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<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite="">Date: Tue, 13 Jul 2010 16:17:18
-0800<br>
From: Haben Girma <habnkid@aol.com><br>
To: David Andrews <dandrews@visi.com><br>
Subject: Your Support for Assistive Technology<br><br>
David, would you forward this to the lists please? <br>
<br>
On June 30, 2010, the House Subcommittee on Communications, Technology
and the Internet made an important and commendable move to advance the
21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (H.R. 3101) a
step ahead. The bill is aimed at making Internet, telephone and other
types of communication accessible to people with disabilities. We are
grateful to the House for this on behalf of Americans who struggle
everyday to participate in American society because of their
disabilities. But we are extremely disappointed that the voices of
America's un-served and small population of persons with deaf-blindness
were ignored by the House when Section 105B of H.R. 3101 was
removed.<br>
If Congress wants to ensure equal access to 21st century communications
for all Americans, then Section 105(B) should be restored because without
funding for technology development, training, and distribution, Americans
who are deaf-blind will simply have to be left behind and further
isolated. Equal access to communications technology cannot happen without
access to special equipment for people who are deaf-blind. But the
technology they use is extremely expensive, and because they cannot
afford it the assistive technology industry decided to ignore them, while
the rest of Americans benefit from better and more advanced communication
technologies they can afford that enable them to participate in the
workplace and nearly all other aspects of American life. Many of the same
technologies may also benefit visually impaired and blind Americans, in
particular older Americans and blinded veterans who served our nation --
it is a great way to reward our visually impaired and blind service
members. That is why we need Section 105(B) restored -- we want to
include, not exclude, deaf-blind Americans in H.R. 3101 so that the
quality of life for all Americans improves and deaf-blind people live
independent and productive lives and contribute to American society. But
all Americans, including members of Congress, will benefit from better
communication with their friends, colleagues, and fellow Americans who
are deaf-blind.<br><br>
Please follow this link to sign an online petition that will send letters
to your congressional representatives.
<a href="http://www.petition2congress.com/2/3378/lend-your-voice-to-support-americas-forgotten-community/">
http://www.petition2congress.com/2/3378/lend-your-voice-to-support-americas-forgotten-community/</a>
<br><br>
Thank you!<br><br>
DeafBlind Young Adults in Action<br>
American Association of the DeafBlind<br><br>
<br>
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The message was checked by ESET Smart Security.<br><br>
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</x-tab>David
Andrews: dandrews@visi.com<br>
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