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<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial><SPAN
class=937313903-03082011>Dear Sara and others,</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial><SPAN
class=937313903-03082011></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial><SPAN
class=937313903-03082011>I appreciate your raising the question about the
accessibility of the IEP system to you as a blind teacher. In fact this is an
area that the NFB is extremely interested in helping to improve. You could help
us do that by filling out the form at the below link (I have included the
introductory text for the page on our Web site). This link is applicable to
anyone on this list and to your students so please help raise awareness about
this so we can continue to track accessibility issues across the country and
know which districts/universities/software vendors to begin dialoguing
with.</SPAN></FONT><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial><SPAN
class=937313903-03082011></SPAN></FONT><FONT color=#0000ff size=2
face=Arial><SPAN class=937313903-03082011></SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial><SPAN
class=937313903-03082011></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial><SPAN
class=937313903-03082011>
<H1 align=center>National Federation of the Blind<BR>Digital Technology and
Accessibility in Schools Questionnaire</H1>
<P align=left><SPAN tabIndex=1>The NFB is seeking information about
accessibility barriers in the digital technology used by all students, teachers,
and administrators in K-12 schools, universities, and colleges in the
<ST1:COUNTRY-REGION w:st="on"><ST1:PLACE w:st="on">United
States</ST1:PLACE></ST1:COUNTRY-REGION>. </SPAN></P></SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial><A
href="http://www.nfb.org/nfb/directTechAccess_193.asp">http://www.nfb.org/nfb/directTechAccess_193.asp</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left><SPAN lang=EN>
<P align=left><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"> </SPAN></SPAN><SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"></P>
<DIV align=left><SPAN lang=EN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN><o:p><SPAN
class=937313903-03082011><FONT
color=#0000ff>Sincerely,</FONT></SPAN></o:p></DIV>
<DIV align=left><o:p><SPAN><FONT color=#0000ff>M<SPAN
class=937313903-03082011>ark
Riccobono</SPAN></FONT></SPAN><STRONG> </STRONG></o:p></SPAN></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT size=2 face=Arial><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></SPAN><FONT
size=2><SPAN lang=EN>Mark A. Riccobono, MSEd</P>
<P>Executive Director, Jernigan Institute</P>
<P>NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND</P>
<P>200 East Wells Street at Jernigan Place</P>
<P>Baltimore, Maryland 21230</P>
<P>Phone: (410) 659-9314 ext. 2357</P>
<P>Fax: (410) 659-5129</P>
<P>Email: mriccobono@nfb.org</P>
<P>Web: </FONT></SPAN><A
href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/mark/Application%20Data/Microsoft/Signatures/www.nfb.org"><U><FONT
color=#0000ff size=2><FONT color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
lang=EN>www.nfb.org</U></FONT></FONT></SPAN></A></P><FONT size=2><SPAN
lang=EN></FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV><BR>
<DIV dir=ltr lang=en-us class=OutlookMessageHeader align=left>
<HR tabIndex=-1>
<FONT size=2 face=Tahoma><B>From:</B> pibe-division-bounces@nfbnet.org
[mailto:pibe-division-bounces@nfbnet.org] <B>On Behalf Of </B>Sara
Rooz<BR><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, August 02, 2011 2:35 PM<BR><B>To:</B>
pibe-division@nfbnet.org<BR><B>Subject:</B> [Pibe-division] us. deppt of Justice
us. Dept Education accessible guidelines<BR></FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Dear ERic,<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I am blind and am a certified teacher of
the blind and visually impaired in my state. <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I cannot comment if School districts
nationally <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>are aware of the
guidelines written by the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region> department <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>of Justice and the U..s. <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Deptartment of Education. Interestingly,
these documents focus on making accessible websites to blind and visually
impaired students. A new system for inputting student’s information to write
Ieps goals and objectives, in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">New York
City</st1:place></st1:City>, the SESIs system, is difficult for sighted
certified teachers of the blind as well as blind and visually impaired certified
teachers of the blind to use with thscreen readers such as Jaws for Windows. I
wonder how accessibility in this area can be addressed. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Secondly, while attending
<st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Dominican</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">College</st1:PlaceType> in <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">New York</st1:place></st1:State>, to become a certified teacher of the
blind, the website, course assignments, quizzes and discussions for students to
participate in were accessible to me using the blackboard system when I used my
screen reader, Jaws for Windows and a Braille display. The only documents that
blind people find hard to read are PDF documents, particularly when the
documents are downloaded from the internet. When I encountered such a document,
I emailed my instructor about the accessibility issue and was told what to do.
Email was also accessible between professors and students. I had a terrific
learning experience at my college, although it used the online method. I
attended this university from 2006-2007. </SPAN><o:p></o:p></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Sara Rooz</SPAN><o:p></o:p></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Certified teacher of the blind and
visually impaired in <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">New
York</st1:place></st1:State></SPAN><o:p></o:p></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Independent Related Service Provider
Vision Education Services in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">New York
City</st1:City></st1:place></SPAN><o:p></o:p></P>
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