[Trainer-talk] Fwd: Your Support for Assistive Technology

[David Andrews]

>Date: Tue, 13 Jul 2010 16:17:18 -0800
>From: Haben Girma <habnkid at aol.com>
>To: David Andrews <dandrews at visi.com>
>Subject: Your Support for Assistive Technology
>
>David, would you forward this to the lists please?
>
>On June 30, 2010, the House Subcommittee on Communications, 
>Technology and the Internet made an important and commendable move 
>to advance the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility 
>Act (H.R. 3101) a step ahead. The bill is aimed at making Internet, 
>telephone and other types of communication accessible to people with 
>disabilities. We are grateful to the House for this on behalf of 
>Americans who struggle everyday to participate in American society 
>because of their disabilities. But we are extremely disappointed 
>that the voices of America's un-served and small population of 
>persons with deaf-blindness were ignored by the House when Section 
>105B of H.R. 3101 was removed.
>If Congress wants to ensure equal access to 21st century 
>communications for all Americans, then Section 105(B) should be 
>restored because without funding for technology development, 
>training, and distribution, Americans who are deaf-blind will simply 
>have to be left behind and further isolated. Equal access to 
>communications technology cannot happen without access to special 
>equipment for people who are deaf-blind. But the technology they use 
>is extremely expensive, and because they cannot afford it the 
>assistive technology industry decided to ignore them, while the rest 
>of Americans benefit from better and more advanced communication 
>technologies they can afford that enable them to participate in the 
>workplace and nearly all other aspects of American life. Many of the 
>same technologies may also benefit visually impaired and blind 
>Americans, in particular older Americans and blinded veterans who 
>served our nation -- it is a great way to reward our visually 
>impaired and blind service members. That is why we need Section 
>105(B) restored -- we want to include, not exclude, deaf-blind 
>Americans in H.R. 3101 so that the quality of life for all Americans 
>improves and deaf-blind people live independent and productive lives 
>and contribute to American society. But all Americans, including 
>members of Congress, will benefit from better communication with 
>their friends, colleagues, and fellow Americans who are deaf-blind.
>
>Please follow this link to sign an online petition that will send 
>letters to your congressional representatives. 
><http://www.petition2congress.com/2/3378/lend-your-voice-to-support-americas-forgotten-community/>http://www.petition2congress.com/2/3378/lend-your-voice-to-support-americas-forgotten-community/
>
>Thank you!
>
>DeafBlind Young Adults in Action
>American Association of the DeafBlind
>
>
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                         David Andrews:  dandrews at visi.com
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