[nabs-l] National Federation of the Blind Defends Rights ofBlind Students

[Rob Blachowicz]

If you were at the convention Blackboard was there.
They say that they are commited to full accessibility.  The problem is many 
colleges do not have the new blackboard and of corse improvements can always 
be made .
Rob


--------------------------------------------------
From: "autTeal Bloodwortho" <tealbloodworth at gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, August 10, 2010 8:18 PM
To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list" 
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] National Federation of the Blind Defends Rights 
ofBlind Students

> hello list
>
> This is a big step since colleges are requiring these devices but does 
> this include online courses? Is blackboard fully accessible for screen 
> readers?
>
>        -Teal
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Freeh,Jessica (by way of David Andrews <dandrews at visi.com>)" 
> <JFreeh at nfb.org>
> To: <david.andrews at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, August 10, 2010 2:42 AM
> Subject: [nabs-l] National Federation of the Blind Defends Rights of Blind 
> Students
>
>
> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
>
>
>
> CONTACT:
>
> Chris Danielsen
>
> Director of Public Relations
>
> National Federation of the Blind
>
> (410) 659-9314, extension 2330
>
> (410) 262-1281 (Cell)
>
> <mailto:cdanielsen at nfb.org>cdanielsen at nfb.org
>
>
>
>
>
> National Federation of the Blind Defends Rights of Blind Students
>
>
>
>
>
> Calls for Equal Access to Information and Technology in America's 
> Universities
>
>
>
> Baltimore, Maryland (August 9, 2010): The
> National Federation of the Blind (NFB) responded
> today to recent attacks on the right of blind
> students to have equal access to technologies
> used by America's universities and to the
> textbooks and course materials offered by
> institutions of higher learning.  The NFB and the
> United States Department of Justice, Civil Rights
> Division, have come under attack in recent days
> for reaching settlements with universities
> requiring that the universities refrain from
> purchasing any e-book technology that is not fully accessible to the 
> blind.
>
>
>
> Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National
> Federation of the Blind, said: "Blind students
> must have access to the same textbooks and course
> materials and the same technology to read them as
> all other students.  This is not only a matter of
> fairness to blind students but a requirement of
> federal law.  For this reason, we applaud the
> United States Department of Justice, acting at
> our request and pursuant to its mandate to
> enforce this nation's disability rights laws, for
> reaching landmark settlements with colleges and
> universities ensuring that e-book technologies
> deployed by these institutions will be accessible
> to all their students.  With the announcement of
> a new accessible Amazon Kindle, the recent
> introduction of the Apple iPad, and the promise
> of future accessible e-book products­many of
> which would not have been made accessible without
> our advocacy efforts­colleges and universities
> will find it increasingly easy to procure e-book
> technology that benefits everyone.  These
> settlements benefit not only blind students, who
> will now have access to the same books at the
> same time and at the same price as their sighted
> peers, but also institutions of higher learning,
> which will no longer incur the administrative
> burden of producing or procuring accessible books
> through separate and inferior methods.  To the
> extent that inaccessible e-book technology
> remains a barrier to the equal education of the
> blind, however, the National Federation of the
> Blind will continue to fight for the educational
> and legal rights of blind students, and we will
> not hesitate to call upon the Department of
> Justice and other government authorities to
> assist us in doing so when necessary."
>
>
>
>
>
> ###
>
>
>
> About the National Federation of the Blind
>
> With more than 50,000 members, the National
> Federation of the Blind is the largest and most
> influential membership organization of blind
> people in the <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns =
> "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"
> />United States.  The NFB improves blind people's
> lives through advocacy, education, research,
> technology, and programs encouraging independence
> and self-confidence.  It is the leading force in
> the blindness field today and the voice of the
> nation's blind.  In January 2004 the NFB opened
> the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan
> Institute, the first research and training center
> in the United States for the blind led by the blind.
>
>
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