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<DIV style="font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A title=JFreeh@nfb.org
href="mailto:dandrews@visi.com>)">Freeh,Jessica (by way of David Andrews
<dandrews@visi.com>)</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>Sent:</B> Friday, May 27, 2011 5:12 AM</DIV>
<DIV><B>To:</B> <A title=david.andrews@nfbnet.org
href="mailto:david.andrews@nfbnet.org">david.andrews@nfbnet.org</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>Subject:</B> [Chapter-presidents] National Federation of the Blind
Commends Department of Education for New Accessible Technology
Guidelines</DIV></DIV></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV><BR><FONT size=4 face="Helvetica, Helvetica"><B>FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE<BR><BR></B></FONT><FONT size=5
face="Helvetica, Helvetica"> <BR><BR></FONT><FONT
face="Helvetica, Helvetica"><B>CONTACT:<BR><BR></B>Chris
Danielsen<BR><BR>Director of Public Relations<BR><BR>National Federation of the
Blind<BR><BR>(410) 659-9314, extension 2330<BR><BR>(410) 262-1281
(Cell)<BR><BR><A
href="mailto:cdanielsen@nfb.org">cdanielsen@nfb.org</A><BR><BR></FONT><FONT
size=5 face="Helvetica, Helvetica"> <BR><BR></FONT>
<DIV align=center>
<H1><FONT size=4><B>National Federation of the Blind Commends <BR>Department of
Education for New Accessible Technology Guidelines<BR><BR><BR></B></FONT></H1>
<H2><B>Urges Schools to Deploy Technology That Blind Students Can
Use</I></B></H2></DIV><FONT size=5
face="Helvetica, Helvetica"><B> <BR><BR></FONT><FONT
face="Helvetica, Helvetica">Baltimore, Maryland (May 26, 2011):</B> The National
Federation of the Blind urged all elementary, secondary, and postsecondary
schools to follow guidelines issued today by the Department of Education’s
Office of Civil Rights and to deploy new or emerging technologies only if they
are accessible to blind students. The guidelines, in the form of <A
href="http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/dcl-ebook-faq-201105.html">Frequently
Asked Questions</A>, were issued to supplement the department’s <A
href="http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/letters/colleague-20100629.html">Dear
Colleague letter</A> of June 29, 2010. That letter informed all college
and university presidents that their institutions must be sure that emerging
technologies that they plan to deploy to students are accessible to the blind
and other students with disabilities. A <A
href="http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/letters/colleague-201105-ese.html">second
Dear Colleague letter</A> issued today made clear that the same legal
obligations apply to elementary and secondary schools.<BR><BR> <BR><BR>Dr.
Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said: “The
National Federation of the Blind is pleased that the Department of Education has
issued this guidance to the entire education community. If blind students
are to succeed in the twenty-first century, they must have access to the same
technologies as their sighted peers. These comprehensive answers to
commonly asked questions about the legal obligation to purchase and deploy
accessible technology should be immensely helpful to school
administrators. We urge educators to review them carefully and apply them
whenever they are considering the purchase or deployment of new educational
technologies. We will continue our efforts to hold accountable those
institutions that ignore their legal obligations to their blind
students.”<BR><BR></FONT> <BR><BR> <BR><BR>
<DIV
align=center>###<BR><BR></DIV> <BR><BR> <BR><BR> <BR><BR><B>About
the National Federation of the Blind<BR><BR></B>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 United States. 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 United States
for the blind led by the blind. <BR><BR> <BR><BR><FONT size=5
face="Helvetica, Helvetica"> <BR><BR> <BR><BR> <BR><BR> <BR><BR> <BR></FONT>
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<P></P>_______________________________________________<BR>Chapter-presidents
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