[mountainstate] Letter to Senator Rockefeller

[JRayl]

Tricounty Chapter of

Mountain State Council of the Blind

PO Box 2756

Martinsburg, WV 25402

(304) 263-2996

eaglewings at wvdsl.net



October 28, 2009







Senator Jay Rockefeller
Chairman, Senate Commerce Committee

Room 531 Hart Senate Office Building

Washington, DC  20510

(VIA Fax 202-224-7665)



Please Introduce Senate Bill!  RE: H.R. 3101, the Twenty-first Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2009

Dear Senator Rockefeller:



I am President of Tricounty Chapter of Mountain State Council of the Blind. I am blind and TCMSCB is a nonprofit affiliate of the 
American Council of the Blind. We work with and advocate for people who are blind, visually impaired and deaf-blind. Many of us 
are employed and all of us very much want to live, work and interact in the same way as our sighted cohorts with TV, internet and 
other digital devices. Unfortunately, the complexity of the wires and the sophistication of software programs often make it 
impossible for those of us who need accessibility due to vision, hearing or other disabilities.

In June, the Twenty-first Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2009 (H.R. 3101), was introduced by Rep. Markey 
(Ma). This legislation would ensure that all Americans have equal access to these exciting and innovative new technologies. It 
would enable us to access remote controls on our TV and DVD, TV menu screens, obtain emergency information that is now written on 
the screen audibly, and so much more.

For example, my remote control has many buttons all of which are labeled in print. This operates a TV menu which is equally in 
print. I cannot see any of this nor can I see the lights on the TV set. I live alone. Therefore, I cannot even turn on the SAPP to 
get any programming that is available to me in descriptive video now.  I cannot read weather forecasts, schedules that scroll 
across the screen, emergency alerts that scroll across the screen and community notices that scroll across the screen. This 
legislation would make all of this audible to me allowing me greater self-sufficiency.

The 21st Century Communications & Video Accessibility Act would amend the Communications Act to ensure that new Internet-enabled 
telephone and video services and equipment are accessible to, and usable by, people with disabilities.   From extending hearing 
aid compatibility and Internet closed captioning to real-time text support for emergency services, the bill seeks to provide a 
smooth migration to the next-generation of Internet-based and digital communication technologies.



Senator Rockefeller, you have done much for West Virginia in the many years in which you have served our state. We of Mountain 
State Council, and our wonderful state of West Virginia would be honored and proud to have you introduce this bill so we can 
access and use phones and television like our sighted cohorts.

Thank you.

Sincerely,







Jessie L. Rayl, MA, LPC ALPS

TCMSCB President



Jessie L. Rayl, MA, ALPS, LPC
Pathways Counseling Services
Phone:  (304) 262-8020
Email: eaglewings at wvdsl.net
604 Wilson Street
Martinsburg, WV 25401

"To be sensitive is to feel the thoughts and hearts of others as you would want yours to be felt."--unknown