{"id":12135,"date":"2010-10-25T05:40:06","date_gmt":"2010-10-25T10:40:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/?p=12135"},"modified":"2010-10-25T06:36:10","modified_gmt":"2010-10-25T11:36:10","slug":"21st-century-communications-and-video-accessibility-act-signing-ceremony","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/2010\/10\/25\/21st-century-communications-and-video-accessibility-act-signing-ceremony\/","title":{"rendered":"21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act Signing Ceremony"},"content":{"rendered":"

21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act Signing Ceremony<\/strong><\/p>\n

By Cheryl Heppner<\/p>\n

Friday, October 8, 2010 was a beautiful sunny day in Washington, D.C. where
\nI shared the high spirits of many advocates for the rights of individuals
\nwho are deaf, hard of hearing, deaf-blind, blind, and visually impaired. It
\nwas a day of joy as we witnessed the President of the United States make
\nofficial a landmark new law with his signature.<\/p>\n

This law requires certain 21st century technology to become accessible to
\nus. The deaf, hard of hearing and deaf-blind community can look forward to
\nthe law’s requirement that new television programs that are being shown
\nonline have closed captions. Television remote controls will have to allow
\neasy access to closed captioning on both broadcast and pay television.
\nTelephones that are used to make calls over the Internet must be hearing aid
\ncompatible. Individuals who are both deaf and blind and who have low incomes
\nwill benefit from a fund of up to $10 million per year for purchasing
\ncommunication equipment that gives access to the telephone system and
\nInternet.<\/p>\n

Those of us invited to the signing had the pleasure of sharing the day with
\nadvocates celebrating the passage of “Rosa’s Law” which had been signed by
\nthe President earlier in the week. This law amends the language in all
\nfederal health, education and labor laws to remove the word “mentally
\nretarded” and use “intellectual disability” in its place.<\/p>\n

After working in the office Friday morning, I arrived in D.C. before noon.
\nHearing dog Galaxy and I walked from a parking garage across the city’s
\nlovely streets to join the queue of invitees at the entrance to the White
\nHouse grounds. As the line slowly moved along, I mingled with a charming
\ngroup of people with intellectual disabilities and their family members, and
\nthen spoke briefly with Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman
\nJulius Genachowski, who followed me in line. I’d seen Chairman Genachowski
\nreceive the prestigious Metcalfe Digital Opportunity Award the previous
\nevening at the One Economy 10th anniversary gala at the Newseum. I was
\npleased that One Economy also gave framed awards to recognize the
\ncontributions of a large number of individuals on the outstanding FCC team
\nthat crafted the National Broadband Plan.<\/p>\n

Sigrid Cerf, a long-time NVRC supporter, was a good two dozen people ahead
\nof me line, standing out in her gorgeous blouse of cobalt blue. I was
\nthrilled that she left her place in line to come back and trade news with me
\nas I crept along.<\/p>\n

The White House takes security very seriously. We passed through at least
\nsix and possibly seven security checkpoints. At each we were required to
\nshow a driver’s license, and as we were reaching the White House a security
\ncheckpoint also had a belt scanner for screening possessions and a gate for
\nchecking bodies. Everything went smoothly for me until the scanner part,
\nwhere the officer screening possessions asked if I had a knife in my purse.
\nYou could have knocked me over with a feather! A check of the contents of my
\npurse put that to rest, but I am still puzzled by how that knife-like shape
\nshowed up on the screen. I give an enthusiastic A+ to the security team on
\nduty at the White House that day. They were the perfect mix of both
\nprofessional and gracious, and I hope the TSA will emulate them.<\/p>\n

After entering the White House, Sigrid, a woman who knows her way around,
\nled me to the ladies’ room. When we emerged to resume our walk forward, I
\nrecognized the familiar build, hair and dark glasses of the man walking
\nahead of us, Stevie Wonder, and thought “how cool is this?”<\/p>\n

We entered a hall full of fellow advocates waiting to enter the room where
\nthe President would make his remarks and sign our document. What a din there
\nwas! The people who could sign were fortunate. Everyone else had to shout
\nover each other and the lovely music being played on the hall’s grand piano.
\nI spotted organization representatives Claude Stout and Jim House of
\nTelecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Inc., Rosaline Crawford
\nand Nancy Bloch of National Association of the Deaf, Al Sonnenstrahl, and
\nBarbara Raimondo.<\/p>\n

Also in the crowd were Ken Harrenstien of Google, Larry Goldberg of WGBH,
\nHeather York of VITAC, Mark Golden of National Court Reporters Association,
\nAnn West Bobeck of National Association of Broadcasters, and several
\nindividuals on the staff of the Consumer Electronics Association or
\nrepresenting industry supporters. Yvette Mattiello was smiling broadly while
\nmultitasking by interpreting while taking photos. In the extended hug fest
\nas I worked my way around the hall, I somehow lost Sigrid.<\/p>\n

Eventually I entered the room that was our final destination and found
\nseating where I could watch the captions on a flat screen TV at the front of
\nthe room while the President made his remarks. I was in the seat at the far
\nleft of the front row, center section, with just enough empty space for
\nGalaxy on the floor next to me. I happily parked there with Joe Gordon of
\nNew York, and Hearing Loss Association of America’s Brenda Battat and Lise
\nHamlin. Jamie Berke, who worked hard on passage of the bill with our
\nVirginia legislators and others, came to sit next to me in her bright red
\nsuit, making us Team Virginia.<\/p>\n

When President Obama strode to the podium, his first order of business was
\nto recognize the legislators who guided the laws – Senators Pryor, Markey,
\nRockefeller, Mikulski, Conrad and Dorgan, and Representative Henry Waxman.
\nHe also recognized FCC Chairman Genachowski, a former classmate and long
\ntime friend, as well as Stevie Wonder.<\/p>\n

Next the President talked about Rosa’s Law and recognized Rosa and her
\nfamily. He quoted her brother Nick’s words – “What you call people is how
\nyou treat them. If we change the words, maybe it will be the start of a new
\nattitude toward people with disabilities.”<\/p>\n

Moving on to the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act,
\nPresident Obama said the law would make it easier “to do what many of us
\ntake for granted, from navigating a TV or DVD menu to sending an email on a
\nsmart phone.”<\/p>\n

“Together we put in place one of the most important updates to the ADA in 20
\nyears by prohibiting disability-based discrimination by government entities
\nand private businesses and by updating accessibility standards.”<\/p>\n

Jamie and I were seated directly in front of the table where President Obama
\nsigned the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act. I
\nenjoyed watching him do it with several different pens. He is extremely
\nskilled at that part of his job.<\/p>\n

Following the ceremony, President Obama spent a little time posing for
\nofficial photos and he also came off the podium to shake the hands of a
\nnumber of people. I enjoyed being one of them.<\/p>\n

Rosa Marcellino and her sister asked if they could pet Galaxy, and I gave
\nGalaxy a command so she could go to them for some TLC. I wish I had a video
\nto capture the kind and gentle way they petted her and how she leaned toward
\nthem with a look of complete bliss.<\/p>\n

As Jamie and I worked our way back through the White House, I had a chance
\nto take a closer look at the surroundings. Something new was the display of
\nWhite House photos that graced the wall along one hallway. Within large
\nframes, several photos on a common theme were grouped, such as Presidents
\nwith their dogs. One photo that caught my attention was in a group with a
\ndance theme. It showed an exuberant John Travolta and Princess Diana taking
\na spin together on the dance floor. You can find a similar photo on
\nWikipedia at
\n http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/File:John_Travolta_and_Princess_Diana.jpg<\/a><\/p>\n

~~~~~<\/p>\n

(c)2010 by Northern Virginia Resource Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing
\nPersons (NVRC), 3951 Pender Drive, Suite 130, Fairfax, VA 22030;
\n http:\/\/www.nvrc.org<\/a>; 703-352-9055 V, 703-352-9056 TTY, 703-352-9058 Fax.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act Signing Ceremony By Cheryl Heppner Friday, October 8, 2010 was a beautiful sunny day in Washington, D.C. where I shared the high spirits of many advocates for the rights of individuals who are…<\/p>\n

Read more →<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_crdt_document":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[2],"tags":[6899,114,6912,6913,2424,6901,2328,5765,6908,24,68,511,190,342,2019,2085,1412,6906,6916,1184,6909,3951,2087,5267,6902,6905,6862,630,6903,2322,2321,1727,6898,6917,6911,6914,2389,6900,6910,431,6904,6915,5346,4272,6907],"class_list":["post-12135","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-deaf-news","tag-21st-century-communications-and-video-accessibility-act","tag-ada","tag-al-sonnenstrahl","tag-barbara-raimondo","tag-blind","tag-brenda-battat","tag-cheryl-heppner","tag-claude-stout","tag-consumer-electronics-association","tag-deaf","tag-deaf-blind","tag-disabilities","tag-dvd","tag-fcc","tag-federal-communications-commission","tag-google","tag-hard-of-hearing","tag-heather-york","tag-intellectual-disability","tag-jamie-berke","tag-jim-house","tag-julius-genachowski","tag-ken-harrenstien","tag-larry-goldberg","tag-lise-hamlin","tag-mark-golden","tag-mdcc","tag-national-association-of-the-deaf","tag-national-court-reporters-association","tag-northern-virginia-resource-center-for-deaf-and-hard-of-hearing-persons","tag-nvrc","tag-president-obama","tag-rosa-marcellino","tag-rosas-law","tag-rosaline-crawford-and-nancy-bloch","tag-sigrid-cerf","tag-smartphone","tag-stevie-wonder","tag-telecommunications-for-the-deaf-and-hard-of-hearing-inc","tag-tv","tag-vitac","tag-washington-d-c","tag-wgbh","tag-white-house","tag-yvette-mattiello"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p752R-39J","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":11973,"url":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/2010\/10\/10\/nad-applauds-passage-of-21st-century-communications-and-video-accessibility-act\/","url_meta":{"origin":12135,"position":0},"title":"NAD Applauds Passage of 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act","author":"Grant Laird Jr","date":"October 10, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"NAD Applauds Passage of 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility\u00a0Act Alternative video link: http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/whitehouse?blend=1&ob=4#p\/u\/0\/uNmTyVG2xd4 On Friday, October 8, President Barack Obama will sign the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010 into law and deliver brief remarks on the impact of this law on individuals with disabilities. Bobbie\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General"","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/category\/deaf-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":11207,"url":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/2010\/07\/26\/h-r-3101-goes-to-house-floor-for-vote\/","url_meta":{"origin":12135,"position":1},"title":"H.R. 3101 Goes To House Floor for Vote","author":"Grant Laird Jr","date":"July 26, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"H.R. 3101 Goes To House Floor for Vote U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee Gives Nod to the\u00a021st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010 TDI is pleased to announce that the Energy and Commerce Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives voted in favor of the \"Twenty-First Century\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General"","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/category\/deaf-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":11879,"url":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/2010\/10\/01\/csd-applauds-passage-of-the-21st-century-communications-video-accessibility-act-of-2010\/","url_meta":{"origin":12135,"position":2},"title":"CSD Applauds Passage of the 21st Century Communications & Video Accessibility Act of 2010","author":"Grant Laird Jr","date":"October 1, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Communication Service for Deaf Applauds Passage of the 21st Century Communications & Video Accessibility Act of 2010 PRESS ANNOUNCEMENT, Sept. 30, 2010. 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