[nabs-l] Fwd: Providing Public Comments about Accessible Instructional Materials & Feb 24 2011 Public Hearing

Thu Feb 17 17:38:44 UTC 2011

Read the message below, and consider providing your input.

...Gabe

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Mike Vandervoort <vandervoort at sbcglobal.net>
Date: Thu, 17 Feb 2011 11:28:27 -0600
Subject: Providing Public Comments about Accessible Instructional
Materials & Feb 24 2011 Public Hearing
To: Linda Grant <Linda.Grant at cisco.edu>, Richie Flores
<flores.richie at gmail.com>, Steve Tompkins <stompkins at nfb-texas.org>,
Gabriel Cazares <gcazares10 at gmail.com>, Juan Carlos Munoz
<blinddrummer1989 at hotmail.com>, Kathy Turner
<Kathy.Turner at workforcesystem.org>
Cc: Marilyn Monroe <mmonroe at nfb-texas.org>, Mary Kindrick
<mkindrick at sbcglobal.net>, Robert Vandervoort
<rvandervoort79 at sbcglobal.net>

If you would, please respond to the enclosed invitation and also forward
this info to anyone wishing to provide public comment regarding accessible
instructional materials in a post-secondary education institute (yes, all of
you college folks J ! )

Now is the time to tell the federal government your experience and what you
think might improve matters.  You can either send in your comments or ask to
be part of a telephone testimony session on February 24.  Please read the
following for more information.

Regardless of how you may choose to participate, please send in your
comments by email to AIMCommission at ed.gov. !  If things are going to get any
better for those who are blind or suffer other print disabilities, the more
people expressing themselves about the problems and providing possible
solutions, the better.  NOW IS THE TIME TO SOMETHING!!!

Thank you,

Mike Vandervoort

Abilene, Texas

325-513-9552

Member, Abilene Disability Awareness Committee

Board Member, National Federation of the Blind of Texas, Abilene Chapter

Owner/Operator of Vandervoort's Vending (a Randolph Sheppard Program
Operation)

==========================================================================

Commission Meeting February 24-25, 2011

Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront Hotel

225 East Coastline Drive, Jacksonville, Florida 32202

Date: February 24 & 25, 2011,    Room: Board Room 4

Commission Meeting and Public Hearing Internet Access

The Commission meetings will be broadcast live via iLinc webinar on
Thursday, February 24 (8:30 AM - 3:30 PM) and Friday February 25 (8:30 AM -
4:00 PM) and the Public Hearing on Thursday, February 24 (4:30 PM - 9:00
PM); all times Eastern .  Webinar login information is noted below:

The Commission strongly recommends that remote attendees perform a systems
and audio test when first logging in  at least 15 minutes prior to the
scheduled meeting time. The links below will be available 30 minutes prior
to the start of each meeting.

For internet audio, you will need either computer speakers or headphones to
hear the proceedings. The Audio Wizard sets the volume for your speakers and
microphone and configures your computer to use audio correctly. This ensures
that you will be able to hear participants during the meetings. The Audio
Wizard pops up automatically after you first install the iLinc Client. You
can also run the Audio Wizard anytime you encounter audio problems during a
session by going to Menu bar >Tools > Audio Wizard.  Please note that all
public meeting attendees will be muted throughout the meeting period.

Meeting log-in information:

Thursday, February 24 (8:30 AM - 3:30 PM):
https://aimpsc.ilinc.com/join/rrrmxwh

Day 1 of the third meeting of the Advisory Commission on Accessible
Instructional Materials in Postsecondary Education for Students with
Disabilities

Thursday, February 24 (4:30 PM - 9:00 PM):
https://aimpsc.ilinc.com/join/yvyhyrz

Public Hearing of the third meeting of the Advisory Commission on Accessible
Instructional Materials in Postsecondary Education for Students with
Disabilities

Friday, February 25 (8:30 AM - 4:00 PM):
https://aimpsc.ilinc.com/join/rrrmrvz

Day 2 of the third meeting of the Advisory Commission on Accessible
Instructional Materials in Postsecondary Education for Students with
Disabilities

Purpose of February 24th Public Hearing

The purpose of the public hearing is for the Commission to receive
information from its stakeholders on issues pertaining to accessible
instructional materials in postsecondary education. The public hearing
session will address issues related to law, technology, the market model,
and low-incidence/high-cost materials. Additionally, the public hearing will
focus on individual experiences related to accessible instructional
materials in postsecondary education.

Process for Public Testimony

Participants who wish to comment at the public hearing should register in
advance by calling Janet Gronneberg at CAST at 781-245-2212 (voice) or
781-245-9320 (TTY) or jgronneberg at cast.org by 5:00 PM EST February 18, 2011.

When pre-registering, please provide the following information: Name,
organizational affiliation, title, email address and phone number,
additionally, please indicate whether you plan to offer comments in person
or remotely. If you intend to testify by telephone, please provide us with a
phone number where you can be reached between 4:30 and 9:00 PM on Feb. 24th.
See the guidelines below for specific information regarding in-person and
remote testimony.

Please note that the Commission is eager to hear from the public and has
scheduled time at each of the upcoming Commission meetings for public
comment. Priority will be given in the following order to those wishing to
testify:

In-person testimony, pre-registered

Remote testimony, pre-registered

Walk-in, unregistered

NOTE: if the number of registrations for in-person on-site testimony reaches
the maximum number of testimony periods available (approximately 22), the
option for both remote and walk-in testimony will be withdrawn. Individuals
who have pre-registered for remote testimony by 5:00 PM EST February 18,
2011 will be notified no later than 5:00 PM EST Tuesday, February 23, 2011
if remote testimony periods are no longer available.

As noted in the Federal Register notice February 9, 2011 (Volume 76, Number
27), Members of the public who would like to offer comments may submit
written comments to  AIMCommission at ed.gov or by mail to Advisory Commission
on Accessible Instructional Materials in Postsecondary Education for
Students with Disabilities, 550 12th St., SW., Room PCP-5113, Washington, DC
20202.

Public Testimony Guidelines

Comments will be limited to five minutes per person or
organization, but participants have the option of supplementing their
testimony with written statements that will be part of the official
public record.

The Commission requests that organizations with multiple participants
designate no more than one individual to speak on its behalf.

The Commission strongly encourages participants to submit their comments
electronically in advance of the public hearing to
jgronneberg at cast.org. If
PowerPoint slides will be used during testimony they MUST be submitted to
jgronneberg at cast.org by
February 21, 2011.

In-person testimony, pre-registered

Participants who register by February 18, 2011 should
report to the hearing registration desk at Board Room 4, Hyatt Regency
Jacksonville Riverfront at 4:00 PM on Thursday, February 24, 2011. Each
five-minute testimony will be scheduled on a first-come, first-serve
basis beginning at 4:30 PM.

Remote testimony, pre-registered

Members of the public may offer a five-minute testimony
remotely via telephone for any available testimony period on February 24.
Participants wishing to testify remotely must pre-register by calling
Janet Gronneberg at CAST at 781-245-2212 (voice) or 781-245-9320 (TTY) or
emailing jgronneberg at cast.org
by 5:00 PM EST February 18, 2011. Remote testimony requests will be
placed in the testimony queue in the order of pre-registration received.

Following the scheduling of pre-registered individuals on-site on
February 24, 2011, pre-registered individuals wishing to testify remotely
will be notified by telephone and email beginning at 4:30 PM of their
assigned testimony time period, and to be available within a 30-minute
window.

Confirmation of an available time slot will be sent via email and voice
to the contact email address and telephone number provided during
pre-registration.

Walk-in, unregistered

A period of time will be reserved for individuals who
choose to not register in advance. A sign-up sheet will be available at
the hotel (Board Room 4). Participation in the hearing for unregistered
participants will be subject to availability.

Additional Information

Individuals who will need accommodations for a disability
in order to attend the public hearing (e.g., interpreting services,
assistive listening devices, or material in alternative format) should
notify Elizabeth Shook at (202) 245-7642, or Mary O'Malley
momalley at cast.org no later than
February 18, 2011. We will make every attempt to meet requests for
accommodations after this date, but cannot guarantee their availability.
The meeting site is accessible to individuals with disabilities.

-- 
Gabriel M. Cazares,
2nd Vice President
Texas Association of Blind Students (TABS)
www.nfb-texas.org/tabs.html
Phone: 713-581-0619
"Of course, loyalty to one's friends is an important principle. But so
is writing what you believe--otherwise, why bother to write at
all?"-Arianna Huffington