[humanser] Need help with Ongoing Advocacy with Accessible Instructional Materials in Higher Education Act ; Resources to Help

[Sarah Meyer]

Hi everyone,
I am writing to you to ask, maybe even beg, for your help in joining
the advocacy efforts of the NFB with addressing the current issues of
lack of consistent access to instructional materials in higher
education for blind and otherwise print-disabled students. These
barriers affect us in the human services field in the class room, in
practicum, in internship, and in the process of seeking licensure.
Technology has the capacity to level the playing field, yet because it
is constantly changing and there are know current guidelines for
manufacturers or for institutions of higher education in their
selection process, blind students are bearing the burden and falling
behind.  This is not fair, and it isn’t right.  We need to be asking
Congress to establish a purpose-based commission that would bring
together stakeholders from the manufacturers, the universities, and
the disability community to brainstorm and come up with guidelines
that universities could then voluntarily (emphasis on voluntarily)
adopt and thus have a safe harbor from litigation, which right now is
the only option that students have for addressing these issues.  It
would also start to stimulate the market and show people that
including accessibility from the beginning and not as an afterthought
is the most cost effective approach for all.

We need your help.  If you are a student, have been a student and have
faced some of these issues, or know students who face these obstacles
and want to advocate (Please, we need you), then check out the
following websites and call or write to your legislators.  I am
attaching the fact sheet on the Access to Instructional Materials in
Higher Education Act (AIM HE – supposed to be pronounced “Aim High”),
and I am attaching a few sample letters to give you some ideas of how
or what to write.  Please make them personal to you and let me know if
I can help. I am actually considering writing a second letter now that
I have encountered significant accessibility issues in my practicum
clinic.

Find your House Representative:
http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/
This website is great because it will help you know what congressional
distrect you are in if you don’t know, it will tell you what
committees your reps serve on (which is helpful to know where to put
some extra pressure for certain issues), and gives you their contact
info, all based on your zip code.

Common Cause (Will show you your state senators, House
Representatives, and in-state Representatives); just enter your
address information):
http://act.commoncause.org/site/PageServer?pagename=sunlight_advocacy_list_page

Please let me know if you have questions or concerns, and thank you in
advance for your advocacy.  Our members of Congress, both Senators and
Representatives, need to hear from us!

Best wishes,

Sarah

-- 
Sarah K. Meyer
Graduate Student, Clinical Mental Health Counseling/Social Psychology
Ball State University
Board Member, National Federation of the Blind Human Services Division
Board Member, National Federation of the Blind of Indiana State Affiliate
sarah.meyer55 at gmail.com
(317)402-6632

The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the
characteristic that defines you or your future. You can live the life
you want; blindness is not what holds you back. Together with love,
hope, and determination, we transform dreams into reality.
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