<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;
text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:blue;letter-spacing:-1.0pt;
mso-font-kerning:.5pt">Hi everyone,</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Comic Sans MS";mso-bidi-font-family:Cambria;color:blue;mso-font-kerning:
.5pt"></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;
text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:blue;letter-spacing:-1.0pt;
mso-font-kerning:.5pt">I would greatly appreciate clarification on Department
of Education's New Accessible Technology Guidelines.</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;
text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:blue;letter-spacing:-1.0pt;
mso-font-kerning:.5pt">For those that may have missed it, there was a posting
on the NFB website in late May (<a href="http://www.nfb.org/NewsBot.asp?MODE=VIEW&ID=804"><span style="color:blue;text-decoration:none;text-underline:none">www.nfb.org/NewsBot.asp?MODE=VIEW&ID=804</span></a>)
stating that</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";
mso-bidi-font-family:Cambria;color:blue;mso-font-kerning:.5pt"> </span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";mso-bidi-font-family:"Comic Sans MS";
color:blue;letter-spacing:-1.0pt;mso-font-kerning:.5pt">the US 
Department of
Education issued a <a href="http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/letters/colleague-20100629.html"><span style="color:blue;text-decoration:none;text-underline:none">Dear Colleague
letter</span></a> on June 29, 2010 informing 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. Guidelines in the form of <a href="http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/dcl-ebook-faq-201105.html"><span style="color:blue;text-decoration:none;text-underline:none">Frequently Asked
Questions</span></a>, were issued to supplement the department’s <a href="http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/letters/colleague-20100629.html"><span style="color:blue;text-decoration:none;text-underline:none">Dear Colleague
letter</span></a>.</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";
mso-bidi-font-family:Cambria;color:blue;mso-font-kerning:.5pt"></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;
text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:blue;letter-spacing:-1.0pt;
mso-font-kerning:.5pt">The May NFB Immediate Release Bulletin (<a href="http://www.nfb.org/NewsBot.asp?MODE=VIEW&ID=804"><span style="color:blue;text-decoration:none;text-underline:none">www.nfb.org/NewsBot.asp?MODE=VIEW&ID=804</span></a>) states
that the US 
Department of Education issued a <a href="http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/letters/colleague-201105-ese.html"><span style="color:blue;text-decoration:none;text-underline:none">second Dear
Colleague</span></a> letter issued on May 26, 2011 stating that the same legal
obligations apply to elementary and secondary schools.</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";mso-bidi-font-family:Cambria;
color:blue;mso-font-kerning:.5pt"></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;
text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:blue;letter-spacing:-1.0pt;
mso-font-kerning:.5pt">Over the last few years we have come across a number of
websites at both the elementary & middle school levels that have not been
independently accessible by the student. </span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;
text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:blue;letter-spacing:-1.0pt;
mso-font-kerning:.5pt">Websites have included mandatory or (strongly
recommended, but technically optional) textbook publisher’s supplemental
websites – where concepts in chapter are elaborated on, as well as the
classroom teacher’s individual webpages/calendars/assignments.</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;
text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:blue;letter-spacing:-1.0pt;
mso-font-kerning:.5pt">Our eldest is transitioning to high school. Next year
iPads will be piloted in some of the classes. I am a member of our school
district’s Medical Advisory Board & at our meeting in May our new
superintendent & one of the school board members were putting forth the concept
of a paper bookless, paperless classroom in the near future – yes, they were
very serious about this.</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";
mso-bidi-font-family:Cambria;color:blue;mso-font-kerning:.5pt"></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;
text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:blue;letter-spacing:-1.0pt;
mso-font-kerning:.5pt">Can someone explain in simple clear language what the DOE’s
new guidelines mean at the practical level for our kids/students?</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";mso-bidi-font-family:Cambria;
color:blue;mso-font-kerning:.5pt"></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;
text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:blue;letter-spacing:-1.0pt;
mso-font-kerning:.5pt">It would seem that each teacher’s webpage, the
assignments they post, & websites they suggest or require should have to
be  accessible.</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";
mso-bidi-font-family:Cambria;color:blue;mso-font-kerning:.5pt"></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;
text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:blue;letter-spacing:-1.0pt;
mso-font-kerning:.5pt">It would seem that the calendar – assignment – grade
posting programs that schools/districts use, such as Edline,  Grade Book
Wizard, and others should be fully accessible.</span><span style="font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";mso-bidi-font-family:Cambria;color:blue;
mso-font-kerning:.5pt"></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;
text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:blue;letter-spacing:-1.0pt;
mso-font-kerning:.5pt">It would seem that the textbook publisher websites that
have quizzes, study guides, and videos that the classroom teachers either
recommend or mandate be looked at should need to be fully accessible.</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";mso-bidi-font-family:Cambria;
color:blue;mso-font-kerning:.5pt"></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;
text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:blue;letter-spacing:-1.0pt;
mso-font-kerning:.5pt">How are VI programs & SELPAs addressing this with
school districts?</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;
text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:blue;letter-spacing:-1.0pt;
mso-font-kerning:.5pt">How are district superintendents, school principals,
& classroom teachers being inform of requirements?</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";mso-bidi-font-family:Cambria;
color:blue;mso-font-kerning:.5pt"></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;
text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";
mso-bidi-font-family:Consolas;color:blue">Is the message getting to those at
the top? (District superintendents & school principals?) If so how?</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;
text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";
mso-bidi-font-family:Consolas;color:blue">How effectively is this filtering
down to the classroom teachers?</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;
text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";
mso-bidi-font-family:Consolas;color:blue">I wonder how many of the above have
really even heard of it - if not, that is a real problem.</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;
text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";
mso-bidi-font-family:Consolas;color:blue">Is this a "feel good"
policy statement, or real policy that will be respected & enforced - like
say wheelchair accessibility which is taken more seriously.</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;
text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:blue;letter-spacing:-1.0pt;
mso-font-kerning:.5pt">I look forward to your insights, experiences, thoughts,
& comments.</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";
mso-bidi-font-family:Cambria;color:blue;mso-font-kerning:.5pt"></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;
text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:blue;letter-spacing:-1.0pt;
mso-font-kerning:.5pt">Respectfully,</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;
text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:blue;letter-spacing:-1.0pt;
mso-font-kerning:.5pt">Eric</span></p>