[NationalHarbor] Sunday Zoom and Tuesday Call special Meeting January 16 and @7:30pm, January 18 @ 4pm- 5 pm

[Amber Woods]

Also available as backup, the free conference call will be able to hear the
Sunday meeting at 7:30 pm
805-706-5069.

On Fri, Jan 14, 2022 at 12:25 PM Amber Woods <woodsamber83 at gmail.com> wrote:

>
> Dear National Harbor Chapter Members and Friends,
>
>
>
> Join Us this Sunday for Zoom meeting January 16, 2022 to hear From Special
> Speaker Sharon Maneki, Director of Legislation and Advocacy
>
> If you intend to participate in our Week in Annapolis, January 20 through
> January 27, please come to a meeting at 7:30 pm on Sunday, January 16 so
> that we can discuss our two issues. We will meet on Zoom.
>
> Join Zoom Meeting
>
>
>
> https://zoom.us/j/6248138327?pwd=eTZlYUgwR3ZQVVl1dXBLSHcrbml1QT09
>
> Meeting ID: 624 813 8327
>
> Passcode: 63263
>
> One tap mobile
>
> +13017158592,,6248138327# US (Washington D.C)
>
> On Tuesday January 18, 2022 we will have Sharon Maneki again to answer
>  questions about the two issues and how to get involved.
>
> For more details, contact Sharon Maneki, Director of Legislation and
> Advocacy
>
> National Federation of the Blind of Maryland
>
> Phone: 410-715-9596
>
> Email: nfbmdsm at gmail.com
>
> Fact Sheet:
>
> Below is the fact sheet for our first issue. read and come to the meeting
> with questions. Thanks for your participation. Let's make nonvisual access
> a reality in Maryland.
>
>   The Accountability Act for Accessible K-12 Education for Students with
> Disabilities
>
> Date:               January 2022
>
> THE PROBLEM
>
> Blind students in grades K-12 cannot access their educational content
> because local school systems use inaccessible instructional technologies.
> Although federal and state laws  require the accessibility of information
> and communication technology (ICT), digital content  and services such as
> educational apps and websites, local school systems and the Maryland State
> Department of Education (MSDE) have not enforced the requirement for
> developers to ensure accessibility before purchasing and implementing
> technologies and have not prohibited staff members from using inaccessible
> materials that they find on their own. Local school systems and MSDE have
> no accountability for accessibility. Consequently, blind students are
> denied the opportunity to fully participate in their education.
>
>
>
> PROPOSED ACTION
>
> The Maryland General Assembly should enact legislation that provides
> accountability for accessibility by both local school systems and the MSDE.
> This legislation must include procurement procedures that force local
> school systems to comply with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. There
> should be a penalty for non-compliance by developers. The MSDE must
> annually publicize the record of accessibility compliance by all
> jurisdictions on its website. The need for action is urgent. Barriers to
> full participation in education that blind students face must be eliminated.
>
> BACKGROUND
>
> Blind students encounter accessibility problems whether their instruction
> is in-person or virtual. Accessibility problems are exacerbated during this
> pandemic because of the need to shift between in- person instruction  and
> virtual instruction. The trend in K-12 education today is to make greater
> use of computers and interactive instructional technologies. Students are
> expected to use technology to access digital content, complete and submit
> their homework, participate in class discussions, complete pop quizzes and
> tests, or check their grades. Blind students can no longer perform these
> tasks independently when instructional technologies are inaccessible. In
> other words, inaccessible technologies shut blind students out of their
> education. Additionally, blind parents and blind teachers cannot help
> students who must use these technologies. Federal laws such as the
> Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
> have required elementary and secondary schools to use accessible ICT to
> provide students with disabilities full and equal access to programs. Since
> 2002, Maryland law has also required that online instruction must be
> accessible to students with disabilities. Since these laws have existed for
> decades, why does this problem remain?
>
> Screen access software makes electronic information accessible by
> rendering information in either a text-to-speech, magnified, or refreshable
> Braille format. These screen access devices will work only if websites,
> document formats, or other hardware and software are designed and coded to
> accommodate nonvisual access. The methods for nonvisual access are well
> known and well documented. The first publicly available accessibility
> guidelines were published in 1995 and have been updated periodically. These
> guidelines have been incorporated into Section 508 requirements of the
> Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The law requires accessibility, and developers
> already know how to provide accessibility. What is missing is
> accountability and enforcement.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> BENEFITS OF THE PROPOSED LEGISLATION
>
> 1.       By ensuring accountability, the proposed legislation will
> prevent local school systems and the MSDE  from overlooking or ignoring
> accessibility requirements. This legislation will require local school
> systems to establish a process to evaluate the accessibility of ICT and
> digital content that it is considering for purchase. A local school  system
> employee, knowledgeable in accessibility and the web content accessibility
> guidelines must be involved in this evaluation. When selecting the product,
> the local school system shall “prioritize the available product that best
> meets the specifications and has the greatest functionality for
> accessibility standards for students with disabilities, including
> blindness”. The legislation will also close and accessibility loophole by
> also requiring teacher prepared material to be accessible.
>
>
>
> The proposed legislation strengthens the role of MSDE in monitoring the
> compliance of accessibility in the local school systems. The legislation
> will require the MSDE to annually publish the progress of all local school
> systems concerning accessibility on its website. Making this information
> publicly available demonstrates that accessibility is a priority for the
> MSDE. Publishing this information on the website is also a valuable
> accountability tool because it allows the public to demand explanations.
>
>
>
> 2.     The proposed legislation introduces vendor accountability at the
> beginning of the procurement process. Local school systems will be required
> to include in a procurement contract, for ICT or digital content, an
> indemnification clause making the vendor liable if the product does not
> meet the accessibility standards. The legislation clearly informs the
> vendor of accessibility requirements by getting the vendors attention in
> the request for  proposals or bids.
>
> In this legislation, the local school system must require the vendor to
> provide specific information of how the vendor intends to achieve
> accessibility in the product or software. For instance, the legislation
> will stipulate that  “Beginning on September 1, 2023, an invitation for
> bids or request for proposals for a digital tool issued by the State or
> County board shall require a vendor to submit an accessibility conformance
> report” or Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT). The VPAT  is a
> document that explains how ICT products such as software, hardware,
> electronic content, and support documentation meet (conform to) the Revised
> Section 508 Standards for ICT accessibility. Vendors are familiar with
> VPATs since they are already required by many federal government entities.
> Accessibility is less expensive and more effective if it is designed during
> the initial development of ICT. Thus, requiring an  Accessibility
> Conformance Report or VPAT will help the developers in the long run.
>
>
>
> 3.     The proposed legislation enhances vendor accountability for
> accessibility by creating consequences. Currently, a vendor has no
> incentive to comply with procurement accessibility requirements.
> Strengthening the procurement law by providing for vendor penalties will
> demonstrate the importance of the requirement to the vendor. Charging any
> vendor to remediate the product so it contains nonvisual access components
> will also save money for the local school systems. The proposed legislation
> states that local school systems shall notify vendors of any access
> barriers found upon a determination within eighteen months from procurement
> or latest upgrade. The vendor will be required to remediate said barriers
> at its own expense. Should that vendor fail to remediate the access barrier
> within twelve months from the date of notice, a civil penalty shall be
> applied. For the first offense, the fine shall not exceed $5,000. For a
> subsequent offense, the fine shall not exceed $10,000. No vendor should
> object to this requirement because it has a year to fix the problem before
> any penalty is invoked. The vendor shall indemnify the local school system
> for liability resulting from the use of information technology that does
> not meet the nonvisual access standards. In the long run, such a penalty
> will allow full accountability and enforcement of the contract while saving
> local school systems money.
>
>
>
> 4.     Precedent for a civil penalty against vendors for noncompliance
> with accessibility laws already exists in Maryland with the enactment of
> HB1088/SB286 in 2018.    Assessing a civil penalty on vendors for
> noncompliance with accessibility requirements has not had a detrimental
> effect on other agencies in the executive branch of government.   The
> legislature should demand the same accountability for accessible education
> that it demands from the rest of the executive branch.
>
>
>
> CONCLUSION
>
> The use of inaccessible ICT and digital content by local school systems
> has denied full and equal participation to blind students in K-12
> education. Although accessibility to ICT is required by state and federal
> laws, it does not occur because there is no accountability or enforcement
> by local school systems and the MSDE. There are no consequences for vendors
> who fail to deliver accessible ICT. The proposed legislation will reduce
> accessibility barriers by establishing methods of enforcement and
> accountability. Blind students deserve the same opportunities for full
> participation in education that are afforded to non-disabled students. This
> legislation will fulfill the demand that accessibility must become a
> reality. If blind students have the opportunity to obtain a quality
> education, they will be able to become successful taxpayers and productive
> members of society.
>
> Below is the second issue for Annapolis.
>
>    Appropriation for the Center of Excellence in Nonvisual Access (CENA)
>
>                             to Education, Public Information, and Commerce
>
>
>
> Proposed Action: The Maryland General Assembly should keep the $250,000
> appropriation in the Governor’s Budget for the CENA to Education, Public
> Information, and Commerce.
>
> Background: In 2014, the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) founded
> the NFB Center of Excellence in Nonvisual Access (CENA). The CENA is a
> center of expertise, best practices, and resources that enables business,
> government, and educational institutions to more effectively provide
> accessible information and services to blind citizens. The State of
> Maryland, through the Maryland Department of Disabilities (MDOD), partners
> with the CENA to support a series of projects under the Nonvisual
> Accessibility Initiative (NVAI) maintaining the State of Maryland as an
> ongoing leader in nonvisual accessibility.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> The public-private partnership between the NFB CENA and MDOD (CENA/MDOD)
> has improved the standard of accessibility throughout the state, and
> through the development and implementation of a variety of projects within
> the following six focus areas, we will continue to build a more accessible
> Maryland.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> I.                    Enhancing Access to Education Technology and
> Strategies
>
>
>
> Inaccessible instructional materials prevent blind and low-vision students
> from accessing the fundamental tools of education, leaving them woefully
> unprepared for their futures. The problem with the lack of accessibility to
> education technology has been exacerbated during the COVID crisis and
> created significant problems in the provision of effective virtual
> instruction to Maryland’s blind and low-vision students. Under the NVAI the
> CENA/MDOD has worked diligently to identify accessible education
> technology, while seeking to work with developers to make other education
> technologies nonvisually accessible. In the coming year, through the NVAI,
> the NFB will continue to address the lack of accessible education
> technology, digital publications, and instructional materials by conducting
> trainings on tools, strategies, and best practices in the creation and
> dissemination of tools that are “born accessible.”
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> II.                   Enhance Access to Employment-Related Tools and
> Services
>
>
>
> The unemployment/underemployment rate for blind people in this country
> continues to exceed 70 percent, and the need to utilize more online,
> digital, and virtual means of providing employment services and supports
> has created both problems and opportunities. Under the NVAI, the CENA/MDOD
> will continue to work in coordination with the Maryland state Department of
> Labor and Division of Rehabilitation Services to develop and implement the
> training and tools that will enhance access to the network of employment
> systems and services available through the American Job Centers. In
> addition, the NFB will conduct outreach to employers in an effort to
> provide them with the training and support required to eliminate the
> employment barriers faced by blind and low-vision Maryland citizens.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> III.                 Offering Accessibility Boutiques and Other Training
> Seminars
>
>
>
> Accessibility Boutiques are one- to two-hour basic overviews/trainings
> designed to create public awareness about accessible software, products,
> services, and strategies. Quarterly Trainings are half-day trainings that
> offer a more substantive training experience to the participants and
> address major issues related to nonvisual accessibility. The CENA/MDOD will
> continue to offer Accessibility Boutiques and Quarterly Trainings, at no
> cost to Maryland citizens, on topics that assist both laymen and
> professionals to remain knowledgeable of the evolving tools, strategies,
> and best practices to build a more accessible Maryland.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> IV.                Maintaining the Accessibility Switchboard and Community
> of Practice
>
>
>
> The NFB will continue to develop and market the Accessibility Switchboard,
> a dynamic online portal consisting of an accessibility information resource
> for consumers and a compliance information portal for organizations. This
> work will be informed by the Accessibility Community of Practice, a
> volunteer group of accessibility experts from educational institutions,
> corporations, and the public sector.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> V.                  Assisting with the Integration of Smart Technologies
> for Accessible Cities
>
>
>
> The development and implementation of accessible, safe, affordable,
> efficient transportation allows blind and low-vision Maryland citizens to
> independently travel throughout their communities. In addition, emerging
> nonvisual access navigation or wayfinding technologies facilitate
> independent access to a variety of public and commercial venues, including
> college campuses, public and commercial buildings, and other environments.
> In order to promote the integration of innovative technologies and
> strategies toward the creation of accessible cities, the CENA/MDOD will
> continue to participate in meetings and establish partnerships with
> technology developers and city planners in the evaluation and
> implementation of various transportation and wayfinding strategies. Our
> active involvement will assist in the integration of accessibility features
> throughout public spaces that are seamless and esthetically pleasing.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> VI.                Coordinating the Accessibility Inclusion Fellowship
> Program
>
>
>
> The “Final Report of the Study on Accessibility Concepts in Computer
> Science, Information Systems and Information Technology Programs in Higher
> Education” recommended that three annual fellowships be awarded to help
> instructors begin to include accessibility concepts contained within the
> minimum areas of instruction in at least one course offering in their
> institution. The CENA/MDOD has offered these fellowships for three years,
> and will continue to recruit and support an additional cohort in the coming
> year.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Conclusion
>
> Access to information remains one of the greatest barriers faced by blind
> persons. The public-private partnership between the NFB CENA and MDOD
> (CENA/MDOD) has proven to be an effective method of removing these barriers
> by providing information about best practices and developing innovative
> techniques for achieving nonvisual access. The Maryland General Assembly
> should allow this state-of-the-art program to continue by approving the
> $250,000 appropriation in the Governor’s Budget under the Maryland
> Department of Disabilities.
>
>
>
> Sharon Maneki, Director of Legislation and Advocacy
>
> National Federation of the Blind of Maryland
>
> 410-715-9596
>
> nfbmdsm at gmail.com <nfbmdsm at gmail.xom>
>
>
>
> Hope you can join us,
>
> Amber Woods
>
> President
>
> National Harbor Chapter
>
> National Federation of the Blind of Maryland
>
> 301-978-6686
>
>
>
> The National Federation of the Blind of Maryland knows that blindness is
> not the characteristic that defines you or your future. Everyday we raise
> the expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles
> between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want;
> blindness is not what holds you back.
>
>
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