[Nfb-science] If you have ever experienced inaccessible technology in college, we need your help!

Tue Jan 14 23:38:38 UTC 2014

sorry about that... i replied to the wrong message!

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Justin Salisbury" <PRESIDENT at alumni.ecu.edu>
To: <ctabs at nfbnet.org>; <massabs at nfbnet.org>; "WisconsinAssociation of Blind 
Students List" <wabs at nfbwis.org>; <nfbwnews at nfbwis.org>; 
<ct-nfb at nfbnet.org>; <nfb-science at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, January 14, 2014 3:05 PM
Subject: [Nfb-science] If you have ever experienced inaccessible technology 
in college, we need your help!

> Dear Members,
>
> My name is Cindy Bennett. I am an NFB member and the secretary of the 
> National Association of Blind Students (NABS).
>
> NABS is excited to help with the recently introduced Technology, 
> Education, and Accessibility in College and Higher Education (TEACH) act. 
> I am currently working with Lauren McLarney, a Government Affairs 
> Specialist for the National Federation of the Blind, to collect stories 
> about blind student's experiences with higher education. We are contacting 
> you because we want stories from constituents living in every 
> congressional district in the U.S., and we can only do this with your 
> help! Our current push for stories is so they can be used during 
> Washington Seminar, so we need them by Wednesday, January 22!
>
> In summary, the TEACH Act will create accessibility guidelines for 
> electronic instructional materials and related information technologies 
> used by institutions of higher education. The TEACH Act will provide 
> guidelines for manufacturers of educational technology and clarity for 
> institutions of higher education to ensure that materials are usable by 
> all students. Earlier this year, Congressman Tom Petri (R-WI) introduced 
> the TEACH Act (H.R. 3505). Click here to learn more about the TEACH Act.
> https://nfb.org/images/nfb/documents/word/2013%20teach%20fact%20sheet.doc.
>
> Now that the bill has been introduced, we need to get it passed! And 
> that's where you come in!
>
> We need stories from current and recent students who are and have been 
> affected by the lack of accessibility in the classroom, whether it be 
> through inaccessible software, lack of materials, or late or inadequate 
> accessible materials. Be sure to include a sentence of how accessibility 
> guidelines would/would have helped you.
>
> Compose your paragraph-long story and send it to me at clb5590 at gmail.com 
> by Wednesday, January 22. Please include the school you attend/attended, 
> and any congressional districts that you live in.
> for example, if your permanent address is in a different congressional 
> district from the district in which you go to school, list both. If you do 
> not know this information, you can look it up here.
> http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/
> There is a simple edit field where you can enter your zip code. On the 
> next page, your zip code and the number district in which you reside are 
> listed like this.
>
> Zip code: 98121
> is located in the 7th Congressional district of Washington.
>
> The second way you can help is by reinforcing the appointments Lauren and 
> other NFB members have with congress. If someone has an appointment with 
> your congressperson, I will contact you with the date of the appointment, 
> and you can call your congressperson's office and tell your story. This 
> will show your congressperson that one of their constituents is directly 
> affected by inadequate accessibility and needs the TEACH Act. This part is 
> very important as members of congress work for their constituents!
>
> Of course, you do not have to wait for someone to have an appointment with 
> your representative or senators; we encourage you to go ahead and contact 
> them on your own!
>
> Please pass this announcement on to all of the blind current and recent 
> students that you know!
>
> Finally, please feel free to contact me or Lauren McLarney with any 
> questions. you can reach me at clb5590 at gmail.com, and Lauren at 
> LMcLarney at nfb.org.
>
> We look forward to receiving your stories!
>
> Cindy Bennett and Lauren McLarney
>
>
> --
> Cindy Bennett
> Secretary: National Association of Blind Students
>
> B.A. Psychology, UNC Wilmington
> clb5590 at gmail.com
>
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