[NFBNJ] Fwd: NJ Legislative Efforts: Parental Rights & Accessible School Websites

[Linda Melendez]

Hello, everyone,

Please support the two bills in the New Jersey legislature that are
connected to people with disabiliiteis. Both need the support of our
diverse community to pass. Below is a brief summary of the issues Please
feel free to share this information with any organization and any
individual you think may be interested.

*1. A5517 Parental Rights Bill *- This bill provides for the protection of
the custody and visitation rights of parents with a disability, meaning
that a child cannot be taken away from a parent simply because the parent
has a disability.

*Sponsored by: *State Assemblywoman Yvonne Lopez; working with the
Nationnal Federation of the Blind of New Jersey .
*Status: *After the November 2021 election results are certified, the bill
will move into hearings. At that time, Assemblywoman Lopez will be looking
for testimony (in person and/or on paper) from supporters.
*To support:* Email a statement expressing your support or call Juan Carlos
Nordelo, Legislative Director to Assemblywoman Yvonne Lopez,
*aswlopez at njleg.org
<aswlopez at njleg.org>* or 732.638.5057


*2. A4856/S3904 Accessibility of School Websites *- This bill requires
Internet websites and web services of school districts, charter schools and
renaissance schools to be accessible to persons with disabilities.

*Sponsored by: *State Assemblywoman Pamela Lampitt and Assemblymen Daniel
Benson and Ralph Caputo
*Status: * A4856 was voted out of the Assembly Appropriations Committee in
May and passed in the Assembly by a vote of 76-0. Work is on to support the
bill in the State Senate.
*To support:* Email a statement expressing your support to your State
Assemblyperson or to Christina Kanmaz, Manager, Communications and Public
Affairs, Global Strategy Group, ckanmaz at globalstrategygroup.com

Thanks for your consideration.

Sincerely,
Kathy

*PARENTAL RIGHTS BILL A 5517 STATEMENT*
This bill provides for the protection of the custody and visitation rights
of parents with a disability.

New Jersey recognizes that both parents in a child custody dispute have a
constitutionally recognized equal, fundamental right to the control and
upbringing of a child. The courts make the determination on custody
arrangements by applying various statutory factors, such as the interaction
of the child with the child’s parents and the stability of the home
environment, with the best interests of the child as the primary concern.

This bill provides that in any child custody proceeding, the disability of
one or both parents shall not be the sole factor in the court’s decision
concerning child custody.  The bill also provides that in any custody or
visitation proceeding, the disability of a parent is relevant only to the
extent that the court finds, by clear and convincing evidence, that the
disability is detrimental to the best interest of the child. If the burden
of proof is met by the parent alleging that the disability of the other
party is detrimental to the best interest of the child, the parent with a
disability has the opportunity to provide evidence that supportive
parenting services would prevent a finding that the disability is
detrimental to the best interest of the child. If the court finds that the
disability of a parent is detrimental to the best interest of the child and
denies or limits custody or visitation, the court is required to provide
for the basis of denying or limiting custody or visitation in writing. The
court would also be required to state in writing the reason that the
provision of supportive parenting services would not be a reasonable
accommodation to prevent the finding.

The bill defines “supportive parenting services” as appropriate
family-based services, supports, and other reasonable modifications that
would provide a parent with a disability a full and equal opportunity to
maintain or restore custody of, or maintain, restore, or increase
visitation with, the child.   These services, supports, and other
modifications may include adaptive equipment to maintain, increase, or
strengthen the parenting capabilities of the parent with a disability and
the provision of other accommodations and adaptive services.

*CONTACT: JUAN CARLOS NORDELO, *Legislative Director to Assemblywoman
Yvonne Lopez, 19th Legislative District

(732)-638-5057 ● aswlopez at njleg.org



*ACCESSIBILITY OF SCHOOL WEBSITES  A4856/S3904  STATEMENT*
This bill establishes accessibility standards for the Internet websites and
web services of school districts, charter schools, and renaissance schools
(“public school”).

Specifically, the bill requires the Internet website and web services of
every public school to comply with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
(WCAG) 2.1 Level AA, or the most up-to-date version of the guidelines. The
WCAG guidelines provide standards through which digital content may be
accessible for persons with disabilities. In June 2018, the WCAG 2.1
guidelines were issued to improve accessibility guidance for three major 1
groups: users with cognitive or learning disabilities, users with low 2
vision, and users with disabilities on mobile devices.

Under the bill, the Commissioner of Education would be required to
establish a procedure for determining whether an Internet website or web
service complies with the WCAG guidelines. The Office of Information
Technology in the Department of Education would be responsible for issuing
certifications of compliance to attest that an Internet website or web
service complies with these requirements.

The bill provides that when a public school establishes or significantly
improves an Internet website or web service after the effective date of
this bill, the school would be required to receive a certification of
compliance from the office before the website may be considered
operational. The bill also requires the office to recertify the compliance
of each Internet website or web service operated by a public school every
two years following initial certification.

As defined in this bill, the term “Internet website or web service”
includes any webpage, website, web service online curriculum, or online
third party or open educational resource product that is made available to
enrolled students or the public by a public school through the Internet.

*CONTACT: **Your State Assemblyperson to Christina Kanmaz*, Manager,
Communications and Public Affairs, Global Strategy Group,
ckanmaz at globalstrategygroup.com
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/nfbnj_nfbnet.org/attachments/20210821/cdabec60/attachment.html>