[Ohio-talk] Fwd: Share Your Communications Tech Story by August 11; Help Shape FCC's Report to Congress on the CVAA!

[Marianne Denning]

I received this and thought some people on this list might have
comments.  I believe this is very important for all of us who use
computers, smart phones and other similar products.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: AFB DirectConnect <MRichert at afb.net>
Date: Mon, 28 Jul 2014 14:24:05 -0400
Subject: Share Your Communications Tech Story by August 11; Help Shape
FCC's Report to Congress on the CVAA!
To: AFB Subscriber <afbweb at afb.net>

				
 AFB DirectConnect Letterhead
	    	
	

YOU'RE INVITED!
Share Your Experience Using Current Communications Technology, and
Shape Future Accessible Technology Policy Making

AFB Gathering Your Input for FCC's Report to Congress on the CVAA


For further information, contact:

Mark Richert, Esq.
Director, Public Policy, AFB
(202) 469-6833
MRichert at afb.net <mailto:mrichert at afb.net>

Background

AFB wants to hear about your experience using communications
technologies, such as cellphones, tablets or computers to access the
web, email and text messages. We also want to share your information
with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The FCC is currently
preparing a report for Congress on the extent to which the
communications industry is complying with the historic Twenty-First
Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA), which became
law in 2010. The CVAA requires technologies that provide so-called
advanced communications services, such as electronic messaging, to be
accessible either out-of-the-box or with inexpensive add-on tools. The
CVAA builds on older requirements of law, specifically section 255 of
the Communications Act, which requires that traditional telephone
technologies also be accessible.

How You Can Help

To assist in the preparation of the FCC’s report to Congress, and to
help us and the FCC know how well the law is working, we are asking you
to tell us about your experiences via email, good and bad, trying to
obtain and use accessible advanced communications services, as well as
more traditional telephone-like technologies. Please try to keep your
comments focused on technologies you’ve tried to obtain and use in the
last two years; we want to provide the FCC with good current
information.

By Monday, August 11, send a simple email with your comments to AFB’s
Programs and Policy Coordinator, Heidi Walters, at:

HWalters at afb.net <mailto:hwalters at afb.net>

Don’t worry about making your email a formal communication, and write as
little or as much about your experiences as you like. Be sure to include
your name and contact information (i.e., physical mailing address). We
hope you will help us develop a rich record of comments for the FCC to
use, and identifying yourself as a real consumer of these technologies
will make a powerful statement. However, if you do not wish to be
identified in materials we prepare for the FCC but want to tell us about
your experiences anyway, please email us your comments but make specific
note of your wish not to be identified. The comments we receive may be
sent to the FCC in full on their own or as part of a combined set of
comments that AFB may prepare.

What Your Email Should Include

Tell us about your experience in trying to obtain and use a mobile
phone, tablet or computer that you can use to access the Web, email,
text messages and phone calls. Briefly describe your successes or
challenges. Please focus on technologies you tried to obtain in the last
two years.

The kinds of technologies we’re particularly interested in hearing about
include:

• Apple iOS mobile devices
• Android mobile devices
• MS Windows mobile devices
• Blackberry mobile devices
• Windows-based laptop/desktop computers
• Apple Mac laptop/desktop computers
• Google, Chrome OS-based devices
• Open Source (e.g., Linux) devices
• Other mobile and/or laptop/desktop devices you prefer

When you write about your experiences using your technology, be careful
to talk about the experiences you have had using the following specific
features:

• accessing the Internet/web
• writing/reading/editing email
• writing/reading/editing text messages
• making and managing phone calls
• navigating to and activating apps

We look forward to your comments. Thank you!



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-- 
Marianne Denning, TVI, MA
Teacher of students who are blind or visually impaired
(513) 607-6053