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 Each proposed resolution is read, spoken for by the authoring member, considered, and then ultimately withdrawn or recommended for passage or disapproval by the Convention.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 2022-01: Regarding State Legislation Guaranteeing Fully Accessible Vote by Mail

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) prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in services, programs, and activities provided by state and local government entities; and

WHEREAS, this requirement extends to voting privately and independently by mail; and

WHEREAS, only twenty-eight states require an accessible way to mark a vote-by-mail ballot; and

WHEREAS, New Jersey is not one of the states requiring such an accessible vote-by-mail ballot marking system; and

WHEREAS, only the states of Colorado, Hawaii, and West Virginia have additionally passed legislation to require an accessible way for voters with print disabilities to return their vote-by-mail ballot; and

WHEREAS, voters with print disabilities in jurisdictions that do not provide an accessible way to mark and return their vote-by-mail ballot must either tell their choices to a sighted person and trust that person to mark the ballot as instructed, or they must go to a physical polling place to use an accessible ballot-marking device: Now, therefore

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey in Convention assembled this thirteenth day of November, 2022, in the Township of Woodbridge, New Jersey, that this organization demand that the State of New Jersey enact legislation to require an accessible way to mark and return vote-by-mail ballots so that all voters with print disabilities have the same opportunity to vote by mail privately and independently as voters without disabilities, as required by Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

RESOLUTION 2022-03: Regarding the use of accessible traffic light and walk signals

WHEREAS, the safety of pedestrians and drivers of motor vehicles is dependent on the proper use of pedestrian signals and traffic lights; and

WHEREAS, the proper use of pedestrian signals and traffic lights by blind people requires accessible pedestrian signals, an integrated device that communicates important information about walk and don’t walk intervals for intersections with traffic signals via non-visual media, such as audible tones and vibro-tactile surfaces, in addition to visual cues to sighted pedestrians; and

WHEREAS, by various laws such as Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, state and local governments are required to make such public services as pedestrian signals accessible; and

WHEREAS, many traffic lights and pedestrian signals have still to be converted from inaccessible versions or have been converted in a manner that does not meet legal standards: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey in convention assembled this thirteenth day of November, 2022, in the township of Woodbridge, New Jersey, that this organization call upon the New Jersey Legislature and local municipalities to establish definitive plans to comply with the law and convert non-accessible traffic lights and pedestrian signals to accessible pedestrian signals.

Resolution 2022-04: Regarding the Joe and Rose Fund and certain NFBNJ scholarship winners

WHEREAS, Joseph J. (Joe) Ruffalo Jr. served as our president from 1993to 2020; and

WHEREAS, under his leadership, our affiliate has grown from one chapter in 1993 to seven chapters, four divisions and a wide variety of groups and committees by 2020, enabling blind people of all ages and walks of life and their families to live the lives they want through our positive philosophy, collective action, and our love, hope, and determination; and

WHEREAS, he served on our National Board of Directors for twenty years, spreading his wisdom and infectious good humor to blind people throughout our country; and

WHEREAS, he was always available to us individually as a mentor, a counselor, and a friend: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey in Convention assembled this twelfth day of November, 2022 in the township of Woodbridge, New Jersey, that Anyone who earns more than one scholarship from this organization shall be known as a Joseph J. Ruffalo JR. Fellow; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Joe and Rose Fund shall henceforth be known as the Ruffalo Memorial Fund, in honor of Joseph J. Ruffalo Jr., and his beloved parents, Joseph J. Ruffalo Sr., and Rose F. Ruffalo.