[NFB-Utah] Senators Warren and Hatch Introduce New Higher Education Legislation

[Nfb Utah]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Senators Warren and Hatch Introduce New Higher Education Legislation

AIM HIGH Act Promotes Equal Access for the Blind and other Students with
Disabilities

Washington, DC (November 17, 2017): Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and
Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) have introduced the Accessible Instructional
Materials in Higher Education (AIM HIGH) Act, S. 2138.

 The legislation will authorize the creation of voluntary guidelines to
help colleges and universities meet the needs of blind students and
students with other disabilities that make it difficult or impossible to
read print. The National Federation of the Blind and other advocates
support the bill.

 The guidelines will be created by a commission made up of people with
disabilities, developers, manufacturers, and representatives from colleges
and universities. The commission will also develop a list of national and
international information technology standards as an added resource for
these institutions and the companies that serve the higher education market.

Approved Quotes for This Release“This legislation is critically important
to blind Americans and to me personally, as the father of three children,
two of whom are blind,” said Mark Riccobono, President of the National
Federation of the Blind. “We applaud Senators Hatch and Warren for taking
this step to give colleges and universities the information they need to
provide the equal education to which the blind and other students with
disabilities are entitled.”

"As new technologies enter university classrooms across the country, it's
essential that students with disabilities are able to take advantage of
these innovations and fully participate in the college experience with
their peers," Senator Warren said. "I'm glad to join Senator Hatch to
introduce this bipartisan legislation, which will help colleges select
accessible materials that allow all students to succeed."

“Since I took office, I have championed an even playing field in education
for students with disabilities,” Hatch said. “As technology has evolved, so
has the need for students with disabilities to gain access to innovative
learning materials. This bill establishes an independent commission that
will create high-quality accessibility guidelines to benefit both students
with disabilities and institutions of higher education. As a primary author
of the Americans with Disabilities Act, I’m happy to work with Senator
Warren in moving this bill through the legislative process to remove
barriers in the classroom for students with disabilities.”

Jerry Nealey
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