The official policy statements of the National Federation of the Blind of Delaware 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 Each proposed resolution is read, spoken for by the authoring member, considered, and then ultimately withdrawn or recommended for passage or disapproval by the Convention.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 2021-01: Regarding the Rights of Disabled Parents

Whereas disabled individuals continue to face unfair, preconceived, and unnecessary societal biases as well as antiquated attitudes regarding their ability to successfully parent their children; and

Whereas disabled individuals face these biases and preconceived attitudes in family and dependency law proceedings in which the allocation of parental responsibilities and parenting time are at stake and in public and private adoption, guardianship, custody, and foster care proceedings; and

Whereas because of these societal biases and antiquated attitudes, children of disabled parents are being unnecessarily removed from their parents' care or being restricted from enjoying meaningful time with their parents; and

Whereas children are being denied the opportunity to enjoy the experience of living in loving homes with disabled parents or other disabled caregivers; and

Whereas there was no Parents with Disabilities bill proposed during the 2020 session of the Delaware General Assembly: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind of Delaware in Virtual convention assembled this thirtieth day Of October, 2021, that this organization strongly urge the Delaware General Assembly to pass legislation that protects our right to parent and declaring that we are competent adults until proven otherwise by evidence rather than by fear of disability; and

Be it further resolved that this organization urge the Delaware Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) to stamp out discrimination against parents who are disabled by implementing training programs that include disabled parents and disability advocates to educate their case workers in the rights and capabilities of persons who are disabled; and

Be it further resolved that these agencies be required to expunge any overturned decisions or reversed rulings from the file of any proceeding in which the allocation of parental responsibilities and parenting time are at stake, and in public and private adoption, guardianship, custody, or foster care proceedings.

Resolution 2021-02: Regarding Equal Access to the Web

WHEREAS, equal access to websites, mobile apps, and other information technology is imperative to living in today's world implicating every area of daily life including, education, shopping, employment, entertainment, public health and safety information, and much, much more; and

WHEREAS, assistive technology used by the blind such as text to speech technology allows the blind to gain access to information as efficiently, comfortably and easily as the sighted; and

WHEREAS, however, most websites, mobile apps, and other information technology are either entirely inaccessible using assistive technology or possess significant access barriers; and

WHEREAS, existing civil rights laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act broadly mandate equally effective communication with those who are disabled, but generally, there are no clear regulations and laws regarding how websites, mobile apps, and other information technology can comply with these civil rights laws; and

WHEREAS, global standards such as the World Wide Web Consortium’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and the regulations promulgated pursuant to Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act exist and inform owners and operators of websites, mobile apps, and other information technology how to provide their information in an accessible manner; and

WHEREAS, to ensure equal access for those who are blind, it is necessary to adopt such standards into law: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind of Delaware in Virtual convention assembled this thirtieth day Of October, 2021, that we urge the Delaware General Assembly to pass into law an Equal Access to the Web, Mobile Apps, and Other Information Technology Act which would incorporate into law the most recent WCAG and Section 508 standards; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we insist that any web accessibility Act include the full measure of relief and remedies available under law including but not limited to all economic and non-economic damages, injunctive relief, and attorney fees and costs.