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<DIV>Dr. V., </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Per Eric’s email, you should note that the NFB filed lawsuit against PARCC
due to the lack of accessibility. I don’t think I am at liberty to discuss how
that settlement is working out, but NFB certainly has PARCC’s attention right
now, and maybe we need to get their legal team in on this issue with Smarter.
</DIV>
<DIV>I do know that some at the NFB were under the assumption that Smarter
Balance already had accessibility worked out. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial'; COLOR: #000000"><BR>Edward C.
Bell, Ph.D., CRC, NOMC<BR><BR>REGISTER TO TAKE THE NATIONAL CERTIFICATION IN
LITERARY BRAILLE (NCLB) Exam
http://www.nbpcb.org/pages/announcements.php<BR><BR>Director, Professional
Development and Research Institute on Blindness Louisiana Tech University<BR>210
Woodard Hall<BR>PO Box 3158<BR>Ruston LA 71272<BR>Office: 318.257.4554<BR>Fax:
318.257.2259 (Fax)<BR>Skype:
edwardbell2010<BR>ebell@latech.edu<BR>www.latech.edu/instituteonblindness<BR>********************<BR>"I
am somehow less interested in the weight and convolutions of Einstein's brain
than in the near certainty that people of equal talent have lived and died in
cotton fields and sweatshops."<BR>-- Stephen Jay Gould<BR><BR></DIV>
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<DIV> </DIV>
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<DIV style="font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A
title=eguillory@louisianacenter.org
href="mailto:eguillory@louisianacenter.org">Eric Guillory</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, April 22, 2014 10:29 AM</DIV>
<DIV><B>To:</B> <A title=pibe-division@nfbnet.org
href="mailto:pibe-division@nfbnet.org">Professionals in Blindness Education
Division List</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Pibe-division] Smarter Balanced testing
(SBAC)</DIV></DIV></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></DIV>
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<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: black">These issues will continue to be
raised as we enter the era in which an increasing number of entities implement
online testing. Here in Louisiana, we are part of the PARCC Consortium as
opposed to Smarter Balanced. The tests which have been given online are provided
in hardcopy Braille for our blind students. Simply put, tactile graphics cannot
be rendered using refreshable Braille displays—nor can textual materials which
may need to be formatted spatially to convey effect (e.g., lines of poetry
spaced well apart to convey theme or meaning). <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: black"><o:p></o:p></SPAN> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: black">I don’t have any answers for the
California quandary except to say that a complaint should certainly be lodged
about the lack of timely accessibility. Sadly, as fewer and fewer students are
given comprehensive Braille instruction and thus become Braille readers, the
fight for accessibility for those few who still use Braille as a primary
literacy medium may be waged by a dwindling base of support. But that is why it
is so important that we remain active in the Federation and that we be ever
vigilant and supportive of each other.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: black"><o:p></o:p></SPAN> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Calibri","sans-serif"; COLOR: black'><o:p></o:p></SPAN> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Calibri","sans-serif"; COLOR: black'>Eric
Guillory, Director of Youth Services<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Calibri","sans-serif"; COLOR: black'>Louisiana
Center for the Blind<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Calibri","sans-serif"; COLOR: black'>101
South Trenton Street<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Calibri","sans-serif"; COLOR: black'>Ruston,
LA 71270<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Calibri","sans-serif"; COLOR: black'>Voice:
800-234-4166 (extension 3009)<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Calibri","sans-serif"; COLOR: black'>Fax:
318-251-0109<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Calibri","sans-serif"; COLOR: black'>Skype:
brllovingdad<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Calibri","sans-serif"; COLOR: black'><o:p></o:p></SPAN> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Calibri","sans-serif"; COLOR: black'>“Together,
we are changing what it means to be blind.”<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: black"><o:p></o:p></SPAN> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</SPAN></B><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Tahoma","sans-serif"'> Pibe-division
[mailto:pibe-division-bounces@nfbnet.org] <B>On Behalf Of
</B>DrV<BR><B>Sent:</B> Monday, April 21, 2014 3:21 PM<BR><B>To:</B>
braille-n-teach@mlist.cde.ca.gov; Professionals in Blindness Education Division
List<BR><B>Subject:</B> [Pibe-division] Smarter Balanced testing
(SBAC)<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><o:p></o:p> </P>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Comic Sans MS"; COLOR: blue'>Dear
Educators,</SPAN><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Comic Sans MS"; COLOR: blue'>My son’s high
school/district decided to do a ‘pilot test run’ of the new Smarter Balanced
testing (SBAC) for 11th graders only this year, as the STAR testing has been
phased out. The testing is scheduled for tomorrow.</SPAN><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Comic Sans MS"; COLOR: blue'>I just
received an email that though a braille version was requested, the materials
have not been received & apparently the “accessibility kinks” haven’t been
worked out yet.</SPAN><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Comic Sans MS"; COLOR: blue'>I have
requested elaboration from the district, but haven’t heard back
yet.</SPAN><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Comic Sans MS"; COLOR: blue'>It would seem
like the testing should be accessible. </SPAN><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Comic Sans MS"; COLOR: blue'>Can anyone
provide some guidance/insights into what to do on a practical level & how
this is being addressed on state/national level from other blind
students?</SPAN><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Comic Sans MS"; COLOR: blue'>Who is
addressing the accessibility issues in CA/nationally?</SPAN><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Comic Sans MS"; COLOR: blue'>Sincerely,</SPAN><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Comic Sans MS"; COLOR: blue'>Eric</SPAN><o:p></o:p></P></DIV></DIV>
<P>
<HR>
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