[NFBWV-Talk] Fwd: [State-Affiliate-Leadership-List] National Federation of the Blind Urges Governors to Issue Accessible Executive Orders Regarding COVID-19

[Sheri Koch]

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Danielsen, Chris via State-Affiliate-Leadership-List <
state-affiliate-leadership-list at nfbnet.org>
Date: Mon, Mar 23, 2020 at 3:26 PM
Subject: [State-Affiliate-Leadership-List] National Federation of the Blind
Urges Governors to Issue Accessible Executive Orders Regarding COVID-19
To: NCB Staff <NCBStaff at nfb.org>, nfbnet-members-list at nfbnet.org <
nfbnet-members-list at nfbnet.org>, State Affiliate Leadership List <
state-affiliate-leadership-list at nfbnet.org>
CC: Danielsen, Chris <CDanielsen at nfb.org>


*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*


*National Federation of the Blind Urges Governors to Issue Accessible
Executive Orders Regarding COVID-19*



*Baltimore, Maryland (March 23, 2020):* The National Federation of the
Blind, the nation’s leading advocate for accessibility, urged the governors
of all states and territories to ensure that their executive orders
regarding the coronavirus emergency are posted to the Internet in
accessible formats that blind people using screen access technology can
easily download and read.



“Government information should always be accessible, and blind people need
access to the orders being issued by the governors of the states and
territories so that we can run our businesses and plan our lives in
accordance with the law and do our part to slow the spread of the virus,”
said Mark Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind.
“Governors’ offices must ensure that the documents they post are able to be
read with screen access technology and Braille devices so that everyone
stays informed and does what is needed during this emergency.”



Some best practices for creating accessible documents include:

·       Use of digital text, not scanned images of text

·       Use of Microsoft Word (*.DOC and *.DOCX) and HTML (*.HTM) formats,
which are nearly universally accessible with little or no cleanup or
processing.

·       Use of Alt tags for graphic images, with concise text conveying the
message a sighted reader would be expected to get from the graphic.

·       Use of Heading and table tags to make document navigation simpler
and make the document more readable for screen reader users.

For more information, download this guide to creating nonvisually
accessible documents
<https://nfb.org/images/nfb/products_technology/creating_accessible_documents.docx>.




*###*



*About the National Federation of the Blind *

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 www.nfb.org.



*CONTACT:*

Chris Danielsen

Director of Public Relations

National Federation of the Blind

(410) 659-9314, extension 2330

(410) 262-1281 (Cell)

cdanielsen at nfb.org



This news brief is also available at:
https://www.nfb.org/about-us/press-room/national-federation-blind-urges-governors-issue-accessible-executive-orders



















Christopher S. Danielsen, J.D.

Director of Public Relations

200 East Wells Street, Baltimore, MD 21230
<https://www.google.com/maps/search/200+East+Wells+Street,+Baltimore,+MD+21230?entry=gmail&source=g>

(410) 659-9314, Ext. 2330 | cdanielsen at nfb.org

Twitter: @rlawyer



[image: National Federation of the Blind] <https://nfb.org/>



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<http://www.facebook.com/nationalfederationoftheblind>    [image: Twitter]
<https://twitter.com/NFB_Voice>    [image: Youtube]
<https://www.youtube.com/NationsBlind>



The National Federation of the Blind is a community of members and friends
who believe in the hopes and dreams of the nation’s blind. Every day we
work together to help blind people live the lives they want.




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-- 
Sheri Koch, President
National Federation of the Blind of West Virginia
304-993-5103