[Txabs] Where are You, Texas Students?

Wed Sep 10 23:58:40 UTC 2014

Hi, I totally agree with all of these issues we as blind students need 
to be heard.  I don't have twitter are there any phone numbers or email 
addresses we can write to as I find that writing emails or placing a 
phone call can get better results and think that other methods of making 
our voices heard should have been put in the letter and blog post?  Nick 
Gawronski
On 9/10/2014 6:45 PM, Jonathan's Email via Txabs wrote:
> I definitely have and want to reiterate what Gabe said, our voice 
> matters and we need to change the minds of ace. We deserve equal 
> rights as students and definitely deserve accessible course materials 
> and textbooks!
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On Sep 10, 2014, at 6:13 PM, Gabe Cazares via Txabs <txabs at nfbnet.org 
> <mailto:txabs at nfbnet.org>> wrote:
>
>> Howdy Fellow Federationists,
>>
>> I know we have all been receiving lots of Emails regarding the recent 
>> opposition from ACE, but I wanted to take a moment to call on our 
>> Texas student division. The Texas Association of Blind Students is 
>> the largest and most active state student division in the Federation, 
>> and moments like this require our leadership. Students, the outcome 
>> of the coming weeks could revolutionize education in a way we have 
>> only dreamed about. Please, take 5 minutes out of your day, fire up 
>> your Twitter accounts, (which I know you have,) and tweet ACE and its 
>> component organizations. We need to help them understand that 
>> opposing provisions of the TEACH Act, which could open the door to 
>> unprecedented accessibility in the classroom for us, is something 
>> that we are not going to stand for. All the information you need is 
>> included in the forwarded Email below, please come off the sidelines 
>> and take action now.
>>
>> Also, if you have not watched the recent video regarding TEACH that 
>> our national center put out, check it out here: 
>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mU4MBIluhD0&feature=em-upload_owner
>>
>> Stay tuned for more action items from your TABS leadership team, but 
>> please, please, please, don’t delay, do your part!
>>
>> I look forward to reading your tweets to ACE and its component 
>> organizations using the hashtag #TEACHAct
>>
>> Best,
>>
>> Gabe Cazares
>>
>> President, Texas Association of Blind Students
>>
>> A Division of the National Federation of the Blind of Texas
>>
>> *From:*Nfbnet-students-list 
>> [mailto:nfbnet-students-list-bounces at nfbnet.org] *On Behalf Of *Sean 
>> Whalen via Nfbnet-students-list
>> *Sent:* Wednesday, September 10, 2014 7:27 AM
>> *To:* nfbnet-students-list at nfbnet.org 
>> <mailto:nfbnet-students-list at nfbnet.org>
>> *Subject:* [Nfbnet-students-list] #Lets-Do-This: Universities Need to 
>> Hear from Us. Opposition to Accessibility is NOT OK!
>>
>> Good morning NABS,
>>
>> I am writing today with an urgent request for your assistance. Please 
>> read this message and take action. It will take less than 10 minutes 
>> and could have a dramatic impact on our education, as well as on 
>> future generations of blind students in America.
>>
>> As you likely know, we in NFB are working to pass the TEACH Act to 
>> create guidelines for the accessibility of instructional materials. 
>> This effort took a huge step forward when Senator, and Education 
>> Committee Chairman, Tom Harkin included provisions of the TEACH Act 
>> in his higher education bill, which is currently working its way 
>> through the Senate. Unfortunately, and inexplicably, The American 
>> Council on Education (ACE), the largest and most influential group 
>> representing universities in the United States, has just recently 
>> gone on record opposing provisions of the TEACH Act in a letter to 
>> Senator Harkin. We need to push back, and we need to push back hard. 
>> The opposition of ACE is the only major barrier standing between us 
>> and the promise of true equality and accessibility in education. And 
>> the opposition is groundless. ACE’s letter offered no explanation as 
>> to why they oppose accessibility guidelines. The good news is that we 
>> can educate them and change their minds. But we need you to step up 
>> to the plate and make it happen. Here’s how:
>>
>> ACE is an umbrella organization made up of 20 groups representing 
>> various university stakeholders in higher education. We need to 
>> publically ask ACE and it’s component organizations why they oppose 
>> accessibility guidelines by tweeting at them. Many of the 
>> organizations under the ACE umbrella are not even aware of the ACE 
>> opposition to accessibility guidelines. In fact, traffic on some 
>> higher ed blogs and lists indicates that many universities and 
>> organizations do support what we are trying to do. We need to make 
>> them aware of the ACE opposition so that they can communicate to ACE 
>> that the official ACE stance is out of whack with the positions of 
>> the component organizations. Once ACE realizes that its membership 
>> supports accessibility guidelines they will have no choice but to 
>> drop their objections to the bill.
>>
>> Here’s what we need you to do sometime this week:
>>
>> Below you will find the names and twitter handles for ACE and all the 
>> organizations that sit on the Council. Big thanks to Kyle Shachmut of 
>> Massachusetts for compiling the list! We just need you to send a 
>> tweet asking why these organizations oppose accessibility guidelines 
>> and/or expressing why such guidelines are important for blind 
>> students.  Please send your tweet @ACEducation plus one additional 
>> component organization. Of course it would be great if you would 
>> tweet at multiple organizations this week with this message. You can 
>> find sample tweets below. Stay on message, but feel free to 
>> personalize and customize your tweets or create your own. I have also 
>> provided links to President Riccobono’s blog post on the issue and an 
>> op-ed by fellow student and NFB of MA President Kyle Shachmut that 
>> was recently featured in the Boston Globe online. It would be very 
>> useful to include one of these links in your tweet so that recipients 
>> can learn more.
>>
>> If you receive any response to your tweet, positive or negative, 
>> please forward it to our fabulous Governmental Affairs Specialist, 
>> Lauren McLarneyso that she can follow up and work her magic. She can 
>> be reached at lmclarney at nfb.org <mailto:lmclarney at nfb.org> or (410) 
>> 659-9314 ext. 2207 <tel:410%29%20659-9314%20x2207>
>>
>> I know it might not seem like a big deal to send one tweet on this 
>> issue, but these are not big corporations or Senators who receive 
>> thousands upon thousands of tweets. We in NABS number more than 800. 
>> If these organizations receive hundreds of tweets on this issue this 
>> week, it will be noticed and make a huge difference. It may will flip 
>> the opposition of ACE and clear the road for passage of this 
>> incredibly meaningful and impactful legislation. I’m going to do it, 
>> and I need you to do it too. Take a couple minutes. Stand up and 
>> raise your voice. Let ACE and its component organizations know that 
>> blind students will not tolerate baseless opposition to our accessing 
>> a full and equal education.
>>
>> *Sample Tweets*:
>>
>> @ACEducation @AAUniversities : why oppose optional #accessibility 
>> guidelines for students w/disabilities #TEACHAct goo.gl/qjvbgv 
>> <http://goo.gl/qjvbgv>
>>
>> @ACEducation @EDUCAUSE: why are you against voluntary #accessibility 
>> guidelines?  I deserve #equal access! #TEACHAct goo.gl/0V2rIy 
>> <http://goo.gl/0V2rIy>
>>
>> Here are all the organizations and their Twitter handles. Tweet 
>> @ACEducation and as many of its component organizations as you can. 
>> Then tell your friends to do the same! Now’s our chance. Let’s make a 
>> difference!
>>
>> *Association*
>>
>> 	
>>
>> *Twitter Handle*
>>
>> American Council on Education
>>
>> 	
>>
>> @ACEducation
>>
>> American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers
>>
>> 	
>>
>> @aacrao
>>
>> American Association of Community Colleges
>>
>> 	
>>
>> @Comm_College
>>
>> American Association of State Colleges and Universities
>>
>> 	
>>
>> @AASCU
>>
>> American Indian Higher Education Consortium
>>
>> 	
>>
>> n/a
>>
>> Association of American Universities
>>
>> 	
>>
>> @AAUniversities
>>
>> Association of Community College Trustees
>>
>> 	
>>
>> @CCTrustees
>>
>> Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges
>>
>> 	
>>
>> @AGBtweets (org)
>>
>> @LegonAGB (its president)
>>
>> Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities
>>
>> 	
>>
>> @jesuitcolleges
>>
>> Association of Public and Land-grant Universities
>>
>> 	
>>
>> @APLU_News
>>
>> Council for Higher Education Accreditation
>>
>> 	
>>
>> @CHEAnews
>>
>> Council for Opportunity in Education
>>
>> 	
>>
>> @COEtalk
>>
>> Council of Graduate Schools
>>
>> 	
>>
>> @GCSGradEd
>>
>> CUPA-HR
>>
>> 	
>>
>> @CUPAhr
>>
>> EDUCAUSE
>>
>> 	
>>
>> @EDUCAUSE
>>
>> Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities
>>
>> 	
>>
>> @HACUnews
>>
>> National Association of College and University Business Officers
>>
>> 	
>>
>> @NACUBO
>>
>> National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities
>>
>> 	
>>
>> @NAICUheadlines
>>
>> National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators
>>
>> 	
>>
>> @nasfaa
>>
>> UNCF (United Negro College Fund)
>>
>> 	
>>
>> @UNCF
>>
>> *Links to the 2 main articles to which we would like to direct people:*
>>
>>   * President Riccobono's Blog Post about ACE opposing the TEACH Act:
>>     https://nfb.org/blog/vonb-blog/unachievable-or-unwanted-why-ace-opposed-accessibility-guidelines
>>   * Kyle Shachmut (student & NFB of Massachusetts) Boston Globe Op-Ed
>>     about why ACE & schools should support the TEACH Act:
>>     http://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2014/09/05/education-technology-college-lobbyists-are-keeping-disabled-students-behind/jQ8UFe44BeFBumbTTqBzFL/story.html
>>
>> Sean Whalen
>>
>> President, National Association of Blind Students
>>
>> (608) 332-4147
>>
>> Nabs.president at gmail.com <mailto:Nabs.president at gmail.com>
>>
>> www.nabslink.org <http://www.nabslink.org>
>>
>> @NABSLink
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Txabs mailing list
>> Txabs at nfbnet.org <mailto:Txabs at nfbnet.org>
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/txabs_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
>> Txabs:
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/txabs_nfbnet.org/franks.jonathan13%40gmail.com
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Txabs mailing list
> Txabs at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/txabs_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for Txabs:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/txabs_nfbnet.org/nick%40nickgawronski.com

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/txabs_nfbnet.org/attachments/20140910/9c551369/attachment.html>