[Nfbnet-members-list] FW: National Federation of the Blind Postpones Planned Protest Tomorrow: New York City Schools Panel Cancels Vote on Amazon Deal

[Kuhnke, Kristian]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
Chris Danielsen
Director of Public Relations
National Federation of the Blind
(410) 659-9314, extension 2330
(410) 262-1281 (Cell)
<mailto:cdanielsen at nfb.org>cdanielsen at nfb.org



National Federation of the Blind Postpones Planned Protest Tomorrow




New York City Schools Panel Cancels Vote on Amazon Deal


Baltimore, Maryland (August 25, 2015): The 
<https://nfb.org/>National Federation of the 
Blind (NFB), the nation’s leading advocate for 
equal education for blind students, commented 
today on a proposed $30 million contract under 
which Amazon, Inc. would construct an electronic 
storefront for New York City schools and become 
the primary provider of educational materials for 
students. The NFB planned to protest the deal 
before a meeting of the school system’s Panel for 
Educational Policy tomorrow, but will not go 
forward with the protest because the panel has 
canceled the vote on the proposal in order to investigate NFB’s concerns.

Mark A. Riccobono, President of the 
<https://www.facebook.com/NationalFederationoftheBlind>National 
Federation of the Blind, said: “The National 
Federation of the Blind is firmly committed to 
the principle that blind students must have equal 
access to the materials used by their sighted 
peers if they are to receive an equal education 
and live the lives they want. That is why we have 
expressed our strong opposition to the deal with 
Amazon as currently proposed. While we stand 
ready to take any and all steps necessary to 
protect the rights of New York City’s blind 
students, we are now hopeful, in light of the 
cancellation of tomorrow’s vote on this deal, 
that we can resolve the issue through an amicable 
and productive dialogue with school officials. We 
continue to urge everyone concerned about the 
rights of students who are blind or who have 
print disabilities to contact Chancellor Carmen 
Fariña and let her know that equal access and 
equal education are one and the same.”


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About the National Federation of the Blind



The National Federation of the Blind knows that 
blindness is not the characteristic that defines 
you or your future. Every day we raise the 
expectations of blind people, because low 
expectations create obstacles between blind 
people and our dreams. You can live the life you 
want; blindness is not what holds you back.


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