Earlier today, S 3304 had a markup together with three other bills and nominations. They recommended that it be moved to the Senate floor for a vote.
Caption Action 2 does not know yet what the fate of the deaf-blind provision was, but, according to the National Journal, "The panel approved a substitute that included as its text a modified version of the technology accessibility bill the House Energy and Commerce Communications Subcommittee approved last month."
Additional media coverage appeared in:
Broadcasting and Cable
The Hill
CED Magazine
What's next? FULL floor/committee votes are coming soon! This is when all the work you have put into contacting your representatives and senators, will pay off. Our supporters will have to work to get additional support from other representatives and senators.
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Thursday, July 15, 2010
Friday, July 2, 2010
Cosponsor 53 Joins HR 3101!
53HR 3101 just got its 53rd cosponsor!
Let us welcome Democratic Representative William Lacy Clay (MO-1)!
Democrats - 51, Republicans - 2
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Thursday, July 1, 2010
From $10 Million to Zero...for Deaf-Blind People!
Today the National Association of the Deaf posted about the markup of HR 3101. One sentence caught our eye:
For example, advocacy efforts will be needed to recover the section in H.R. 3101 which provided funding for specialized communications equipment needed by people who are deaf-blind, such as refreshable Braille devices. That section was not included in the new H.R. 3101.
What? This means that there is now NOTHING in HR 3101 for deaf-blind people. Before, there was something:
(3) ANNUAL AMOUNT- The total amount of universal service support that may be obligated or expended under this subsection for any fiscal year may not exceed $10,000,000
To see for yourself the difference(s), compare Old_HR3101.pdf and New_HR3101.pdf (both are on the blogroll).
How much does a refreshable Braille device cost? We checked the manufacturers' websites. On the HumanWare site, we found products, but no prices. Customers have to contact the company to get prices. There was a price on the site of Freedom Scientific: almost $4,000. On Amazon.com, there was an Alva braille display costing "only" about $6,300. The least expensive one we found was the Seika braille display, costing about $2,500.
If you are deaf-blind, it is not too late. The bill has another markup to go through before it reaches the full House floor. If the deaf-blind community wants to get this provision restored in the final version of HR 3101, it has to get active and put pressure on Energy and Commerce Committee members.
Join Caption Action 2 on Facebook!
For example, advocacy efforts will be needed to recover the section in H.R. 3101 which provided funding for specialized communications equipment needed by people who are deaf-blind, such as refreshable Braille devices. That section was not included in the new H.R. 3101.
What? This means that there is now NOTHING in HR 3101 for deaf-blind people. Before, there was something:
(3) ANNUAL AMOUNT- The total amount of universal service support that may be obligated or expended under this subsection for any fiscal year may not exceed $10,000,000
To see for yourself the difference(s), compare Old_HR3101.pdf and New_HR3101.pdf (both are on the blogroll).
How much does a refreshable Braille device cost? We checked the manufacturers' websites. On the HumanWare site, we found products, but no prices. Customers have to contact the company to get prices. There was a price on the site of Freedom Scientific: almost $4,000. On Amazon.com, there was an Alva braille display costing "only" about $6,300. The least expensive one we found was the Seika braille display, costing about $2,500.
If you are deaf-blind, it is not too late. The bill has another markup to go through before it reaches the full House floor. If the deaf-blind community wants to get this provision restored in the final version of HR 3101, it has to get active and put pressure on Energy and Commerce Committee members.
Join Caption Action 2 on Facebook!
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