms of communications and submit a proposal to the board by December 31, 2021.

CCB Resolution 2021-6: Apple Updates

Whereas, since its founding almost four decades ago, Apple has been at the forefront of accessibility; and

Whereas, it can be argued that there has been no mainstream technology company that has been as forward-thinking in the accessibility arena as Apple; and

Whereas, despite this highly commendable record, when Apple updates its IOS system, iPhone users who are blind or have low vision encounter accessibility issues that need to be remedied in future updates; and

Whereas, these issues challenge the independence of people who are blind or have low-vision to access information or complete daily living tasks; and

Whereas, Apple allows for the release of IOS updates despite their prior knowledge of these accessibility issues, now, therefore, be it

Resolved, by the California Council of the Blind assembled in virtual convention this 25th day of April, 2021, that this organization strongly urge Apple to prioritize the correction of reported accessibility issues prior to the release of an IOS update, and be it further

Resolved, that this resolution be submitted to the American Council of the Blind for action by its board. of directors.

CCB Resolution 2021-7: The Inaccessibility of the Pentair ScreenLogic2 App for Pools and Spas

Whereas, the Pentair ScreenLogic app is a pool and spa control smart phone application developed to allow pool and spa owners to manage their equipment with ease; and

Whereas, the ScreenLogic app is advertised as a way to perform all the same pool/spa maintenance functions as one would from the main pool/spa operating system; and

Whereas, the proper and regular functions of managing, monitoring, and controlling are essential to the longevity of pools and spas; and

Whereas, this app is not accessible or usable by users who are blind or have low vision who are using the app on an Apple iPhone with Voice Over enabled; and

Whereas, this concern has been communicated to Pentair, who has been nonresponsive in remedying the inaccessibility of their ScreenLogic app;

Now, therefore be it resolved, by the California Council of the Blind in virtual convention assembled this 25th day of April, 2021 that this organization strongly urges Pentair to make the ScreenLogic app accessible for users who are blind or have low vision; and

Be it further resolved that this organization urges Pentair to collaborate with the California Council of the Blind to remedy this discriminatory situation; and

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution shall be submitted to the American Council of the Blind, seeking their entrance into a collaborative working relationship with the California Council of the Blind for the purpose of ensuring that Pentair and other companies have products which are fully accessible to pool and spa owners who are blind or have low vision, and

Be it further resolved that if Pentair does not make ScreenLogic2 fully accessible, that this organization explore all other remedies including legal action if necessary.

CCB Resolution 2021-8: Voices for Public Transportation

Whereas, Voices for Public Transportation is a coalition of organizations advocating for and working toward the establishment of a regional public transportation system in the San Francisco Bay Area; And

whereas, people with disabilities are organizing in the Bay area to influence policy concerning public transportation; And

whereas, there is an effort by California Council of the Blind (CCB) chapters in the Bay area to organize around public transportation; And

whereas, the CCB has joined regional efforts in the past, now, therefore, be it

resolved, by the California Council of the Blind in virtual convention assembled this 25th day of April That the CCB urge every Bay area chapter to join and actively participate in Voices for Public Transportation, and be it further

resolved, that each CCB chapter belonging to Voices for Public Transportation shall coordinate with the CCB's Committee on Access and Transportation to encourage Voices for Public Transportation to support the transportation policies of the CCB and of the American Council of the Blind.

CCB Resolution 2021-9: Equity in Law Enforcement Training Standards

Whereas, recently, multiple accounts of police misconduct and inappropriate use of force against people who are Black, Latinx, Asian American and Pacific Islander, (AAPI) , Indigenous, or other people of color (POC) have been shared on television, in print and on social media; and

Whereas, various studies including The Ruderman Family Foundation (2016) have estimated that between thirty to fifty percent of deaths of unarmed individuals in use of force encounters with law enforcement have involved a person with a disability; and

Whereas, according to the US Bureau of Justice Statistics, encounters with law enforcement include a white cane being mistaken for a weapon, a person not being able to visually confirm the person is an officer and thus comply with the officer's commands, and an officer misidentifying a person with low vision as being under the influence of alcohol or drugs because of the appearance of their eyes; and

Whereas, historically, the California Council of the Blind has advocated for the protection of people with disabilities in general and people with visual disabilities in particular; and

Whereas, throughout the state of California, state and local law enforcement agencies have not been uniformly transparent about whether they are addressing ongoing explicit and implicit bias training in the area of disability in general, and visual disabilities in particular ; and

Whereas, recent state legislation (AB392) has required law enforcement agencies to change their training models and use of force policies to specifically take into account disability as a factor when determining proper use of force; and now, therefore, be it

Resolved, by the California Council of the Blind assembled in virtual convention this 25th day of April, 2021 strongly encourage the California Attorney General, with input from stakeholders, to direct the Commission on Peace Officers Standards and Training, (POST) to prescribe the content and implementation of explicit and implicit bias training in both law enforcement Academy Training and Continuing Education curriculum for peace officers, with particular attention paid to bias or misconceptions that may exist towards people who are blind or have low vision or deaf/blind, or with additional disabilities.

CCB Resolution 2021-10: Addressing Allegations of Sexual Assault, Harassment, and abuse at Blindness Training Centers

Whereas, in recent months scores of credible allegations have surfaced regarding sexual assault, harassment, and other forms of inappropriate behavior of a sexual nature, as well as charges of bullying and demeaning conduct on the part of students and staff at the Colorado and Louisiana Centers for the Blind residential rehabilitation facilities; and,

Whereas, the Department of Rehabilitation (DOR) has authorized expenditure of California taxpayer dollars to send blind and visually impaired consumers, at their request, to those and other out-of-state residential rehabilitation centers; and,

Whereas, there have been anecdotal reports over the years of similar sexual and other misconduct occurring at residential rehabilitation centers in California, including a recent widely publicized murder at one California center; and,

Whereas, the California Council of the Blind (CCB) views with alarm the growing number of reports of sexual and other forms of abuse committed against consumers who are blind or have low vision at such centers, both in and outside California; and

Whereas, despite the urging of DOR’s Blind Advisory Committee (BAC), the department has shown no indication that action on this matter will be taken, Now, Therefore, Be It

Resolved by the California Council of the Blind assembled in virtual convention this 25th day of April, that this organization urge, in the strongest possible language, DOR to immediately suspend all approvals for out-of-state residential rehabilitation training for consumers who are blind or have low vision at any rehabilitation training center for which allegations of sexual or other abuse has been made, until such time as the Department determines that the issues arising from these allegations have been addressed, in accordance with standards to be developed pursuant to this resolution, and be it further

Resolved that CCB urge DOR to establish, within 60 days of receipt of this resolution, a taskforce comprised of senior management and staff, and at least one member of the BAC, whose sole purpose is to review and update existing policies related to the training of DOR staff, staff of the three residential rehabilitation centers in California, staff and contractors associated with community rehabilitation programs (CRP’s), for-profit businesses and independent service providers (ISP’s) offering evaluation, equipment set-up and training to blind and low vision consumers; and,

Be It Further Resolved that such training include the proper investigation and resolution of allegations of inappropriate conduct of a sexual nature and other forms of abuse, and where lacking, develop and implement such policies and provide the necessary training of all staff and contractors; and,

Be It Further Resolved that, at a minimum, all of the following concerns be addressed by the aforementioned DOR taskforce:

1. Consider evaluation of independent reporting procedures for people who are blind or have low vision who have experienced sexual abuse, assault or harassment:
2. Establish a specific code of conduct to which all vendors CRP’s, and ISP’s will be expected to adhere:
3. Modify its CRP certification process to include all aspects of how a business or CRP handles allegations of sexual assault, harassment, and abuse throughout the consumer’s experience:
4. Require each for-profit business owner and each not-for-profit board to annually certify that it has met the standards that the Department will promulgate regarding the reporting, privacy, handling, and resolution of all allegations of sexual assault, harassment, and abuse:
5. Develop specific standards for any contracted party who enters the home or domicile of any consumer, with such standards to become part of the annual certification of both for-profit and CRP entities:
6. Require LIVE Scan (Digital Fingerprinting) for both CRP’s staff who work closely with consumers who are blind or have low vision and contractors who visit consumers’ places of residence to provide services:
7. Establish an anonymous hotline where survivors of sexual or other misconduct by vendors or at CRP programs can be reported with confidence and privacy:
8. Identify a single point of contact within the department who shall be responsible for addressing allegations of sexual assault, harassment, and abuse at any of its contracted programs or services: and
9. Contract with an independent trainer certified and specializing in matters of sexual assault, harassment, abuse, and other forms of misconduct to provide annual training to personnel of all CRP and for-profit contractors and their executives.
10. Report annually to the BAC the number and characteristics of any instances of sexual abuse, assault or illegal sexual activity affecting any DOR consumer; such annual reporting to be redacted so as not to disclose confidential or identifying information, but to provide a statistical report of the statewide level of such allegations.

And be it further.

Resolved that this taskforce make its findings and recommendations to the DOR Directorate by no later than December 31, 2021 and be it further.

Resolved, that, if the DOR Director asserts that the department lacks the authority to implement any part of the taskforce’s recommendations, the department submit proposed legislation to the Governor to address this issue, and be it further.

Resolved, that the appropriate policy committees of the Legislature be requested to hold hearings on this topic, and be it further.

Resolved, that a copy of this resolution be sent to the Governor, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Director of the Department of Rehabilitation, the Speaker of the Assembly, the Senate President pro Tempore, the chairs of the appropriate policy committees of the Legislature, and the chair of the American Council of the Blind Rehabilitation Taskforce and the chair of the ACB Resolutions Committee.

CCB Resolution 2021-11: California Arts Council Blind/Low Vision Artists

Whereas it is estimated that more than two million adults in California have a disability and that approximately 800,000 of these have a significant vision impairment; and

Whereas artists with disabilities are under-represented in the arts and denied opportunities to fully participate in the arts; and

Whereas, for the 2021 grant cycle, the California Arts Council distributed over $27,000,000 in grants to various organizations and individual artists; and

Whereas, one of the current stated goals of the California Arts Council is to further inclusion and diversity, in the, arts by marginalized groups, including artists with disabilities; and

Whereas, it is abundantly clear that artists with disabilities, including artists who are blind or have low vision and the organizations who sponsor artists with disabilities experience marginalization; and

Whereas, artists with various disabilities and organizations that integrate them as performers, directors, producers, or professional artists in a variety of disciplines have historically comprised a small percentage of grant recipients; and

Whereas, only a very small number of the organizations receiving funding in the past from the California Arts Council have offered opportunities to artists who are blind or have low vision; and

Whereas, many of the grants in past years awarded to artists who are blind or have low vision and the organizations who support them were distributed or administered by the Arts and Accessibility Program of the National Arts and Disability Center, University of California at Los Angeles; and

Whereas, in 2021, without explanation, the California Arts Council chose not to fund the Arts and Accessibility Program, now, therefore, be it.

Resolved, by The California Council of the Blind in virtual convention assembled this 25th day of April, 2021, that this organization strongly urge that the California Arts Council, in ruture grant cycles, to prioritize funding for organizations that provide grants to professional performers, directors, producers, and artists who are blind or have low vision; and Be it further.

resolved, The California Council of the Blind collaborate with the California Arts Council to encourage and promote the participation of professional artists who are blind or have low vision and organizations who empower them.

CCB Resolution 2021-12: California Arts Council Grant Portal Accessibility

Whereas approximately 800,000 Californians have significant vision loss; and

Whereas Californian artists who are blind or have low vision are under-represented in the arts, due in part to the lack of access to the application process for grants funded by the California Arts Council; and

Whereas, for the 2021 grant cycle, the California Arts Council distributed over $27,000,000 in grant funding; and

Whereas, one of the current stated goals of the California Arts Council is to further inclusion and diversity, in the arts, by marginalized groups, including artists with disabilities; and

Whereas, the most commonly used portals to submit applications to organizations which distribute grants to individual artists from California Arts Council funding are inaccessible to people who are blind or have low vision; and

Whereas, this barrier makes it extremely difficult for artists who are blind or have low vision to apply for and obtain grants, now, Therefore, be it.

Resolved, by The California Council of the Blind in virtual convention assembled this 25th day of April, 2021, that this organization strongly urge that the California Arts Council immediately ensure that the grant application process for organizations awarding grants to individual artists use only processes that are fully accessible to artists who are blind or have low vision, and Be it further

Resolved, that before the start of the next grants cycle the California Arts Council work with this organization to develop and implement a process, for evaluating the accessibility of grant portals, such process to include manual testing By users who are blind or have low vision.

CCB Resolution 2021-13: Pandemic Response

Whereas, the COVID-19 pandemic has placed unparalleled demands upon state and local governments; and

Whereas, despite commendable efforts by many, the policies, and their execution by the state of California and local entities has often not met the needs of people with vision loss; and

Whereas, examples of areas in which the issues and concerns of people who are blind or have low vision have not been met include, but are not limited to:

1. The failure to characterize people who are blind, who rely heavily on the sense of touch to gain information about their environment, as warranting placement as a high-risk group for purposes of vaccination eligibility,
2. The large numbers of drive-up COVID19 test and vaccination sites where arrangements have not been made for non-drivers, including persons with vision loss, to access these facilities,
3. The inability of most localities to arrange for testing and vaccinations to be made available to those who are home-bound, and
4. The proof of vaccination card lacks a tactile identifier for people who are blind or have low vision to easily identify it; and
5. The lack of specific state requirements that has led to vastly inconsistent local efforts with respect to COVID19-related policies and procedures;

and

Whereas, even if California is able to irradicate this pandemic within a few months, the possibility of future pandemics necessitates that state and local governments become better prepared to address the needs of people who are blind or have low vision when such health care emergencies occur,

now, therefore, be it.

Resolved, by the California Council of the Blind in virtual convention assembled this 25th day of April, 2021, that this organization send copies of this resolution to the Governor, the Secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency, the Director of the California Department of Public Health, the Speaker of the Assembly, the Senate President pro Tempore, the California League of Cities and the California State Association of Counties to make them aware of our concerns, and be it further

Resolved, that the copies of this resolution be accompanied by a letter expressing our strong desire to assist public officials at all levels of government in order to insure that, in all future public health emergencies, the critical problems outlined in this resolution are addressed.

CCB Resolution 2021-14: Law Enforcement Tracking, data collection involving people with Disabilities

Whereas, insufficient reporting and data collection requirements exist under state law with respect to both of the following:

1. Violent crimes committed against people with disabilities, including people who are blind or deaf-blind or have low vision; and
2. Serious incidents between law enforcement and people with disabilities, including people who are blind or deaf-blind or have low vision, now, therefore be it

Resolved, by the California Council of the Blind in virtual convention assembled this 25th day of April that this organization requests its affiliate Inclusive Diversity of California, (IDC) to work in conjunction with the CCB Governmental Affairs Committee to seek the introduction and adoption of state legislation that would address the concerns outlined in this resolution.

CCB Resolution 2021-15: Convention Thank You

Whereas, planning and attending a CCB Conference and Convention is a large task in a typical year; and

Whereas, this is no typical year; and

Whereas, planning and attending a four-day in person CCB Conference and Convention can be challenging and time Consuming; and

Whereas, planning and attending a month-long virtual CCB Conference and Convention can be an undertaking unlike what CCB and its Members have ever done before

Now therefore be it
Resolved that all CCB Members and supporters assembleled in virtual convention this 25th day of April take a minute to congratulate themselves on a job well done; and

Be it further resolved that everyone take a nice long nap because tomorrow we start planning for 2022.

CCB Resolution 2021-16: Resolution of Appreciation for Volunteers

Whereas, the 2021 virtual CCB Conference and Convention would not have been the rousing success that it has been without the assistance of our outstanding volunteers, now, therefore be it

Resolved, by the California Council of the Blind in virtual convention assembled this 25 day of April that this organization express its sincere appreciation to each and every volunteer who has helped with the 2021 virtual CCB Conference and Convention, and be it further

Resolved, that a copy of this resolution be sent to all volunteers.