[Missouri-l] Fw: [leadership] Copy of My Letter on HR3101

[Chip Hailey]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ray Campbell" <ray1530 at wowway.com>
To: <acb-l at acb.org>; <leadership at acb.org>; <icb-l at icbonline.org>; 
<icb-board at icbonline.org>; "Wisconsin Discussion List" <wisconsin at acb.org>
Sent: Sunday, August 09, 2009 1:50 PM
Subject: [leadership] Copy of My Letter on HR3101


> Hello All:
>
> Below, please find the copy of my letter to my representative urging him 
> to
> sign onto H.R.3101 as a co-sponsor.  I hope this will inspire you to write
> to your representatives and ask them to do likewise.
>
> Thanks,
>
> =====start of letter=====
> August 7, 2009
>
>
>
>
> Honorable Representative Peter Roskam
> c/o Mark Skerjan, Legislative Assistant
> 507 Cannon House Office Building
> Washington, DC  20515
>
> To Honorable Representative Roskam:
>
> I am writing to ask That you sign on as a co-sponsor of HR3101, "The 21st
> Century Telecommunications and Video Accessibility Act." This legislation,
> which has been drafted by the Coalition of Organizations for Accessible
> Technology (COAT) and introduced by Representative Edward Marke (D-MA) is
> needed so that people like me who are blind or visually impaired will not 
> be
> left behind as developments in technology advance.
>
> This legislation will insure that telecommunications devicess are fully
> hearing aid compatible.  Both my wife and my father wear hearing aids. 
> They
> should be able to freely select whatever telecommunications device, such 
> as
> a cell phone they want without fear that it will either not work with 
> their
> hearing aids, or require that they spend extra money to buy a kneck loop
> just so it will work.  My father has to take his hearing aid out just to 
> use
> his current cell phone.  That should not be.  HR3101 will help change 
> that.
>
> This legislation will restore the modest requirements for the provision of
> video description and give the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
> authority to promulgate rules to both implement this on network television
> and require that programming with description carried over to the internet
> takes the description with it.  Video description, in which a narrator
> describes the visual elements of a television program or movie has made it
> much easier for me to enjoy movies.  With it, I can watch a television
> program or movie and not have to bother someone watching it with me to
> describe what is happening.
>
> HR3101 also requires that there be non-visual access to emergency
> information.  This means that if I am watching football on tv, for 
> example,
> and a tornado warning is issued for my area, I don't have to go to a radio
> or find someone to know what is going on.  Seconds count in an emergency 
> and
> I would much rather find out that there is a tornado bearing down on my 
> home
> from the tv than when it hits.
>
> HR3101 will require that communications devices be made accessible.  While 
> I
> do use a cell phone that gives me complete access to such features as call
> history, text messaging, e-mail and GPS information, I had to pay a total 
> of
> over $1,000 above the cost of the pfone to get this access.  Apple has
> proven, with its most recent release of the iPhone that accessibility can 
> be
> built in off the shelf.  When a user activates an iPhone, if they need it,
> they can have all of the features either talk or be displayed in large
> letters.  HR3101 will encourage other companies to follow Apple's lead.
>
> The importance of text messaging access was brought home to me in the fall
> of 2008.  DePaul University, where I attend school part time was affected 
> by
> a gas leak.  Thanks to having access to text messaging, I was able to
> quickly learn about this situation and react accordingly.  As we work to
> improve our nation's emergency preparedness, text messaging will become 
> even
> more essential for everyone.
>
> HR3101 will allocate up to $10 million annually from the universal Service
> Fund, into which we all pay for essential, but costly telecommunications
> equipment for individuals who are deaf-blind.  A woman I am acquainted 
> with
> recently received a piece of this kind of equipment and said because of 
> it,
> she was able to make a phone call, something we all take for granted, for
> the first time in eight years.  This woman was fortunate.  Providing this
> kind of basic telecommunications access to this population will decrease
> isolation and expand opportunities for employment, education and social
> interaction.
>
> Finally, HR3101 will seek to standardize real time text messaging.  This
> will mean that services like AOL Instant Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, iChat
> and others will be standardized so that users can communicate across these
> services.  Right now, that is not the case.  If I use AIM and want to
> instant message with someone using Yahoo Messenger, I cannot do that 
> because
> these services cannot talk to each other.  Many in the deaf and deaf-blind
> communications depend on instant messaging for all or part of their
> communication needs.  Again, by standardizing these services, we can
> increase opportunities for employment, education and other things.
>
> These are just a few of the reasons it is essential that you sign onto
> HR3101 as a co-sponsor and do all you can to see that it is passed by the
> House of Representatives.  Thank you in advance for your time, and
> hopefully, actions to sign onto this legislation.  I will be watching what
> happens very closely and contact you as necessary.  Your strong
> consideration is appreciated.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Ray Campbell
>
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>
>
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