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Thu May 28 21:06:17 UTC 2020

read this carfully. the following is from the m w e. letter. May 28, 2020
Dear Listeners,
Many thanks to our MWE listeners and friends for the thoughtful
messages and shared information. We hope everyone is safe and well and
that you find these updates helpful.
Cheers,
Sylvia
Here are the links to the items below:
• FCC Invites Comment on Proposed Audio Description Rules
• Leading Disability Rights Groups File Amicus Brief Defending the
Affordable Care Act in Supreme Court Case
• Tips to Help People with Vision Loss Safely Practice Social Distancing
• FDA Coronavirus Q&As for Consumers
• DC Coronavirus Update
• Montgomery County Coronavirus Update
• Prince George’s County Coronavirus Update
• Virginia Coronavirus Update
• Calendar
• DC Library People and Stories/Gente y Cuentos
• Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind Virtual Workshops
• POB Low Vision Town Hall Call-in Meeting
• Playwrights on Plays
• ACB Community Events
• Arena Stage
• Molly’s Salons
• Civil Dialogues
• Virginia State Rehabilitation Council for the Blind and Vision
Impaired Quarterly Meeting
• Maryland LBPH Technology Users Group Meeting
*******************
FCC INVITES COMMENT ON PROPOSED AUDIO DESCRIPTION RULES
Comments due:  June 22, 2020
Reply comments due:  July 6, 2020
On April 23, 2020, the Commission released a Notice of Proposal
Rulemaking (NPRM) that proposes:
1. To expand the Commission’s video description regulations by phasing
in an additional 10 designated market areas each year for four years,
beginning on January 1, 2021.
2. To modernize the terminology in the Commission’s regulations to use
the term “audio description” rather than “video description.”
On May 21, 2020, the Media Bureau of the FCC released a public notice
announcing the NPRM comment due dates.
Interested parties may file comments by accessing the Electronic
Comment Filing System at https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/filings.  All
filings must reference MB Docket No. 11-43.  People with disabilities
who need assistance to file comments online at
https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/filingsmay request assistance by email to
FCC504 at fcc.gov.
News Release:
URL: https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-seeks-expand-video-description-visually-impaired-americans-0
Word: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-363941A1.docx
PDF: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-363941A1.pdf
Text: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-363941A1.txt
Links to the NPRM:
URL: https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-seeks-expand-video-description-visually-impaired-americans-0
Word: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/FCC-20-55A1.docx
PDF: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/FCC-20-55A1.pdf
Text: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/FCC-20-55A1.txt
Links to Public Notice Announcing Comment Dates:
URL: https://www.fcc.gov/document/comment-and-reply-deadlines-announced-video-description-nprm
Word: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-20-542A1.docx
PDF: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-20-542A1.pdf
Text: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-20-542A1.txt
For information about the Video Description NPRM, please contact Diana
Sokolow, Policy Division, Media Bureau, (202) 418-0588, email
Diana.Sokolow at fcc.gov.  For general information about audio
description, visit:  https://www.fcc.gov/audio-description.
Individuals who use videophones and are fluent in American Sign
Language (ASL) may call the FCC’s ASL Consumer Support Line at (844)
432-2275 (videophone).
***************************
LEADING DISABILITY RIGHTS GROUPS FILE AMICUS BRIEF DEFENDING THE
AFFORDABLE CARE ACT IN SUPREME COURT CASE

The American Association of People with Disabilities, the  Disability
Rights Education and Defense Fund, the Judge Bazelon Center for Mental
Health Law and 16 other leading disability rights organizations,
represented pro bono by law firms Dentons and Baker Hostetler,  filed
an amicus brief with the US Supreme Court highlighting the crucial
health care protections that Congress provided for people with
disabilities in the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The ACA prevented
people from being denied coverage or charged more due to pre-existing
conditions and made coverage of needed services available and
affordable to millions of people with disabilities for the first time.
In March, the Supreme Court agreed to hear the case, formerly known as
Texas v. US and now known as California v. Texas, which it will hear
in the fall.

The case involves a challenge by Texas and other states to the
constitutionality of the ACA’s “individual mandate” to have health
insurance. Texas argues that the mandate is unconstitutional and that
the entire law must be struck down.
**************************
TIPS TO HELP PEOPLE WITH VISION LOSS SAFELY PRACTICE SOCIAL DISTANCING
>From the Lighthouse Guild
https://www.lighthouseguild.org/vision-health/tips-to-help-people-with-vision-loss-safely-practice-social-distancing-during-covid-19/
***************************
FDA CORONAVIRUS Q&As FOR CONSUMERS

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is working to address the
coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak and keep you and your family
informed on the latest developments. Here are answers to some
frequently asked questions from consumers about convalescent plasma,
personal protective equipment (PPE), and medical products:
Q: What is convalescent plasma and why is it being investigated to
treat COVID-19?
A: Convalescent plasma is the liquid part of blood that is collected
from patients who have recovered from the novel coronavirus disease,
COVID-19, caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2. If you have fully recovered
from COVID-19, you may be able to help patients currently fighting the
infection by donating your plasma. Learn more about donating from this
video.
COVID-19 patients develop antibodies in the blood against the virus.
Antibodies are proteins that might help fight the infection.
Convalescent plasma is being investigated for the treatment of
COVID-19 because there is no approved treatment for this disease and
there is some information that suggests it might help some patients
recover from COVID-19. Further investigation is still necessary to
determine if convalescent plasma might shorten the duration of
illness, reduce morbidity, or prevent death associated with COVID-19.
Q. Can 3D printing be used to make PPE?
A. Personal protective equipment (PPE) includes protective clothing,
gowns, gloves, face shields, goggles, face masks, and respirators or
other equipment designed to protect the wearer from injury or the
spread of infection or illness. While it is possible to use 3D
printing to make certain PPE, there are technical challenges.
3D-printed PPE may provide a physical barrier, but 3D-printed PPE are
unlikely to provide the same fluid barrier and air filtration
protection as FDA-cleared surgical masks and N95 respirators. The CDC
has recommendations for how to optimize the supply of face masks. Find
more information in the FDA FAQs on 3D Printing of Medical Devices,
Accessories, Components, and Parts During the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Q: Who should I contact if I have questions about medical devices or
need more information?
A: Please contact the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health
(CDRH)’s Division of Industry and Consumer Education (DICE) for
general questions and information.
If you need additional information completing the diagnostic EUA
template or wish to consider use of an alternative specimen type,
please contact the Division of Microbiology Devices at (301) 348-1778
or email CDRH-EUA-Templates at fda.hhs.gov.
If you have questions about the EUA for personal respiratory
protective devices, including N95 respirators, please email
CDRH-NonDiagnosticEUA-Templates at fda.hhs.gov.
To learn more about these and other coronavirus topics, visit:
https://www.fda.gov/emergency-preparedness-and-response/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19-frequently-asked-questions?utm_campaign=FAQs%20052720&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua
**********************

DC CORONAVIRUS UPDATE
Phase One Begins on Friday, May 29th
The DC government will begin Phase One of reopening on Friday, May
29th. However, the public health emergency is still in effect and
gatherings of more than 10 people are still prohibited. The mayor’s
order and new health guidelines are at
https://coronavirus.dc.gov/phaseone
New DC Testing Locations Will Open on June 1st
• 2241 Martin Luther King Jr Avenue, SE will replace UMC testing site
with the same days and hours.
• 5th Street, NW between F and G Streets, NW is a new walk-up site.
***********************
MONTGOMERY COUNTY CORONAVIRUS UPDATE
>From County Executive Mark Elrich:
“…people are asking, “When will the County’s Stay-at-Home order be
lifted?” Although I can’t give you a definite date, I can tell you how
we’re making the decision. First and foremost, it will be in
consultation with the County’s Health Officer, Dr. Travis Gayles, and
it will be based on science, data and public health. We have placed a
COVID-19 Data Dashboard
(https://montgomerycountymd.gov/HHS/RightNav/Coronavirus-data.html) on
our COVID-19 webpage. Here you will see the criteria that we are
reviewing and monitoring, which includes testing and contact tracing
capacity. It also includes the number of new cases, the number of
deaths, hospitalizations, visits to the emergency room, patients in
the intensive care units, and the percentage of ventilators in use.
Additionally, we must collect data by race, gender, age and geographic
location so that our policies and practices are reaching the people we
need to reach. We are reviewing this information and we are talking
with our colleagues in neighboring jurisdictions. We want to get this
right, and we want to acknowledge the reality that we do not operate
in a vacuum; we have other jurisdictions around us.”
*********************
PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY CORONAVIRUS UPDATE
>From County Executive Angela Alsobrooks:
“…if current data trends continue, Prince George’s County is on track
to move toward a modified reopening by June 1. Recent data shows the
County on a downward trend in positivity rates, hospitalizations and
death rates. This is due to your commitment to following the
Stay-At-Home Order, which has helped us slow the spread of this virus
in our community.
According to County data, the week of May 3 through May 9 was the
highest number of COVID-19 hospitalizations with an average of 244
inpatients in County hospitals per day. The County began to see a
decrease starting on May 10, with last week’s average being 208
patients. For this week, to date, County hospitals are averaging 184
patients, a 25% decrease from the peak.
In addition, preliminary data of tests collected last week have a 28%
positivity rate, which is a decrease from a high of 41% the week of
April 19. Deaths have slowly decreased from a high of 72 during the
week of April 19, to 66 the week of May 3. Preliminary data from the
week of May 10 shows 59 deaths. While this is an improvement, COVID-19
continues to be the leading cause of death in the County since April,
surpassing heart disease and cancer.
So, while the downward trend of these numbers is promising, we do not
want to let our guard down now and suffer a set back just when we are
making such tremendous progress. Therefore, I urge all Prince
Georgians to exercise caution, use good judgement and observe the
Stay-at-Home Order this holiday weekend so that we can stay on track
to begin reopening by our target date. In the coming days, we will
provide further updates on the details of a potential modified phase
one reopening.”
******************************
VIRGINIA CORONAVIRUS UPDATE
Governor Northam Announces Face Covering Requirement and Workplace
Safety Regulations
Face coverings required in public settings starting Friday, May 29th
Governor Ralph Northam has signed Executive Order Sixty-Three,
requiring Virginians to wear face coverings in public indoor settings
to help contain the spread of the novel coronavirus. The Governor also
directed the Department of Labor and Industry to develop emergency
temporary standards to prevent workplace exposure to COVID-19.
Governor Northam also signed an amended Executive Order Fifty-One,
extending Virginia’s state of emergency declaration.
The new executive order supports previous actions the Governor has
taken to respond to COVID-19 in Virginia, and ensures workers and
consumers are protected as the Commonwealth gradually eases public
health restrictions. The Governor’s statewide requirement for wearing
face coverings is grounded in science and data, including
recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) that
individuals should wear face coverings in public settings. Face
coverings do not take the place of public health guidelines to
maintain six feet of physical distancing, increase cleaning and
sanitation, and wash hands regularly.
“We are making progress to contain the spread of COVID-19 and now is
not the time for Virginians to get complacent,” said Governor Northam.
“Science shows that face coverings are an effective way to prevent
transmission of the virus, but wearing them is also a sign of respect.
This is about doing the right thing to protect the people around us
and keep everyone safe, especially as we continue to slowly lift
public health restrictions in our Commonwealth.”
A face covering includes anything that covers your nose and mouth,
such as a mask, scarf, or bandana. Medical-grade masks and personal
protective equipment should be reserved for health care professionals.
Under the Governor’s executive order, any person age ten and older
must wear a mask or face covering at all times while entering,
exiting, traveling through, and spending time in the following public
settings:
• Personal care and grooming businesses
• Essential and non-essential brick and mortar retail including
grocery stores and pharmacies
• Food and beverage establishments
• Entertainment or public amusement establishments when permitted to open
• Train stations, bus stations, and on intrastate public
transportation, including in waiting or congregating areas
• State and local government buildings and areas where the public
accesses services
• Any indoor space shared by groups of people who may congregate
within six feet of one another or who are in close proximity to each
other for more than ten minutes
Exemptions to these guidelines include while eating and drinking at a
food and beverage establishment; individuals who are exercising;
children under the age of two; a person seeking to communicate with a
hearing-impaired person, for which the mouth needs to be visible; and
anyone with a health condition that keeps them from wearing a face
covering. Children over the age of two are strongly encouraged to wear
a face covering to the extent possible.
The full text of Executive Order Sixty-Three and Order of Public
Health Emergency Five is available
here.https://www.governor.virginia.gov/media/governorvirginiagov/executive-actions/EO-63-and-Order-Of-Public-Health-Emergency-Five---Requirement-To-Wear-Face-Covering-While-Inside-Buildings.pdf
The text of amended Executive Order Fifty-One is available
here.https://www.governor.virginia.gov/media/governorvirginiagov/executive-actions/EO-51-AMENDED-Declaration-of-a-State-of-Emergency-Due-to-Novel-Coronavirus-(COVID-19).pdf
*************************
CALENDAR
DC Library People and Stories/Gente y Cuentos
Wednesdays 12:00 Noon to 1:30 pm
Via Webex
The DC Public Library, in partnership with People and Stories/Gente y
Cuentos: Reading Deeply in Community, invites you to participate in a
program of reading and discussing short stories online. Through oral
readings and rigorous discussions of enduring short stories,
participants find fresh understandings of themselves, of others, and
of the world.

The discussion will be facilitated by Janice Rosen, Librarian, Center
for Accessibility, in voice and American Sign Language.

Space is limited to 10 participants each session.  If you are
interested in participating, please email Janice Rosen at
janice.rosen at dc.gov. If there is space for you, you will receive the
link to the Webex meeting room and a copy of the story to read ahead
of time.
*****************************
Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind Virtual Workshops
Reminder - CLB is offering virtual trainings for essential route
planning, independent living skills training such as meal prepping,
and community activities including their virtual Training Support
Groups. To sign up or receive more information, please email
info at clb.org.
Workshops can be accessed by phone, iPad, computer or desktop. If you
have any questions, please contact Jocelyn Hunter at jhunter at clb.org
and  Rahel Mekonnen at rmekonnen at clb.orgor call them at 240-454-3859.
*****************************
POB Low Vision Town Hall Call-In Meeting
Useful Technology on your Smartphone, Computer, and Voice Assistant
Thursday, May 28th and
Each Thursday in May from 11:00 am to 12:30 pm
Call-in Number: 301-307-2252
Moderators: Low Vision Optometrists Suleiman Alibhai, O.D. & Belinda
Weinberg, O.D.
Guests:
• Paul Burden, Amazon Alexa Voice Assistant Specialist
• Stan Gowin, Community Advocate and Support Group Facilitator
• Nitesh Rathod, POB Vision Rehabilitation Resource Specialist
Learn:
• About the accessibility features for computers and smartphones
• Which applications may be useful to you
• How voice assistants (such as Amazon Alexa and Google Home) may be
helpful for you
Submit your questions and/or topic suggestions via email to
events at youreyes.org, Questions can also be submitted by phone to (301)
951-4444
Connect with your local community to cope during these uncertain
times. Join this facilitated discussion with low vision optometrists,
your peers, and other resources from our community. All are welcome!
**********************
Playwrights on Plays
Thursday, May 28th at 7:00pm
Round House Theatre’s weekly online discussion series with Literary
Manager Gabrielle Hoyt and Round House affiliated playwrights! This
week, Mfoniso Udofia will discuss Shakespeare's Othello. To join this
LIVE virtual event on Thursday, click
herehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nD3q8UQHYEw&feature=youtu.be and
set a reminder!
All Playwrights on Plays discussions are archived on the Round House
websitehttps://www.roundhousetheatre.org/RHathome?dm_i=1WEF,6VRWG,HFB401,RMRMA,1
for you to watch anytime!
**********************
ACB Community Events
At a time when our country is in a state of social distancing, your
ACB family has opportunities for you to connect with others from the
comfort of your home.
Below you will find a schedule of ACB's upcoming conference calls so
you can stay in touch with your ACB community. To ensure the security
of our calls, link, meeting ID, and password for each meeting will not
be available on this page. To receive up-to-date info on how to join
our events, please subscribe to our ACB Community Events email list in
one of two ways:
• Fill out the subscription form:
http://acblists.org/mailman/listinfo/acb-community-events
• Send an email to: acb-community-events-subscribe at acblists.org
You will receive an email asking you to confirm your subscription by
replying to that email. This is an announce only list. Each morning,
an email will be sent out with that day’s schedule. We will only post
additional emails if there’s time sensitive information to convey. For
those without email, or who need to receive the phone, meeting ID, and
password for a given call over the phone, please reach out to ACB at
800-424-8666 or 612-345-9036.
Thursday, May 28, 2020Coffee Social: 11:00 am
Let’s get social. Join in the conversation over your favorite morning
beverage. Hosted by Cindy.
Tips and Tricks for Around the House: 3:00 pm
We’ve all come to vision loss in different ways and times in our
lives. Here’s an opportunity to ask those, “How do you do this?”
questions and share tried and true techniques with one another. Join
Elizabeth Bowden for a candid chat of sharing, and let’s help each
other make our lives a little easier in the
Easy Chair Yoga: 4:00 pm
All you need is a chair, some comfortable clothes, and no shoes and
together we can enjoy a relaxing and stress-free hour in the comfort
of our own homes. Hosted by Leslie Spoone, Certified Aerobic
Instructor and personal trainer.
Open Chat with Missouri: 5:00 pm
Let’s stay social. Join this open chat with our friends from the
Missouri Council of the Blind.
Sobriety First: 8:00 pm
This weekly meeting is for recovering alcoholics and addicts who
cannot get to a meeting near their location.
BITS Open Chat: 8:00 pm
Join ACB special-interest affiliate, Blind Information Technology
Specialists for a nightly open chat.
Friday, May 29, 2020The TGIF Zone: 11:00 am
After a long week, all we want to do is relax, vent and hang out with
friends. Join the party and let’s have some pre-weekend fun and share
some laughs. Facilitated by Tyson Ernst.
BITS Open Chat: 8:00 pm
Join ACB special-interest affiliate, Blind Information Technology
Specialists for a nightly open chat.
It’s Play Time: 9:00 pm
Meka and Cindy welcome you to join in for another fun Friday night
filled with games and laughter.
Saturday, May 30, 2020Gaming Lab 13: 2:00 pmGaming Lab 14: 4:00
pmGaming Lab 15: 6:00 pmIAC presents shopping for food online: 8:00 pm
Join the Information Access Committee for another round of shopping
online where they will walk through the Instacart and Shipt apps. You
will get all of the tips and techniques to use with these apps.
BITS Open Chat: 8:00 pm
Join ACB special-interest affiliate, Blind Information Technology
Specialists for a nightly open chat.
***************************
Arena Stage
Molly’s Salons Thursdays from 7:00 to 7:30 pm and
Civil Dialogues Mondays from 4:00 to 5:30 pm
www.arenastage.org
Molly's Salons
A weekly Salon on Thursdays from 7:00 to 7:30 pm that features artists
and leaders of Arena Stage. These half-hour-long weekly conversations
will include some of our best thinkers and creative firebrands. Molly
will sit down with a variety of artists and leaders to discuss new
ideas they are excited about and glimmers of hope for the future.
Thursday, May 28th
A Disney's Newsies Reunion. Actors from the production join Molly's Salon.
Daniel J. Maldonado, (Jack Kelly)
Erin Weaver, (Katherine Plumber)
Joe Montoya, (Crutchie)
Click here to Join
Thursday, June 4th
Stephanie Ybarra, Artistic Director, Baltimore Center Stage
Barry Edelstein, Artistic Director, The Old Globe Theatre
Mark Clements, Artistic Director, Milwaukee Repertory Theater
Click here to Join
********************
Civil Dialogues
Arena Stage hosts community conversations on Mondays from 4:00 to 5:30
pm that provide an opportunity for members of the Washington, D.C.,
community to engage in civil discourse about social and political
issues, and will demonstrate — with the goal — that people of diverse
viewpoints can have fruitful dialogues with one another.
June 22
Is China the new enemy? Confront or Cooperate?
Click here to Join
July 20
Health Care Rationing and End of Life Decisons: Who and How?
Click here to Join <
...

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