“Dots and Dashes” is a short newsletter featuring a variety of topics and ACB stories. This issue features articles on ACB’s Facebook Live adventure from Harpers Ferry, ACB seeks input from Google Fiber customers, advocacy updates, inclusive workplaces, AFB’s transportation survey for those 55 and older, and a survey for those with Leber’s congenital amaurosis and Usher syndrome type 2.
Google Fiber Seeks Waiver
Google Fiber has requested a waiver from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to delay regulatory requirements for providing accessible user interfaces. ACB has reached out to Google for more information to understand their reasons for requesting this waiver prior to filing comments by June 17. If you are a Google Fiber customer, please share your experience with the ACB national office at [email protected]. Additional information regarding this proceeding is below.
Links to Public Notice:
URL: https://www.fcc.gov/document/mb-seeks-comment-google-fibers-accessible-ui-waiver-petition
Word: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-19-430A1.doc
Text: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-19-430A1.txt
Link to Petition:
URL: https://ecfsapi.fcc.gov/file/10513136520285/Google%20Fiber%20Amended%20TV%20Accessibility%20Waiver%20(13%20May%202019).pdf
Inclusive Workplaces
Did you know companies that adopt best practices for hiring people with disabilities financially outperform their peers? Members of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Advisory Committee are joining an investor coalition with New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, the American Association of People with Disabilities and Disability:IN to promote disability equity and inclusion in the workplace.
AFB Transportation Survey
The American Foundation for the Blind is seeking individuals to participate in a research study titled Project VISITOR: Visually Impaired Seniors’ Independent Travel Opportunities and Resources through a telephone survey.
To participate, you must be 55 years of age or older and should be blind or low-vision, or experiencing significant vision loss such that you are no longer able to drive. The survey will take about 30 minutes. Call the research team at (888) 800-7704 or email us at [email protected] to indicate your interest in the research. Let us know your name, the best phone number to reach you and the best days and times for you to participate in a survey. You can also leave any questions you have about the research.
Seeking Patients with LCA, Usher Syndrome Type 2
ACB recently received a message from a staffer at Medicys; they’re conducting a survey and would like to speak with patients who have been diagnosed with Leber’s Congenital Amaurosis (LCA) or Usher Syndrome Type 2 (USH2).
The study will include a short 15-minute questionnaire and a 60-minute telephone interview. Please also note that:
- Patients will be required to call a TC line for the interview. This and the passcode will be provided if they screen in.
- Patient’s personal information will be kept strictly confidential in accordance with data protection laws. They will be assigned a number code. This code and all of your private information will never be revealed to anyone outside our firm or our recruiting partners.
- We are looking for those that can offer valuable first-hand information about their experiences, helping us to understand LCA-10 or USH2, including what led to the diagnosis, the challenges faced and the doctors involved in the journey.
If you have one of the above-mentioned conditions and are interested, contact Richard Davy at 1-800-276-6416 or Amy Bradshaw via email, [email protected].
Facebook Live from Harpers Ferry
On May 22nd, Eric Bridges and Clark Rachfal, along with several D.C.-area ACB members, took a trip to Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, and brought viewers with them via Facebook Live. They explored the audio-described features and available accommodations at the park for visitors with disabilities. Bridges and Rachfal met with National Park Service leaders about work to insure greater access for blind and visually impaired people to the parks. You can view the video on ACB’s Facebook page,https://www.facebook.com/AmericanCounciloftheBlindOfficial/, or on YouTube, https://youtu.be/TUppIn_7OAk.
Advocacy Updates
The May 27th ACB Advocacy Update features Chris Gray, former ACB president and the executive director of the Missouri Council of the Blind, discussing his experience being blind and living with diabetes. The inaccessibility of durable medical equipment for diabetics is a public policy imperative for ACB and its members. More information about this issue is available at www.acb.org. Listen via your favorite podcast player or online at http://acbradio.org/content/acb-advocacy-update-may-27-2019.
In the May 21st ACB Advocacy Update, Claire Stanley and Clark Rachfal talk with Steve Tyler to discuss the 2019 M-Enabling Summit. Steve is the Director of Assistive Technology for Leonard Cheshire and is an active participant in the Global Initiative for Inclusive Information and Communication Technologies (G3ICT). This year’s summit theme is “Accessibility: Transforming Users’ Experience.” To hear the podcast, visit http://acbradio.org/content/acb-advocacy-update-may-21-2019. For more information about the summit, visit www.m-enabling.com, or e-mail [email protected].
If there are other advocacy related issues that you would like ACB to feature on our podcast, please email: [email protected].