2026 Draft Resolutions
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND of HAWAII
2026 Draft Resolutions
Resolution 2026-01 draft
Regarding Ho'opono staff crisis
WHEREAS, Ho‘opono's nationally certified adjustment to blindness Training service is absolutely essential in helping blind people gain the skills, confidence, and independence necessary for employment, higher education, family life, and full community participation, serving Hawaiʻi and the Pacific U.S. territories, but this vital program is at risk; and
WHEREAS, Staff loss due to retirements and prolonged vacancies has left only two qualified instructors to cover six specialized areas of training like Braille reading and writing, use of communications and assistive technology, orientation and mobility, home management, and other skills needed for independence, this staff loss threatening closure of the program altogether; and
WHEREAS, There is no in-state professional preparation program for instructors Ho'opono needs, but procedures usually require in-state recruitment first, meaning other states are ahead of Ho'opono in recruiting from a very small nationwide pool of qualified applicants, leaving Ho'opono with few or no applicants to consider when required to exhaust in-state recruitment first; and
WHEREAS, the existing below average compensation schedules established for blindness adjustment instructor positions places Ho'opono at a competitive disadvantage as compared to other states, especially considering our cost of living and the fact that these positions require specialize knowledge, skills, and training, not reflected in Ho'opono's current compensation schedules: Now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind of Hawaii in convention assembled this 10th day of October, 2026, in the city and county of Honolulu, that this organization strongly urge governor Josh Green to lead an effort to develop and implement a recruitment and retention strategy for Ho‘opono that includes simultaneous internal and external recruitment or other appropriate exceptions for these highly specialized positions, competitive compensation and classification adjustments, recruitment incentives, relocation assistance, and other available measures necessary to attract and retain qualified blindness rehabilitation professionals; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization urge the governor, the legislature, and other state officials to make the preservation of Ho‘opono's Adjustment to Blindness Training Program an urgent priority in collaboration with the National Federation of the Blind of Hawaiʻi and other appropriate stakeholders.
Resolution 2026-02 draft
Regarding Vocational Rehabilitation restoration of cuts and full funding
WHEREAS, Hawaii’s Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) program provides essential services that enable blind persons and others with disabilities to obtain and maintain competitive employment, achieve greater independence, reduce reliance on public assistance, and become taxpayers and contributing community members, returning the investment many times over made on each person served; and
WHEREAS, aside from this fabulous return on investment, state appropriations for VR earn the state more than $3 and a half paid in federal funds for each state dollar appropriated and spent, bringing the state substantial benefits for each dollar spent on VR services; and
WHEREAS, restoration of the state funds cut from VR for fiscal year 2027 and full funding of VR for fiscal years 2028, 2029, and beyond are in everyone's best interest, especially persons with disabilities in need of VR services: Now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind of Hawaii in convention assembled this 10th day of October, 2026, in the city and county of Honolulu, that this organization urge the governor and the legislature to restore funds cut from VR as approved in the supplemental state budget signed on June 26, 2026, and maintain that restored funding in each fiscal year of the FY 2028–2029 biennial budget; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization strongly urge the governor and the legislature to approve amounts necessary for full funding of the VR program in fiscal years 2028 and 2029 to earn the maximum federal matching funds allotted to Hawaii.
Resolution 2026-03 draft
Regarding Election accessibility
WHEREAS, the Hawaii state Office of Elections and the county elections divisions have implemented accessible online voter registration, an accessible digital voter information guide, accessible ballot marking devices for in-person voting at voter service centers, and an electronic ballot system for voters unable to read and mark a printed ballot, allowing us to receive and independently mark and securely return our ballots by electronic means, no printing or signing required, making Hawaii one of only thirteen states to provide fully accessible by-mail voting; and
WHEREAS, the Office of Elections conducted numerous outreach meetings throughout the state of Hawaii during 2026 to educate voters about all options available for voters with accessibility needs, including options to vote privately and independently: Now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind of Hawaii in convention assembled this 10th day of October, 2026, in the city and county of Honolulu, that this organization express strong support for continuation of by-mail voting as the state-wide election system used in Hawaii; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we say, without reservations, Mahalo nui loa to Scott T. Nago, chief election officer, staff at the state Office of Elections, and to the county elections divisions for a job well done to make accessibility for all a priority in our state.
Resolution 2026-04 draft
Regarding Accessible Pedestrian Signals
WHEREAS, federal law and the Public Right-of-Way Accessibility Guidelines (PROWAG) recognize accessible pedestrian signals (APS) as essential for providing blind and low-vision pedestrians nonvisual access to pedestrian signal information; and
WHEREAS, the State and counties of Hawaii are responsible for pedestrian facilities and should systematically install and maintain APS, consistent with PROWAG, particularly at intersections using leading pedestrian intervals or other signal timing that cannot reliably be determined by listening to parallel traffic; and
WHEREAS, during the 2026 Regular Session, S.B. 2470 passed through both houses of the Hawaii State Legislature and included provisions for APS installation, state-county coordination, and a process for requesting APS at specific intersections, but S. B. 2470 was not considered by a Senate and House conference committee: Now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind of Hawaii in convention assembled this 10th day of October, 2026, in the city and county of Honolulu, that this organization urge the Legislature, Governor Josh Green, the Hawaii Department of Transportation, and the counties to support and pass legislation similar to S.B. 2470, including funding, state-county coordination, and a public process for requesting APS installations; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that, regardless of new specific legislation, this organization urge the state and the counties of Honolulu, Hawaii, Maui, and Kauai to establish and fund coordinated plans to install and maintain APS consistent with PROWAG and in consultation with the National Federation of the Blind of Hawaii, Ho'opono's trained mobility instructors, and experienced blind pedestrians.
Resolution 2026-05 draft
Regarding ride-share discrimination
WHEREAS, ride-share discrimination continues, leaving blind residents and visitors stranded when requesting services like Uber and Lyft; and
WHEREAS, this discrimination is against the law, but both the companies and the state have not cared enough to date to address and solve the problem; and
WHEREAS, aside from filing forms to get their state operating permits as transportation network companies, the companies are not held accountable, resulting in no effective remedy when services are denied based on disability or the use of a service animal: Now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind of Hawaii in convention assembled this 10th day of October, 2026, in the city and county of Honolulu, that this organization renew its efforts in the legislature to change the law in favor of meaningful regulation by the state to obtain enforcement of our right to travel without discrimination when using services licensed by the state.
Resolution 2026-06 draft
Regarding the proposed Kapahulu Transportation Mobility Hub
WHEREAS, the Oahu Metropolitan Planning Organization is studying installation of a Kapahulu Transportation Mobility Hub to serve the area near the Waikiki Public Library and the Hawaii State Library for the Blind and Print Disabled; and
WHEREAS, these facilities are set back at least a city block or more from Kapahulu Avenue, being situated behind their designated parking lots, meaning persons using cars have much more convenient access as compared to bus riders and walkers, definitely not optimal for the library for the blind; and
WHEREAS, a Transportation Mobility Hub should be planned and installed to better meet the needs of patrons of the Waikiki Public Library, the Library for the Blind and Print Disabled, and the Waikiki area along Kapahulu Avenue in general, including installation of up-to-date accessible pedestrian signals to improve access to the Transportation Mobility Hub: Now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind of Hawaii in convention assembled this 10th day of October, 2026, in the city and county of Honolulu, that this organization support the development of the Kapahulu Transportation Mobility Hub to serve the area identified and urge the Metropolitan Planning Organization and all other responsible agencies to continue consulting with community stakeholders, including the National Federation of the Blind of Hawaii, and we especially urge the design of the Transportation Mobility hub to be made with top priority to much improved and more convenient library access for transit riders.