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<b>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<br><br>
<div align="center"><h1><b>Senators Warren and Hatch Introduce New Higher
Education Legislation<br><br>
<br>
</b></h1><h2><b>AIM HIGH Act Promotes Equal Access for the Blind and
other Students with Disabilities</b></h2> <br><br>
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<b>Washington, DC (November 17, 2017)</b>: 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.<br><br>
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.<br><br>
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.<br><br>
<h2><b>Approved Quotes for This Release</b></h2>“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.”<br><br>
"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."<br><br>
“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.”<br><br>
<div align="center"><b>###<br><br>
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About the National Federation of the Blind<br><br>
</b>The National Federation of the Blind (NFB), headquartered in
Baltimore, is the oldest and largest nationwide organization of blind
Americans. Founded in 1940, the NFB consists of affiliates, chapters, and
divisions in the fifty states, Washington DC, and Puerto Rico. The NFB
defends the rights of blind people of all ages and provides information
and support to families with blind children, older Americans who are
losing vision, and more. We believe in the hopes and dreams of blind
people and work together to transform them into reality. Learn more about
our many programs and initiatives at
<a href="https://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=9733&qid=2005426">
www.nfb.org</a>.<br><br>
<br><br>
<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>
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