This is really exciting.  Dept of Justice wants to hear from you all on various accessibility issues from ADA.  

Accessibility of Web Info and Services

"The Department of Justice (Department) is considering revising the regulations implementing title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA or Act) in order to establish requirements for making the goods, services, facilities, privileges, accommodations, or advantages offered by public accommodations via the Internet, specifically at sites on the World Wide Web (Web), accessible to individuals with disabilities."

and this

"..considering revising the ADA’s title II regulation to establish requirements for making the services, programs, or activities offered by State and local governments to the public via the Web accessible."

I’ve said that many times before; hold your silence, gov’t decides what you need, but if you tell gov’t what you want, gov’t will follow your suggestions (at least if enough of you express, they usually do).  

Sooo  be brave and tell DOJ what you think and what should be done.    Link explains how to express to the DOJ.  

I will be one of them.   My major beef is non-captioned of the video clips of news media like CNN and others.    Be sure to instruct DOJ to create a rule not to use voice to text cuz it is not accurate yet, or use teleprompter cuz ad libs often are lost in that.   We want the captioning of the whole shebang news clips.  

eyes open & thumbs up,

Ed

Long Link:

Access – http://www.regulations.gov/search/Regs/home.html#documentDetail?R=0900006480b20b1a

My apologies to those who already got this, but I thought worth posting for those who may have not seen that one.   

ICED Resolution

Quote

"Therefore we:

• Reject all resolutions passed at the ICED Milan Congress in 1880 that denied the inclusion of sign languages in educational programs for Deaf students;
• Acknowledge and sincerely regret the detrimental effectsof the Milan conference; and
• Call upon all Nations of the world to remember history and ensure that educational programs accept and respect all languages and all forms of communication."

My reaction?   YAHOO and HUZZAH!    

eyes open & thumbs up,

Ed

Long Link:

ICED – http://www.iced2010.com/pdf/Statement%20of%20Principle%20and%20Accord%20for%20the%20Future%281%29.pdf

Check this link out…

Access Bill

Quotable quote:

"Senate Communications Subcommittee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) announced that a piece of legislation guaranteeing broadband Internet access for disabled Americans will hopefully become law in 2010."

Read the blog and then let your state Congress persons know that you want this bill to be passed.  Below is the link to where you can find out who your congress folks are and how to contact them. 

Contact Congress Folks

eyes open & thumbs up,

Ed

Long LInk:

Access Bill:  http://www.speedmatters.org/blog/archive/kerry-legislation-ensuring-broadband-access-for-disabled-may-pass-in-2/
Contact: http://contactingthecongress.org/

An ex-parte letter from Minority Media and Telecommunications Council expressing concerns not unlike we deaf/hoh have. 

Minority Ex Parte

Quotable quotes:

"The Commission should ensure that net neutrality rules are neither written nor applied in a manner that adversely affects the participation of minorities online and in society."

"Permanent digital second-class citizenship is unacceptable on every level. The Commission must avoid the enormous social and moral costs that would attend the creation of a permanent digital underclass and consider the impact of its race-neutral policies on minorities."

So we’re not alone, and we have to fight to get our inherent rights.

eyes open & thumbs up,

Ed

PS: Full link:  http://www.wapt.com/news/21922547/detail.html

Below is an email from James Marsters’ daughter, Jean Marster. James Marster was one of the three deaf persons who helped push and paved the future for deaf/hoh by inventing TTY way back in 1964.

We all know how TTY revolutionized the world of deaf. Now the telephone access is not limited to hearing persons. We owe a great deal of debt to these three deaf men. Other two deaf men: Harry G. Lang and Robert H. Weitbrecht

Quote:

Dear Friends, With great sadness I write you that my father, James C. Marsters, passed away in he bed on Tuesday. He had not been ill for long, which is the way he would have wanted it.

The day before he died, he spent the afternoon and early evening with Jim Jr., with me and with his granddaughter, Anna. He was full of plans for restaurants he wanted to try, for the next monthly Deaf Lunch Bunch and of how much he’d enjoyed his most recent set of e-mails. He was in no discomfort. That time with him was a precious gift.

He was a wonderful man, and we loved him dearly.

We thank you for your friendship, your e-mails, your visits and your love which helped sustain him over the years.

Please feel free to share this e-mail with anyone who you think would want to know.

There will be a memorial service in Oakland the weekend of October 24-25th.

Yours,

Jean Marsters

Unquote

James C. Marsters, DDS — 4/5/24-7/28/09

Really, the ongoing pursuit for equality; that is, functional equivalence, is a life long battle and slow in getting what deaf/hoh deserves. Telephone access helped break through this seemingly insurmountable barrier. After TTY, relay service with TTY was soon created, and then VRS followed through. Even though I’m considered Father of VRS, I bow my heads to these guys. They made it technology possible. So let us all pause a moment and pay respects.

Folks, if you have stories to share about James Marsters, please feel free to comment. I know many of you elderly folks have had events with him.

eyes open & thumbs up,

Ed

FCC is seeking to refresh the record on petition to mandate captioned telephone relay service. Below link is about that:

Refresh Mandate on CTS

Group of Organizaiton Petitioning

Above link is a petition by a group of national and state organizations that captioning telephone relay service should be required feature and that Internet Protocol Captioned Telephone Relay Service should be approved. It is a well-thought out. FCC had problem with it in the past because of proprietary issue. This issue was addressed in the above link.

Supplement to Petition of CTS

Above link discusses the petition and whether CTS should be mandated or not.

Following companies commented.

Ultratec Comments

ATT Comments

Sprint Comments

Purple Comment

Calif PUC

In the past, as a state regulator I had concerns of proprietary issue. However, this CTS provides a service that is much needed in the public. I would encourage FCC to mandate the service with the understanding that quality of service be monitored very closely – not by state, but by federal. States would be stuck with a fixed price and would not be competitive, thus quality of service should be borne by federal.

eyes open & thumbs up,

Ed

http://www.tsd.state.tx.us/outreach/edsalertlive (this one is website explaining Live Webcast and to click to a live webcast is inside the website)

On July 21, starting 2:00 PM to 2:30 PM, there will be a live webcast on Internet. The link to connect to a live webcast is inside the above link: where it says ustream.tv. Click on that at the appointed time, you will see Dr David Coco and myself discussing various topics regarding VRS.

This is a live broadcast which was intended for persons involved with education, however, it is a public so everyone can watch the live broadcast. David wanted to reach school people and explain issues with VRS and he thought that a live webcast would best reach them. Cool idea. Again, the discussion is open to everyone to watch.

Jot the time and date down.

eyes open & thumbs up,

Ed B

FBI has issued affidavits showing support of search warrants, etc.  They are public information. 

ICSD

K Hawkins

Folks, it is very important to understand that although warrants have been issued, in the court of law, person/company/etc are presumed innocent until proved guilty from due process of courts. 

And the following link from one of Edsalert commentators on warning of IP Relay fraud. Thanks..

Warning from FBI on IP RElay

sorrowful eyes closed and thumbs horizional,

Ed