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<font face="Helvetica, Helvetica" size=4><b>FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE<br><br>
</b></font><font face="Helvetica, Helvetica" size=5> <br><br>
</font><font face="Helvetica, Helvetica"><b>CONTACT:<br><br>
</b>Chris Danielsen<br><br>
Director of Public Relations<br><br>
National Federation of the Blind<br><br>
(410) 659-9314, extension 2330<br><br>
(410) 262-1281 (Cell)<br><br>
<a href="mailto:cdanielsen@nfb.org">cdanielsen@nfb.org</a><br><br>
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</font><div align="center"><h1><font size=4><b>National Federation of the
Blind Commends <br>
Department of Education for New Accessible Technology Guidelines<br><br>
<br>
</b></font></h1><h2><b>Urges Schools to Deploy Technology That Blind
Students Can Use</i></b></h2></div>
<font face="Helvetica, Helvetica" size=5><b> <br><br>
</font><font face="Helvetica, Helvetica">Baltimore, Maryland (May 26,
2011):</b> The National Federation of the Blind urged all elementary,
secondary, and postsecondary schools to follow guidelines issued today by
the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights and to deploy new or
emerging technologies only if they are accessible to blind
students. The guidelines, in the form of
<a href="http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/dcl-ebook-faq-201105.html">
Frequently Asked Questions</a>, were issued to supplement the
department’s
<a href="http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/letters/colleague-20100629.html">
Dear Colleague letter</a> of June 29, 2010. That letter informed
all college and university presidents that their institutions must be
sure that emerging technologies that they plan to deploy to students are
accessible to the blind and other students with disabilities. A
<a href="http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/letters/colleague-201105-ese.html">
second Dear Colleague letter</a> issued today made clear that the same
legal obligations apply to elementary and secondary schools.<br><br>
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Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said:
“The National Federation of the Blind is pleased that the Department of
Education has issued this guidance to the entire education
community. If blind students are to succeed in the twenty-first
century, they must have access to the same technologies as their sighted
peers. These comprehensive answers to commonly asked questions
about the legal obligation to purchase and deploy accessible technology
should be immensely helpful to school administrators. We urge
educators to review them carefully and apply them whenever they are
considering the purchase or deployment of new educational
technologies. We will continue our efforts to hold accountable
those institutions that ignore their legal obligations to their blind
students.”<br><br>
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<b>About the National Federation of the Blind<br><br>
</b>With more than 50,000 members, the National Federation of the Blind
is the largest and most influential membership organization of blind
people in the United States. The NFB improves blind people’s lives
through advocacy, education, research, technology, and programs
encouraging independence and self-confidence. It is the leading
force in the blindness field today and the voice of the nation's
blind. In January 2004 the NFB opened the National Federation of
the Blind Jernigan Institute, the first research and training center in
the United States for the blind led by the blind. <br><br>
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