[Ohio-talk] fyi

[richard]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
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
 
The National Federation of the Blind Applauds Introduction of AIM HE Act:
Law Will Promote Equal Access to Higher Education for People With
Disabilities
 
Washington, DC (September 23, 2016): Today, the National Federation of the
Blind commends Congressman Phil Roe (R-TN) and Congressman Joe Courtney
(D-CT) for introducing the Accessible Instructional Materials in Higher
Education (AIM HE) Act (H.R. 6122). This act will promote instructional
technology and content that are accessible to the blind and other students
with print disabilities.
 
Mark A. Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said:
"The National Federation of the Blind has worked for years toward the
introduction of this much-needed legislation, which will give postsecondary
institutions guidance to help them meet their legal obligations to students
with disabilities, and also bring more accessible instructional materials to
the higher education market. Blind students are adversely impacted daily by
educational technologies that artificially limit students because they were
designed without accessibility in mind. As a past member of the Commission
on Accessible Instructional Materials, whose work identified this crucial
need, and a father of three, including two daughters who are blind, I am
pleased to see this goal come to fruition. We applaud Congressman Roe and
Congressman Courtney for their introduction of this legislation and urge
their colleagues to join them in supporting its swift passage."
 
Congressman Roe said: "No student pursuing their education should be put at
a disadvantage because they have a disability, and this bill simply
encourages higher education institutions to provide equal access to all
instructional materials. With more and more of a student's coursework
requiring digital resources, it makes sense to encourage colleges and
universities to make accessible material available to support all their
students, including those who have a disability. I thank Rep. Courtney for
partnering with me on this important issue and I look forward to moving this
bill through the legislative process. I also thank all the stakeholders who
have worked so hard to develop a commonsense solution that can be supported
on a bipartisan basis." 
 
Congressman Courtney said:  "As colleges and universities become more
high-tech, it is only fitting that they find ways to improve learning
opportunities for persons with disabilities. This is why I was pleased to
introduce this bipartisan legislation to help make educational materials
more accessible to the disabilities community. I want to thank Rep. Roe for
taking up this cause with me because there is nothing more important than
making sure all Americans, including those with disabilities, have the
opportunity to receive a great education." 
 
The AIM HE Act will authorize a purpose-based commission comprised of
persons with disabilities, developers, and manufacturers, as well as
representatives from institutions of higher education. This commission will
develop voluntary accessibility guidelines for instructional materials used
in postsecondary educational programs. Additionally, the commission will be
tasked with developing an annotated list of existing national and
international information technology standards as an additional resource for
institutions of higher education and companies that service the higher
education market. 
 
Institutions of higher education that only use technology that conforms with
the guidelines will be deemed in compliance with the provisions of Section
504 of the Rehabilitation Act and Titles II and III of the Americans with
Disabilities Act that pertain to the use of electronic instructional
materials, giving them a safe harbor protection from litigation. Colleges
and universities will be permitted to use material that does not conform
with the guidelines as long as equal access laws are still honored.
Conformity with the AIM HE guidelines is only one path to compliance;
schools can pursue a different path, but will forfeit the safe harbor legal
protection.
 
The AIM HE Act is a collaborative legislative initiative of the National
Federation of the Blind, the American Council on Education, the Association
of American Publishers, EducauseR, and the Software and Information Industry
Association.
 
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About the National Federation of the Blind
 
The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the
characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the
expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles
between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want;
blindness is not what holds you back.