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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message -----
<DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A
title=ebridges@acb.org href="mailto:ebridges@acb.org">Eric Bridges</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>To:</B> <A title=leadership@acb.org
href="mailto:leadership@acb.org">leadership@acb.org</A> ; <A
title=announce@acb.org href="mailto:announce@acb.org">announce@acb.org</A>
</DIV>
<DIV><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, February 17, 2010 2:34 PM</DIV>
<DIV><B>Subject:</B> [leadership] Background Paper for Legislative Seminar
H.R.3101</DIV></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV class=Section1>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Telecommunications and Electronic
Information<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Legislative Imperative<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">2010
ACB Legislative Seminar<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Background<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="LINE-HEIGHT: 125%"><B><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 125%">Television and
Internet products as well as programming are becoming increasingly reliant on
visual information to communicate with consumers. Products are created that
utilize on-screen menus and in programming, significant events are portrayed
visually: emergency weather advisories are scrolled across screens. People who
are blind, or have visual impairments, are thereby denied access to a
significant portion of the vast array of communications services available
today. In the following paper, we will describe the challenges blind and
visually impaired individuals are currently experiencing in an increasingly
digital world and the necessity for legislation to rectify these problems. The
nation has a compelling public interest in furthering the safety, security and
well-being of people who are blind and visually impaired by ensuring, to the
fullest extent made possible by technology, equal access to the television
medium.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="LINE-HEIGHT: 125%"><B><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 125%"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="LINE-HEIGHT: 125%"><B><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 125%">Video
Description<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="LINE-HEIGHT: 125%"><B><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 125%">Television plays
a critical role in our society as a vital source of news, information, local and
community affairs, education, and entertainment. Video description is where a
narrator describes visual elements of a program during the natural pauses that
occur in dialogue to let a person who cannot see the screen know what is
happening.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="LINE-HEIGHT: 125%"><B><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 125%"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="LINE-HEIGHT: 125%"><B><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 125%">Accessible
Interfaces<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="LINE-HEIGHT: 125%"><B><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 125%">Today, there
exist many levels of on-screen menus and complicated program guides for
operating various video programming devices (DVD players, televisions, cable
boxes, TiVo etc.). Unfortunately, access to these interfaces is poor to
non-existent for individuals with visual impairments. Such complicated
navigational tools and remotes are new barriers to old delivery
mechanisms.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="LINE-HEIGHT: 125%"><B><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 125%"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="LINE-HEIGHT: 125%"><B><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 125%">Web Access and Web
Programming<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="LINE-HEIGHT: 125%"><B><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 125%">In addition to
old delivery mechanisms, we are seeing new technologies and new devices that
carry video programming. Programming that was once viewable on television is now
available over the Internet and on IP-enabled and wireless devices. However,
access to that programming and the use of options such as video description and
closed captioning is poor at best.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="LINE-HEIGHT: 125%"><B><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 125%"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="LINE-HEIGHT: 125%"><B><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 125%">Emergency Information
Access<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="LINE-HEIGHT: 125%"><B><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 125%">It is critical
that emergency information is provided in a manner that allows access for
individuals with sensory disabilities. Emergency information provided visually
must be described in the program’s main audio track. More and more, critical
information is scrolled or crawled across the screen with no accompanying audio
information.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="LINE-HEIGHT: 125%"><B><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 125%"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="LINE-HEIGHT: 125%"><B><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 125%">Access to Electronic Communications
and information by Wireless Devices<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="LINE-HEIGHT: 125%"><B><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 125%">Today, a cell
phone is no longer just a means by which people speak to one another. These
devices are equipped with features that will allow the user to send and receive
email, text messages, and to procure information from the Internet.
Unfortunately, blind or visually impaired consumers are forced to spend much
more than just the cost of the phone and data plan in order to gain full access
to all of the features of these devices.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="LINE-HEIGHT: 125%"><B><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 125%"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="LINE-HEIGHT: 125%"><B><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 125%">Legislation<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="LINE-HEIGHT: 125%"><B><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 125%"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="LINE-HEIGHT: 125%"><B><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 125%">Twenty-first
Century Communications and Video Accessibility
Act.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="LINE-HEIGHT: 125%"><B><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 125%"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="LINE-HEIGHT: 125%"><B><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 125%">On June 26, 2009
Representative Edward Markey (D-MA) reintroduced H.R. 3101, the Twenty-first
Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act. This legislation was made a
reality by the active participation of ACB through it’s steering committee
membership in the Coalition of Organizations for Accessible Technology (COAT).
ACB is urging Congress to pass this legislation which will address our
concerns:<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="LINE-HEIGHT: 125%"><B><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 125%"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="LINE-HEIGHT: 125%"><B><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 125%">Proposed
Action<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="LINE-HEIGHT: 125%"><B><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 125%"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="LINE-HEIGHT: 125%"><B><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 125%">ACB strongly
urges Congress to pass the Twenty-first Century Communications and Video
Accessibility Act.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="LINE-HEIGHT: 125%"><B><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 125%"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="LINE-HEIGHT: 125%"><B><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 125%">Please share
with members of both the House and Senate the language outlined above and how
these changes will impact your life. Please urge them to be a sponsor or
co-sponsor of this legislation. If a member of Congress is interested in
sponsoring this legislation, please advise the ACB national office of their
interest so that staff can make a follow-up
contact.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P></DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 125%; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><BR
style="PAGE-BREAK-BEFORE: always" clear=all></SPAN></FONT>
<DIV class=Section2>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P></DIV>
<P>
<HR>
<P></P>_______________________________________________<BR>leadership mailing
list<BR>leadership@acb.org<BR>http://www.acb.org/mailman/listinfo/leadership<BR></BODY></HTML>