Accessible College Textbooks Saved!

Howdy Comrades!

Once again, we have won a battle in our war to achieve equality!  Thanks for helping with your phone calls and email.

 

Hartle, Jesse [mailto:JHartle@NFB.ORG]

Sent: Thursday, November 15, 2007 3:38 PM

To: undisclosed-recipients:

Subject: Legislative Alert HR 4137 Update

 

   

Fellow Federationists: 

 

I want to thank you all for your hard work in telling members of the House Education and Labor Committee about the concerns of the Blind relating to Section

766A of HR-4137.  Because of your hard work and many, many phone calls, a Manager’s amendment has been included to strengthen the consumer participation

of the Commission designed to study the problem of inaccessible materials in Higher Education, and to direct the Commission to develop a program that will

solve this problem.  This language was adopted by the Education and Labor Committee yesterday.  The National Federation of the Blind is now fully supportive

of Section 766A as established by the Manager’s amendment.   

 

Blind students in Institutions of Higher Education must have access to textbooks in the format of their choosing at the same time materials are made available

to their sighted peers.  This legislation will put us on the path to achieving this important goal.   

 

It is very important that we make follow-up phone calls to members of the Education and Labor Committee and thank them for passing an improved version of

Section 766A.  We should also contact Congressman Grijalva’s, Miller’s, and Petri’s offices.  These members worked hard to get this language into the Manager’s

amendment, and their staff members should know that the National Federation of the Blind appreciates their work.  I have included contact information for

these staff members below.  I think email will be the best way to reach them.   

 

We will continue to update you all on the latest information relating to this legislation as it moves towards a Conference Committee.  Thank you all once

again.   

 

Jesse 

 

Congressman Grijalva

 

Alethea Scally

 

alethea.scally@mail.house.gov 

 

Congressman Petri

 

Tom Culligan

 

thomas.culligan@mail.house.gov 

 

Chairman Miller

 

Sharon Lewis

 

sharon.lewis@mail.house.gov

 

--Of course, we must remain vigilant in order to get this legislation to final passage.

Regards,

Chairman Mal

Power to the Peeps!