URGENT Save Accessible Textbooks for College Students

Howdy Comrades!

This is an urgent matter we must act on today!  Our effort to provide blind college students with access to electronic copies of textbooks is in jeopardy.  Below is the information you need to hehlp blind college students immediately. 

 

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

Sent: Tuesday, November 13, 2007 1:00 PM

To: undisclosed-recipients:

Subject: Urgent-Action Needed by 6 PM Today Regarding Accessible Textbooks

Importance: High

 

 

Fellow Federationists:            

 

We have an urgent need to defeat language proposed for a bill that goes to mark up Wednesday, November 14, 2007.  The language is Section 766A in H.R. 4137. 

 

 

On Monday, November 5, 2007, we received proposed bill language for a Commission designed to study issues concerning the accessibility of textbooks in higher

Education, and also charged with developing a model project that would be designed to support systems that were currently in place.  We expressed concerns

relating to the composition of the Commission.  First problem:  The membership as described by the legislation involved minimal input from consumers, while

being more favorable to the publishing community.  Second problem:  The pilot program is scheduled to last a minimum of one year longer than the Commission,

and, worse yet, could extend longer than one year if the Secretary of Education chooses to extend the pilot program.  This language, if included in the

bill, would continue to delay access to information for blind students in institutions of Higher Education, possibly for years to come. 

 

We submitted revised language to the Committee asking that a majority of the Commission be composed of individuals with print disabilities.  We told them

that if the Commission was not consumer-driven, then little significance would come from this legislation.  We also urged the Committee to strengthen the

purpose of the Commission, from merely studying the problem, to developing legislation to be enacted by Congress.  When bill H.R. 4137 was introduced,

however, we learned that none of our suggested changes to improve this legislation for blind people were included.   

 

This bill is scheduled to be marked up tomorrow, Wednesday, November 14, 2007 so you need to call immediately.   

 

We need you to make two calls:

 

1.      Call Chairman George Miller’s office at (202) 225-2095.  He is the Chairman of the House Committee on Education and Labor.  Tell him that section

766A will not help blind college students and urge him to have it removed.

 

2.      If your Representative is on the below list of Education and Labor Committee members, you need to call him or her.  Tell your representative that

section 766A will not help blind college students and urge him or her to vote to have it removed.   

 

I have included a list of the members of the House Education and Labor Committee below with their phone numbers.  You can also be connected with Congressional

offices by calling the Capitol switchboard at (202) 225-3121.  Please find your state in the lists below and call now, then get your neighbors to call. 

Ask relatives and friends who live in other states to make these calls as well. 

 

Thank you all very much for your help on this urgent matter.  If you have any questions, please call me at (410) 659-9314, extension 2233, or e-mail me

at

jhartle@nfb.org. 

 

House Committee on Education and Labor

 

Full Committee

 

11/13/07 

 

Rep. George Miller (D CA–7), Chair 

 

Majority (27 D): 

 

Rep. George Miller (D CA–7) 202-225-2095

 

Rep. Dale E. Kildee (D MI–5) 202-225-3611

 

Rep. Donald M. Payne (D NJ–10) 202-225-3436

 

Rep. Robert E. Andrews (D NJ–1) 202-225-6501

 

Rep. Robert C. Scott (D VA–3) 202-225-8351

 

Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D CA–6) 202-225-5161

 

Rep. Rubén Hinojosa (D TX–15) 202-225-2531

 

Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D NY–4) 202-225-5516

 

Rep. John F. Tierney (D MA–6) 202-225-8020

 

Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich (D OH–10) 202-225-5871

 

Rep. David Wu (D OR–1) 202-225-0855

 

Rep. Rush Holt (D NJ–12) 202-225-5801

 

Rep. Susan Davis (D CA–53) 202-225-2040

 

Rep. Danny K. Davis (D IL–7) 202-225-5006

 

Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva (D AZ–7) 202-225-2435

 

Rep. Timothy H. Bishop (D NY–1) 202-225-3826

 

Rep. Linda Sánchez (D CA–39) 202-225-6676

 

Rep. John P. Sarbanes (D MD–3) 202-225-4016

 

Rep. Joe Sestak (D PA–7) 202-225-2011

 

Rep. Dave Loebsack (D IA–2) 202-225-6576

 

Rep. Mazie K. Hirono (D HI–2) 202-225-4906

 

Rep. Jason Altmire (D PA–4) 202-225-2565

 

Rep. John Yarmuth (D KY–3) 202-225-5401

 

Rep. Phil Hare (D IL–17) 202-225-5905

 

Rep. Yvette Clarke (D NY–11) 202-225-6231

 

Rep. Joe Courtney (D CT–2) 202-225-2076

 

Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (D NH–1) 202-225-5456 

 

Minority (22 R): 

 

Rep. Howard P. Buck McKeon (R CA–25) 202-225-1956

 

Rep. Thomas E. Petri (R WI–6) 202-225-2476

 

Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R MI–2) 202-225-4401

 

Rep. Michael N. Castle (R DE–At Large) 202-225-4165

 

Rep. Mark Souder (R IN–3) 202-225-4436

 

Rep. Vernon J. Ehlers (R MI–3) 202-225-3831

 

Rep. Judy Biggert (R IL–13) 202-225-3515

 

Rep. Todd Russell Platts (R PA–19) 202-225-5836

 

Rep. Ric Keller (R FL–8) 202-225-2176

 

Rep. Joe Wilson (R SC–2) 202-225-2452

 

Rep. John Kline (R MN–2) 202-225-2271

 

Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R WA–5) 202-225-2006

 

Rep. Kenny Marchant (R TX–24) 202-225-6605

 

Rep. Tom Price (R GA–6) 202-225-4501

 

Res. Comm. Luis G. Fortuño (R ) 202-225-2615

 

Rep. Charles Boustany Jr. (R LA–7) 202-225-2031

 

Rep. Virginia Foxx (R NC–5) 202-225-2071

 

Rep. Randy Kuhl (R NY–29) 202-225-3161

 

Rep. Rob Bishop (R UT–1) 202-225-0453

 

Rep. David Davis (R TN–1) 202-225-6356

 

Rep. Tim Walberg (R MI–7) 202-225-6276

 

Rep. Dean Heller (R NV–2) 202-225-6155 

 

Question:  “How do you eat an elephant?”  

 

Answer:  “One bite at a time.”

 

--A little philosophy from Dr. Kenneth Jernigan

 

   --Comrades, I have made several calls and urge you to follow suit.  Never mind about the elephant: Just pick up the phone right now!

Regards,

Chairman Mal

Power to the Peeps!