Motion by Dee Ann Hart of Indiana: Move to adopt the following resolution: Ensuring Equitable Access and Prohibiting Surcharges for Required Support Personnel, Interpreters, and Co-Navigators at Convention Meals Whereas, the American Council of the Blind (ACB) is dedicated to securing full integration and equal participation of people who are blind or visually impaired, including those with dual sensory disabilities, in all aspects of society, including professional development, advocacy, and social networking conferences; and Whereas, conferences, conventions, and seminars frequently feature essential educational programming, keynote addresses, and high-level networking opportunities that take place concurrently with ticketed or provided meals; and Whereas, individuals with dual sensory disabilities or specific physical access needs often rely on a variety of distinct, highly specialized support roles to achieve equal access, including: 1. Support Service Providers (SSPs) / Co-Navigators, who provide critical environmental information, visual description, and sighted guide mobility to facilitate independent choice and situational awareness; 2. Tactile Interpreters, who translate spoken language into standard sign language received through the attendee's hands; and 3. ProTactile Interpreters, who utilize a holistic, touch-based communication system that conveys not only linguistic content but also real-time backchannel feedback, environmental context, and social cues via touch; and Whereas, as an organization representing the disability community, we recognize that we do not ask our members with other disabilities to leave their guide dogs, canes, wheelchairs, walkers, or assistive technology at the door, and it is a fundamental contradiction to expect individuals with dual sensory impairments to attend functions stripped of their vital support systems; and Whereas, this resolution is not requesting or mandating that the host convention or organization employ, recruit, or provide personal attendant care or support service professionals for registered attendees; rather, it identifies that when a person with a dual sensory disability arrives with an SSP, tactile interpreter, or ProTactile interpreter, the professional and the consumer function together as an inseparable team—just as a wheelchair user is one with their chair, or a guide dog and handler are a unified team; and Whereas, individuals with dual sensory disabilities are capable self-advocates who may function entirely independently in various settings and environments throughout the convention week, meaning this resolution in no way mandates the SSP/interpreter and the participant to be connected "hip-to-hip" through the entire convention, but instead enforces accommodation laws on the host organization to respect the targeted accommodation needs of their dually sensory disabled members; and Whereas, during meal-centered sessions, these professionals are actively on duty—describing table layouts, assisting with mechanical navigation of food and utensils, conveying ambient group conversations, or continuously translating presentations—requiring them to remain present at the table; and Whereas, required support personnel, tactile interpreters, and ProTactile interpreters cannot effectively perform their duties if they are forced to leave the premises to secure food, or if they are excluded from receiving a meal while the attendee and other table participants eat, creating an undignified, exclusionary, and impractical environment; and Whereas, a vital distinction must be maintained between a support person acting solely in a professional accommodation capacity and an individual participating in the convention for personal or professional development; namely, that if a support person—whether an ACB member or non-member—is present strictly to fulfill the role of an SSP or interpreter, their presence is an accommodation, but if they choose to attend and participate in convention activities independently outside of their support duties, they operate as an individual participant; and Whereas, Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) explicitly prohibits public accommodations and non-profit entities from imposing a surcharge on individuals with disabilities to cover the costs of accommodations, auxiliary aids, or services required to achieve equal access; and Whereas, requiring an attendee with a disability to purchase an additional meal ticket or pay a higher registration tier for an essential support provider or interpreter constitutes an inequitable financial penalty and an implicit surcharge for an accommodation; now, therefore, be it Resolved, by the American Council of the Blind in Convention assembled in the city of [City], [State], on this [Day] day of July, 2027, that ACB strongly affirms that when a conference or convention attendee requires the presence of an SSP, co-navigator, tactile interpreter, or ProTactile ...
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2026/07/162 時間 35 分