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<body><div>Hello,</div><div>See the below forwarded from nabs.</div>
<div>Thanks.</div><div id="signature_old" style="clear:both"><div dir="ltr"><div>Shane Popplestone</div><div>President of the Ohio Association of blind students</div><div>Co-chair of the ohio newsline committee</div><div>member of the Grater Akron Chapter</div><div>member of Ohio Association of Guide Dog users</div><div><a href="mailto:spopplestone.nfb@gmail.com">spopplestone.nfb@gmail.com</a></div><div>234-716-2208</div><div>You can live the life you want!</div></div></div><div style="clear:both"><br /></div>
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<div>------ Forwarded Message ------</div>
<div>From "Arielle Silverman via NABS-L" <<a href="mailto:nabs-l@nfbnet.org">nabs-l@nfbnet.org</a>></div>
<div>To <a href="mailto:nabs-l@nfbnet.org">nabs-l@nfbnet.org</a></div>
<div>Cc "Arielle Silverman" <<a href="mailto:arielle71@gmail.com">arielle71@gmail.com</a>></div>
<div>Date 9/21/2023 11:15:00 AM</div>
<div>Subject [NABS-L] Action alert! Submit comments on proposed regulations related to Web and app accessibility in schools</div></div><div><br /></div>
<div id="x5982923e84f24b4" class="plain">
<div class="plain_line">Hello NABS,</div>
<div class="plain_line">I used to be president of NABS, and now work as the director of</div>
<div class="plain_line">research at the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB). We are urging</div>
<div class="plain_line">blind students to comment on proposed regulations related to Web and</div>
<div class="plain_line">app accessibility. Please read below and see link to the comments</div>
<div class="plain_line">submission at the bottom of this email.</div>
<div class="plain_line"> </div>
<div class="plain_line">Action Needed for Proposed Changes to Title II of the Americans with</div>
<div class="plain_line">Disabilities Act (ADA) Regarding Web and Mobile App Accessibility</div>
<div class="plain_line"> </div>
<div class="plain_line">October 3, 2023, is the deadline for comments on the Notice of</div>
<div class="plain_line">Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) by the Department of Justice on the need to</div>
<div class="plain_line">update the regulations for Title II of the Americans with Disabilities</div>
<div class="plain_line">Act (ADA) to add more specific requirements about web and mobile</div>
<div class="plain_line">application (app) accessibility. Title II covers state and local</div>
<div class="plain_line">government entities and other public entities like public school</div>
<div class="plain_line">districts, public universities, and transit agencies that operate at</div>
<div class="plain_line">those levels. The Department of Justice is looking for individuals</div>
<div class="plain_line">like you, and your colleagues and peers, to share your experiences and</div>
<div class="plain_line">opinions on whether they should have exemptions (or loopholes) that</div>
<div class="plain_line">complicate the accessibility landscape. We need you to submit your</div>
<div class="plain_line">public comment and share this call to action with other blind</div>
<div class="plain_line">individuals.</div>
<div class="plain_line"> </div>
<div class="plain_line">As you know, people who are blind or have low vision regularly</div>
<div class="plain_line">interact with these entities. They attend or teach at public schools,</div>
<div class="plain_line">they use public transit and paratransit, they vote, they file business</div>
<div class="plain_line">and home construction permits, they use vocational rehabilitation</div>
<div class="plain_line">services, and so much more. By requiring all entities to bring their</div>
<div class="plain_line">websites into conformance with the Web Content Accessibility</div>
<div class="plain_line">Guidelines, we expect that people with disabilities will have</div>
<div class="plain_line">increased access to public services, programs, and information;</div>
<div class="plain_line">greater privacy; and greater independence.</div>
<div class="plain_line"> </div>
<div class="plain_line">However, we are deeply concerned that this rule includes exemptions</div>
<div class="plain_line">that will undermine the goals of the regulation. In order to appease</div>
<div class="plain_line">entities that are concerned about the effort involved in making</div>
<div class="plain_line">websites accessible, the Department of Justice has proposed seven</div>
<div class="plain_line">exemptions. For example, two of the exemptions will mean that public</div>
<div class="plain_line">schools and universities have to make school-wide calendars and lunch</div>
<div class="plain_line">menus accessible but that coursework for students’ individual classes,</div>
<div class="plain_line">including third-party apps that are accessed with a unique student</div>
<div class="plain_line">login, must not be made accessible until the school is made aware that</div>
<div class="plain_line">a student with a disability or a student whose parent has a disability</div>
<div class="plain_line">is enrolled in the class. Then the school and teacher will have just 5</div>
<div class="plain_line">days to make all needed changes so that all of the coursework is</div>
<div class="plain_line">accessible. This recommendation seems reactive and unworkable for most</div>
<div class="plain_line">teachers and professors who rely on content and programs created by</div>
<div class="plain_line">other people or companies. In addition, it does not seem to be</div>
<div class="plain_line">substantially different from the status quo, where materials are often</div>
<div class="plain_line">made accessible on a student-by-student basis.</div>
<div class="plain_line"> </div>
<div class="plain_line">The other exemptions cover:</div>
<div class="plain_line">• archived web content (e.g., a historical archive or many property records);</div>
<div class="plain_line">• preexisting documents in PDF, word processing, spreadsheet, and</div>
<div class="plain_line">presentation formats (e.g., a 2023 report on the effect of the</div>
<div class="plain_line">coronavirus pandemic);</div>
<div class="plain_line">• documents that are unique to an individual and accessed with a</div>
<div class="plain_line">password (e.g. utility bills or tax records);</div>
<div class="plain_line">• information posted by third parties (e.g., public comment</div>
<div class="plain_line">submissions or student discussion boards); and</div>
<div class="plain_line">• third-party content linked to by the public entity (e.g., any</div>
<div class="plain_line">content linked to by a local tourism agency).</div>
<div class="plain_line"> </div>
<div class="plain_line">Information to Consider When Drafting Your Comment</div>
<div class="plain_line"> </div>
<div class="plain_line">In your comment, you should say that website and app accessibility is</div>
<div class="plain_line">important to you and your children, students or clients (if you have</div>
<div class="plain_line">them). The department will be hearing a lot about how hard it will be</div>
<div class="plain_line">to make websites accessible and that the return on investment is not</div>
<div class="plain_line">worth it. Give the department information that they can use to support</div>
<div class="plain_line">the strongest possible regulation.</div>
<div class="plain_line"> </div>
<div class="plain_line">Remember the ADA's four primary goals include full participation,</div>
<div class="plain_line">equal opportunity, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency.</div>
<div class="plain_line">Consider articulating that the education exemptions create real</div>
<div class="plain_line">problems for students and staff who work with them. Consider</div>
<div class="plain_line">underscoring that it would be less confusing and complicated if</div>
<div class="plain_line">schools simply had to utilize accessible web and app content</div>
<div class="plain_line">universally instead of following these proposed complex and unfeasible</div>
<div class="plain_line">exemptions.</div>
<div class="plain_line"> </div>
<div class="plain_line">They want to hear the benefits of web accessibility and examples of</div>
<div class="plain_line">situations in which accessibility matters. If you can quantify the</div>
<div class="plain_line">benefits, that is even better. For example, it might take students 2</div>
<div class="plain_line">months or more to receive an accessible version of a digital textbook,</div>
<div class="plain_line">so it would be better for the publisher to create an accessible</div>
<div class="plain_line">version for all students and for the school or professor to select a</div>
<div class="plain_line">curriculum that is most accessible. Or you might talk about the</div>
<div class="plain_line">benefits of allowing parents who are blind or have low vision to spend</div>
<div class="plain_line">more time supporting their kids with schoolwork rather than</div>
<div class="plain_line">troubleshooting accessibility issues. Draw on your own experiences</div>
<div class="plain_line">when describing why web accessibility is important.</div>
<div class="plain_line"> </div>
<div class="plain_line">You can also imagine a situation in which all digital tools and</div>
<div class="plain_line">applications in local government and local education environments were</div>
<div class="plain_line">accessible. What would the result of this accessibility be? How would</div>
<div class="plain_line">accessible tools and applications benefit professors, teachers,</div>
<div class="plain_line">parents, and students with visual impairments?</div>
<div class="plain_line"> </div>
<div class="plain_line">In preparing your comment, we suggest that you write in support of a</div>
<div class="plain_line">rule that requires state and local government websites and apps to be</div>
<div class="plain_line">accessible without exemptions and to answer these questions:</div>
<div class="plain_line">• Share your experience as a person who is blind or has low vision, or</div>
<div class="plain_line">as a family member to these individuals.</div>
<div class="plain_line">• What has been your experience with inaccessible state and local</div>
<div class="plain_line">government entity websites and apps, including those used in schools?</div>
<div class="plain_line">Is it hard to get help with or to fix an inaccessible site or app on a</div>
<div class="plain_line">case by case basis? Describe some challenges.</div>
<div class="plain_line">• Why does a good regulation matter? Will it save you or your loved</div>
<div class="plain_line">ones time, energy, frustration, or money?</div>
<div class="plain_line">• How would outcomes for students (or people with disabilities</div>
<div class="plain_line">generally) be different if these websites and apps were accessible by</div>
<div class="plain_line">default?</div>
<div class="plain_line"> </div>
<div class="plain_line">How to Submit Your Comment</div>
<div class="plain_line"> </div>
<div class="plain_line">You can submit comments through October 3, 2023 by going to</div>
<div class="plain_line">Regulations.gov</div>
<div class="plain_line">(<a href="https://www.regulations.gov/document/DOJ-CRT-2023-0007-0001/">https://www.regulations.gov/document/DOJ-CRT-2023-0007-0001/</a>).</div>
<div class="plain_line"> </div>
<div class="plain_line">You can also mail your comments at Disability Rights Section, Civil</div>
<div class="plain_line">Rights Division, U.S. Department of Justice, P.O. Box 440528,</div>
<div class="plain_line">Somerville, MA 02144. Electronic comments are preferred, though.</div>
<div class="plain_line"> </div>
<div class="plain_line">If you need information in an alternative format, you can call the ADA</div>
<div class="plain_line">Information Line at (800) 514-0301 (voice) or 1-833-610-1264 (TTY).</div>
<div class="plain_line"> </div>
<div class="plain_line">Additional Information</div>
<div class="plain_line"> </div>
<div class="plain_line">Fact Sheet</div>
<div class="plain_line"><a href="https://www.ada.gov/notices/2023/07/20/web-nprm/">https://www.ada.gov/notices/2023/07/20/web-nprm/</a></div>
<div class="plain_line"> </div>
<div class="plain_line">PDF of the NPRM</div>
<div class="plain_line"><a href="https://www.ada.gov/assets/_pdfs/web-accessibility-NPRM.pdf">https://www.ada.gov/assets/_pdfs/web-accessibility-NPRM.pdf</a></div>
<div class="plain_line"> </div>
<div class="plain_line">PDF of the PRIA</div>
<div class="plain_line"><a href="https://www.ada.gov/assets/_pdfs/web-pria.pdf">https://www.ada.gov/assets/_pdfs/web-pria.pdf</a></div>
<div class="plain_line"> </div>
<div class="plain_line">_______________________________________________</div>
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