[Mt-blind] Fwd: Urgent-Action Needed by 6 PM Today Regarding Accessible Textbooks

[Dan Burke]

Greetings --

If you can make this call before 4 p.m. our time, it'll help us
prevent bad legislation affecting print access in higher education.
This afects the blind and others with print disabilities -- many of
these folks are served by the office here at UM.

In short, what's currently in this bill is not better than nothing --
it's worse than nothing!  That's why we want to strike it from the
bill.

Thanks for your attention!

Dan



---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Hartle, Jesse" <JHartle at nfb.org>
Date: Tue, 13 Nov 2007 13:59:58 -0500
Subject: Urgent-Action Needed by 6 PM Today Regarding Accessible Textbooks
To: undisclosed-recipients



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 at nfb.org <mailto:jhartle at 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
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