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<h1><b>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</b></h1><b>CONTACT:</b> <br>
Chris Danielsen<br>
Director of Public Relations<br>
National Federation of the Blind<br>
(410) 659-9314, extension 2330<br>
(410) 262-1281 (Cell)<br>
<a href="mailto:cdanielsen@nfb.org">cdanielsen@nfb.org</a><br><br>
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<h2><b>National Federation of the Blind and Others Demand E-Reader
Accessibility<br><br>
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</b></h2><h3><b>Disability Advocates Oppose E-Reader Waiver
Petition</b></h3><b>Baltimore, Maryland (September 5, 2013)</b>: The
National Federation of the Blind (NFB), the leading advocate for equal
access to technology by the blind, announced today that it has submitted
<a href="http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=2576&qid=247956">
official comments to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)</a> in
opposition to a petition by the Coalition of E-Reader Manufacturers that
seeks to permanently exempt e-readers from the accessibility requirements
of the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of
2010 (CVAA). The NFB was joined in its opposition to the waiver
petition by twenty-two other organizations representing the interests of
people with disabilities, including the American Council of the Blind,
the World Blind Union, the National Association of the Deaf, the American
Association of People with Disabilities, the National Center for Learning
Disabilities, the Association on Higher Education and Disability, and
more. <br>
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Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said:
“We and other advocates for people with disabilities have fought for
equal access to e-books and e-readers for many years now, not only
because e-readers will allow the blind and other people who cannot read
print to gain equal access to books in general but because e-readers are
increasingly purchased for and used in classrooms at all levels of
education, making it increasingly impossible for people with disabilities
to obtain an equal education without access to these devices.
E-reader manufacturers are well aware of our advocacy, which makes the
claims that they have put before the FCC both disingenuous and
disrespectful. It is particularly detestable for them to claim that
accessible e-readers will not benefit readers with disabilities.
Accessible e-reading devices will benefit not only students and consumers
with a broad range of disabilities that make it difficult or impossible
for them to read print, but will ultimately benefit e-reader
manufacturers, who will find that a large group of new consumers are
eager to purchase their products. We urge the FCC to deny the
offensive and wrongheaded petition from the Coalition of E-Reader
Manufacturers.”<br><br>
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About the National Federation of the Blind<br><br>
</b>The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) is the oldest, largest,
and most influential nationwide membership organization of blind people
in the United States. Founded in 1940, the NFB advocates for the civil
rights and equality of blind Americans, and develops innovative
education, technology, and training programs to provide the blind and
those who are losing vision with the tools they need to become
independent and successful. We need your support. To make a donation,
please go to
<a href="http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=2577&qid=247956">
www.nfb.org</a>.<br>
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Unsubscribe from this mailing</a> Or you may
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opt-out of all future mailings from us</a> National Federation of the
Blind<br>
200 East Wells Street<br>
at Jernigan Place<br>
Baltimore, MD 21230<br>
United States<br>
410 659-9314 </body>
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