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Hi, my name is Leah Katz-Hernandez.
I am excited to announce a national virtual *** legislative day on Thursday, April 15,
in support of the Twenty-first Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2009 (H.R. 3101).
This new law, when passed, will benefit our community. For example:
Require all captioned TV programs on the Internet to be shown with captions
As many of you know, the Internet has lots of TV programs that are not captioned.
We are all very frustrated about this. It is time to step up and say enough!
Closed captioned (CC) buttons must be on TV remote controls
It is so hard to find the captioning feature on so many TVs today.
This legislation would put the CC button on the remote!
Also CC would be on the TV’s first level menu options,
so you can make changes easily to the caption color, size, etc. Cool!
Any device, even devices smaller than 13 inches, that shows TV must be able to display captions
This means that DVRs, mobile TVs, and yes, even my pager will be able to display captions!
The federal government’s Universal Service programs for communication will help low income people pay
for broadband service and will provide special communication access equipment for people who are deaf-blind.
This bill will bring our community closer to equal access to new technology that our hearing peers enjoy.
It will also provide access for the blind community. Both communities need access and should not be left behind!
Please support this important legislation. The *** and other advocacy groups are working hard
to get this bill - H.R. 3101 – passed by the House of Representatives.
In addition, we are trying to get this bill introduced in the Senate.
How can you help the *** on this virtual legislative day?
Plan now to set aside time during the day on April 15th to call and/or write to your Representative.
If you planned to take a lunch break or chat a little longer at the water cooler, save this time
and contribute towards a greater cause by taking action that day!
The *** Board of Directors will be in Washington, DC, meeting with key Representatives to advocate
for this important legislation. Your calls, letters, faxes, and emails will help
our efforts to push for the passage of this bill.
We have provided links in the blog (link) on the *** website to help you contact
your Representative, along with a sample message.
After you contact your Representative, please contact the Chairman of the
Subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet. His name is Rick Boucher.
His contact information is also provided in the blog.
I used to work on Capitol Hill for an elected Representative and I can tell you
that it is always powerful to hear from people in their communities.
You really have an impact on legislation. Let’s work together as a team and take action!
Thanks for your support and for the ***!