November 16, 2005 Over one hundred thousand blind and visually impaired Americans rely on benefits from the Social Security Administration ("SSA") to meet their basic needs. They are among the 48 million Americans who receive benefits from the Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance ("OASDI") program based on an earnings history, and the seven million Americans who receive Supplemental Security Income ("SSI") based on financial need and either age, blindness, or other disabilities. Despite the obvious and critical importance of these benefits, SSA regularly communicates with blind and visually impaired persons in standard print format, which they cannot read. SSA regularly suspends the benefits of blind and visually impaired recipients for failing to comply with requirements set forth in standard print documents that they cannot read and for failing to return printed forms that they cannot complete. As a result, many have suffered extreme financial and personal hardship.