For Immediate Release

April 30, 2008 

 

American Council of the Blind Plays Critical Role in Upcoming

Accessible Telecommunications and Video Programming Hearing

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Tomorrow morning, Sergeant Major Jesse Acosta will testify on the behalf of the American Council of the Blind (ACB) in front of the Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce regarding the 21st Century Telecommunications and Video Accessibility Act.  

 

“ACB is grateful to Sergeant Major Jesse Acosta for his willingness to participate in this important hearing,” stated Mitch Pomerantz, ACB president. “He is an American hero and we are proud to have him as an active member of ACB and the California Council of the Blind.”

 

Acosta has served our country with honor and distinction since 1976 in the United States Army. In June 2003, he joined the Individual Ready Reserve program and remained there until his unit was called to active duty in Iraq in June 2005.  His unit is the 376th AG BN DET. 4, and he was mobilized in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom on August 20, 2005, where he and his unit were assigned to logistical support missions at Anaconda in Balad, which is the largest support base in Iraq.  On January 16, 2006, just weeks after his promotion to sergeant major, Acosta was wounded in a mortar attack. “Among my several injuries are the loss of my right eye and complete loss of vision in my left eye,” Acosta said.

 

As the result of his loss of sight, Acosta’s journey to re-establish a normal lifestyle at times has been an odyssey. He has experienced firsthand the inaccessibility of features on his television, cable box, and DVR, which currently reside in his living room. Acosta remarked, “With today’s modern technology, our lives can be made a little bit easier if our government chooses to make changes to some of our existing laws that at this point in time do very little to meet the technological needs within the blind community.”

 

The draft legislation would seek to update telecommunications laws to better enable people who have vision or hearing loss to gain full access to information that is provided through the use of consumer electronic devices and services.

 

“This is a comprehensive piece of legislation designed to expand access to Internet-enabled telephony, video programming through video description of emergency information and program content, availability of equipment for deaf-blind consumers, and the now largely inaccessible user interfaces employed by a wide variety of devices that receive and display video programming,” said Eric Bridges, Director of Advocacy and Governmental Affairs with ACB.  

 

ACB calls on Congress to formally introduce this legislation and take initial action on it before the end of this year.

 

To watch the subcommittee hearing that begins at 9:30 a.m. Eastern via the Internet, go to http://energycommerce.edgeboss.net/wmedia-live/energycommerce/11990/100_energycommerce-2123_060901.asx. 

 

About the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act:

• Devices, even those smaller than 13-inch TV screens, must display captioning;

 

• Video description on television so people with vision loss can access emergency announcements and more fully enjoy program content;

 

• Accessible user interfaces/menus on devices such as TVs, VCRs, and DVD players, so blind and deaf users can operate them;

 

• Discounts for eligible disabled broadband users who require videophones to communicate;

 

• A set-aside of some funds for equipment development for deaf-blind people to make phone calls. 

 

About ACB:

The American Council of the Blind is the largest consumer-based organization of blind and visually impaired Americans advocating for the rights of blind Americans. Comprised of more than 70 affiliates across the entire United States, the organization is dedicated to making it possible for blind and visually impaired Americans to participate fully in every aspect of American society. 

 

For more information about the American Council of the Blind, and the issues it supports, visit www.acb.org or contact the American Council of the Blind, 1155 15th Street NW, Suite 1004, Washington, DC 20005; phone (202) 467-5081 or toll-free, 1-800-424-8666. 

 

Return to ACB Home page.