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<DIV dir=ltr class=OutlookMessageHeader align=left><FONT size=2
face=Tahoma>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> Freeh, Jessica
[mailto:JFreeh@nfb.org]<BR><B>Sent:</B> Friday, March 26, 2010 8:11
AM<BR><B>To:</B> Alpidio Rolon; Amy Buresh; Angela Wolf; Anil Lewis; Art
Schreiber; Beth Rival; Bill Packee; Bob Kresmer; Carl Jacobsen; Cathy Jackson;
Charlene Smyth; Christine G. Hall; Dan Hicks; Daniel Burke; Don Galloway; Donna
Wood; Elsie Lamp; Frank Lee; Franklin Shiner; Fred Schroeder; Gary Ray; Gary
Wunder; J.W. Smith; James Antonacci; Jennelle Bichler; Jennifer Dunnam; Joe
Ruffalo; John Batron; John Fritz; Joyce Scanlan; Ken Rollman; Kevan Worley; Kim
Williams; Larry Posont; Lynn Majewski; Marie Johnson; Mary Willows; Matt Lyles;
Matt Lyles; Melissa Riccobono; Michael Barber; Michael Freeman; Mika Pyyhkala;
Nani Fife; Pam Allen; Parnell Diggs; Patti Chang; Rena Smith; Richard Gaffney;
Ron Brown; Ron Gardner; Sam Gleese; Scott LaBarre; Selena
Sundling-Crawford<BR><B>Subject:</B> National Federation of the Blind and
Blackboard to Demonstrate New Accessibility Features at
CSUN<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=4>FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></B></DIV>
<DIV>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><o:p><FONT size=5
face=Helvetica> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">CONTACT:<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><st1:PersonName w:st="on"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Chris
Danielsen</SPAN></st1:PersonName><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Director of Public
Relations<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">National Federation of the
Blind<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">(410) 659-9314, extension
2330<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">(410) 262-1281
(Cell)<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><A
href="mailto:cdanielsen@nfb.org">cdanielsen@nfb.org</A><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal
align=center><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt"><FONT size=4>National
Federation of the Blind and Blackboard to <BR>Demonstrate New Accessibility
Features at CSUN</FONT></SPAN></B></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal
align=center><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p><FONT
face=Helvetica> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></I></B></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal
align=center><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><FONT
face=Helvetica>Blackboard Learn Platform Brings Accessibility Enhancements for
the Blind<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></I></B></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal
align=center><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><o:p><FONT size=5
face=Helvetica> </FONT></o:p></B></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Helvetica><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">San Diego,
California (March 25, 2010): </SPAN></B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">The
National Federation of the Blind (NFB), </SPAN></FONT><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">the nation’s leading advocate for
equal education for blind students, and Blackboard Inc., will present and
demonstrate the new accessibility features of the <I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Blackboard Learn</I>™ platform at the
California State University, Northridge,<SPAN class=apple-style-span><SPAN
style="COLOR: black"> (CSUN) 25th annual International Technology & Persons
with Disabilities conference, held in San Diego, CA, March 22–27.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The presentation of Blackboard’s
improved and more accessible experience will be held on March 25 at 4:20 p.m.
Pacific Time.</SPAN></SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><FONT face=Helvetica>Blackboard Learn, an online
learning platform, is used by thousands of institutions to provide online
education, course materials, discussion boards, assignment submissions,
electronic grading, and numerous other components intended to enhance the
learning experience or to provide distance education. <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Previously, blind students encountered a
number of accessibility barriers when using the Blackboard platform with
nonvisual screen access technology. <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Blackboard Learn, Release 9,<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>showed great improvement over prior
releases, and during the past year, Blackboard has invested further in a range
of enhancements to Blackboard Learn that represent significant improvements to
the usability of Blackboard for blind users. <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p><FONT face=Helvetica> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><FONT face=Helvetica>Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the
National Federation of the Blind, said: “We are pleased to help Blackboard
present the accessibility features of the Blackboard Learn platform to the
influential audience at CSUN.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>These
features will ensure that blind students are not <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><FONT face=Helvetica><o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><FONT face=Helvetica>at a disadvantage in classes
utilizing Blackboard and can access course materials online just as their
sighted peers do.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>We commend
Blackboard for their hard work in this area.”<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN>
<P></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p><FONT face=Helvetica> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Helvetica><SPAN
class=apple-style-span><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">The accessibility
improvements to Blackboard Learn include faster navigation and improved form
interaction, </SPAN></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">allowing blind users to
submit assignments, participate in discussion forums, send and receive e-mail,
take tests and quizzes, and participate in polls. <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Blind instructors can<SPAN
class=170310912-26032010> </SPAN>also submit content with the improved
accessible forms.</SPAN><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"><FONT size=5>
</FONT></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p><FONT face=Helvetica> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><FONT face=Helvetica>For more information about the
National Federation of the Blind, please visit </FONT><A
href="http://www.nfb.org/"><FONT face=Helvetica>www.nfb.org</FONT></A><FONT
face=Helvetica>. <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p><FONT face=Helvetica> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal
align=center><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><FONT
face=Helvetica>###<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></B></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><o:p><FONT size=5
face=Helvetica> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P
style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt"
class=MsoNormal align=center><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p><FONT
size=5> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">About the National Federation of the
Blind<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 45.8pt 91.6pt 137.4pt 183.2pt 229.0pt 274.8pt 320.6pt 366.4pt 412.2pt 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt"
class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">With more than
50,000 members, the National Federation of the Blind is the largest and most
influential membership organization of blind people in the <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">United
States</st1:place></st1:country-region>. The NFB improves blind people’s
lives through advocacy, education, research, technology, and programs
encouraging independence and self-confidence. It is the leading force in
the blindness field today and the voice of the nation's blind. In January
2004 the NFB opened the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute, the
first research and training center in the <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">United States</st1:place></st1:country-region>
for the blind led by the blind. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P></DIV></BODY></HTML>