[Ohio-talk] Fwd: #Lets-Do-This: Universities Need to Hear from Us. Opposition to Accessibility is NOT OK

Mon Sep 8 01:20:33 UTC 2014

Hello OABSters and my fellow NFBO federationists,

I received this email earlier this afternoon, and was really troubled
by the problem we're now facing.  I know all students subscribed to
the OABS list should have received the same email, but I wanted to
emphasize the importance of this piece of legislation and why we need
to tweet at these higher ed organizations.  I am requesting that those
of you who are not students do likewise, as this is a really important
bill.

Many students around the country, as well as some in OABS, could
provide personal anecdotes about issues they've had regarding
inaccessible software used for classes, problems with technology not
being up-to-date, and antiquated procedures which no longer cut it for
making the playing field level in the classroom.  We need to do
something to make sure these higher ed groups know that we know what
they're doing, and we're not going to tolerate it!

If you have a twitter account and could tweet at the groups listed
below, as well as share the two article links also provided in the
email, it will go a long way in helping NABS send a clear message.
The more people we have tweeting, the more likely we are to have an
impact on these groups.

Thanks,
Kaiti Shelton
President, Ohio Association of Blind Students
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: National Association of Blind Students <nabs at nabslink.org>
Date: Sun, 07 Sep 2014 15:25:05 -0400
Subject: #Lets-Do-This: Universities Need to Hear from Us. Opposition
to  Accessibility is NOT OK
To: Kaiti Shelton <kaiti.shelton at gmail.com>

Good afternoon Kaiti,

I am writing today with an urgent request for your assistance. Please
read this message and take action. It will take less than 10 minutes
and could have a dramatic impact on our education, as well as on
future generations of blind students in America.

As you likely know, we in NFB are working to pass the TEACH Act to
create guidelines for the accessibility of instructional materials.
This effort took a huge step forward when Senator, and Education
Committee Chairman, Tom Harkin included provisions of the TEACH Act in
his higher education bill, which is currently working its way through
the Senate. Unfortunately, and inexplicably, The American Council on
Education (ACE), the largest and most influential group representing
universities in the United States, has just recently gone on record
opposing provisions of the TEACH Act in a letter to Senator Harkin. We
need to push back, and we need to push back hard. The opposition of
ACE is the only major barrier standing between us and the
promise of true equality and accessibility in education. And the
opposition is groundless. ACE's letter offered no explanation as to
why they oppose accessibility guidelines. The good news is that we can
educate them and change their minds. But we need you to step up to the
plate and make it happen. Here's how:

ACE is an umbrella organization made up of 20 groups representing
various university stakeholders in higher education. We need to
publically ask ACE and it's component organizations why they oppose
accessibility guidelines by tweeting at them. Many of the
organizations under the ACE umbrella are not even aware of the ACE
opposition to accessibility guidelines. In fact, traffic on some
higher ed blogs and lists indicates that many universities and
organizations do support what we are trying to do. We need to make
them aware of the ACE opposition so that they can communicate to ACE
that the official ACE stance is out of whack with the positions of the
component organizations. Once ACE realizes that its membership
supports accessibility
guidelines they will have no choice but to drop their objections to the bill.

Here's what we need you to do sometime this week:
Below you will find the names and twitter handles for ACE and all the
organizations that sit on the Council. Big thanks to Kyle Shachmut of
Massachusetts for compiling the list! We just need you to send a tweet
asking why these organizations oppose accessibility guidelines and/or
expressing why such guidelines are important for blind students.
Please send your tweet @ACEducation plus one additional component
organization. Of course it would be great if you would tweet at
multiple organizations this week with this message. You can find
sample tweets below. Stay on message, but feel free to personalize and
customize your tweets or create your own. I have also provided links
to President Riccobono's blog post on the issue and an op-ed by
fellow student and NFB of MA President Kyle Shachmut that was recently
featured in the Boston Globe online. It would be very useful to
include one of these links in your tweet so that recipients can learn
more.

If you receive any response to your tweet, positive or negative,
please forward it to our fabulous Governmental Affairs Specialist,
Lauren McLarney so that she can follow up and work her magic.She can
be reached at lmclarney at nfb.org or (410) 659-9314 ext. 2207

I know it might not seem like a big deal to send one tweet on this
issue, but these are not big corporations or Senators who receive
thousands upon thousands of tweets. We in NABS number more than 800.
If these organizations receive hundreds of tweets on this issue this
week, it will be noticed and make a huge difference. It may will flip
the opposition of ACE and clear the road for passage of this
incredibly meaningful and impactful legislation. I'm going to do it,
and I need you to do it too. Take a couple minutes. Stand up and raise
your voice. Let ACE and its component organizations know that blind
students will not tolerate baseless opposition to our accessing a full
and equal education.

Sample Tweets:
@ACEducation @AAUniversities : why oppose optional #accessibility
guidelines for students w/disabilities #TEACHAct goo.gl/qjvbgv

@ACEducation @EDUCAUSE: why are you against voluntary #accessibility
guidelines?  I deserve #equal access! #TEACHAct goo.gl/0V2rIy

Here are all the organizations and their Twitter handles. Tweet
@ACEducation and as many of its component organizations as you can.
Then tell your friends to do the same! Now's our chance. Let's make a
difference!

Association
Twitter Handle
American Council on Education
@ACEducation
American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers
@aacrao
American Association of Community Colleges
@Comm_College
American Association of State Colleges and Universities
@AASCU
American Indian Higher Education Consortium
n/a
Association of American Universities
@AAUniversities
Association of Community College Trustees
@CCTrustees
Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges
@AGBtweets (org)
@LegonAGB (its president)
Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities
@jesuitcolleges
Association of Public and Land-grant Universities
@APLU_News
Council for Higher Education Accreditation
@CHEAnews
Council for Opportunity in Education
@COEtalk
Council of Graduate Schools
@GCSGradEd
CUPA-HR
@CUPAhr
EDUCAUSE
@EDUCAUSE
Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities
@HACUnews
National Association of College and University Business Officers
@NACUBO
National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities
@NAICUheadlines
National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators
@nasfaa
UNCF (United Negro College Fund)
@UNCF

Links to the 2 main articles to which we would like to direct people:
* President Riccobono's Blog Post about ACE opposing the TEACH Act:
http://www.nabslink.org/drupal/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=112&qid=17659
* Kyle Shachmut (student & NFB of Massachusetts) Boston Globe Op-Ed
about why ACE & schools should support the TEACH Act:
http://www.nabslink.org/drupal/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=113&qid=17659

Sean Whalen
President, National Association of Blind Students
(608) 332-4147
Nabs.president at gmail.com
www.nabslink.org
@NABSLink
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-- 
Kaiti Shelton
University of Dayton 2016.
Music Therapy, Psychology, Philosophy
President, Ohio Association of Blind Students
Sigma Alpha Iota-Delta Sigma