Marlee Matlin Champions Internet Access for the NAD
Academy Award winning actress and author Marlee Matlin, a member of the
National Association of the Deaf (NAD), is taking on a new role as an NAD
spokesperson for accessible broadband services and Internet media.
Matlin will take part in a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) hearing
addressing the needs of people with disabilities in the development of the
FCC’s National Broadband Plan, which will be submitted to Congress in
February 2010. The hearing, along with innovative technology exhibitions,
will be presided over by Commissioner Michael Copps at Gallaudet University
in Washington, D.C., from 9:00 am -1:00 pm, on November 6, 2009. The public
is encouraged to attend the event and to share their ideas and comments with
the Commission. More information about the hearing is available at
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-294267A1.pdf
“Not only is Marlee a phenomenal actress, she understands our experience,”
said NAD President Bobbie Beth Scoggins. “The nationwide adoption of
broadband and Internet services can only be achieved when those services are
available, affordable, and accessible to every American, including Americans
who are deaf and hard of hearing. The disability community must not be left
behind as our nation’s communication, information, and entertainment
services migrate to the Internet.”
While in Washington, Matlin will also visit key legislators on Capitol Hill
with NAD representatives and other members of the Coalition of Organizations
for Accessible Technology (COAT). Matlin’s meetings will spotlight on the
need to enact the “Twenty-first Century Communications and Video
Accessibility Act of 2009” (H.R. 3101) introduced by Representative Edward
J. Markey (MA).
An outspoken advocate for captioning Internet media, Matlin first testified
before Congress in 1990, successfully paving the way for a law requiring
most television sets to be capable of displaying closed captions. Presently,
Matlin is leading social media advocacy efforts to urge online video content
providers, such as Netflix and Blockbuster, to caption their media. Her
efforts have captured both providers’ attention in making their online
content accessible to 36 million deaf and hard of hearing Americans.
“Internet captioning is very important to me as a deaf person because
captions provide access to content that affects my life and my livelihood,”
said Matlin. “Legislators need to know that captions are necessary to follow
the latest news, information, and entertainment available on the Internet. I
join millions of other deaf and hard of hearing Americans advocating for
Internet access.”
Matlin is an acclaimed actress who gained worldwide fame with her role in
the film “Children of a Lesser God.” Her performance was recognized by the
film community with an Academy Award, making Matlin the youngest recipient
of the Oscar for Best Actress at age 21. She has also starred in many
popular television programs and series, such as “West Wing” and “Dancing
with the Stars.” Her autobiography, “I’ll Scream Later,” published by Simon
Spotlight, is available in bookstores nationwide.
The NAD thanks Purple Communications for sponsoring Matlin’s visit to
Washington.
About the NAD
The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) was established in 1880 by deaf
leaders who believed in the right of the American deaf community to use sign
language, to congregate on issues important to them, and to have its
interests represented at the national level. These beliefs remain true to
this day, with American Sign Language as a core value. As a nonprofit
federation, the mission of the NAD is to preserve, protect, and promote the
civil, human, and linguistic rights of deaf and hard of hearing individuals
in the United States of America. The advocacy scope of the NAD is broad,
covering the breadth of a lifetime and impacting future generations in the
areas of early intervention, education, employment, health care, technology,
telecommunications, youth leadership, and more.
About Purple Communications
Purple Communications is a provider of onsite interpreting services, video
relay and text relay services, and video remote interpreting, offering a
wide array of options designed to meet the varied communication needs of its
customers. The Company’s vision is to enable free-flowing communication
between people, inclusive of differences in abilities, languages, or
locations. For more information on the Company or its services, visit
www.purple.us or contact Purple Communications directly by voice at
415-408-2300, by Internet relay by visiting www.i711.com or
www.ip-relay.com, or by video phone by connecting to hovrs.tv.
Source: http://www.nad.org/news/2009/10/marlee-matlin-champions-internet-access-nad