teach act update: the path to voluntary guidelines for accessible instructional materials...

8/20/2019 TEACH Act Update: The Path to Voluntary Guidelines for Accessible Instructional Materials (282395078)

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8/20/2019 TEACH Act Update: The Path to Voluntary Guidelines for Accessible Instructional Materials (282395078)

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TEACH Act Update: Voluntary

Guidelines for AccessibleInstructional Materials

September 22, 2015

Jon Fansmith and Jarret Cummings

8/20/2019 TEACH Act Update: The Path to Voluntary Guidelines for Accessible Instructional Materials (282395078)

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 Agenda

• TEACH Act Background

• Collaborative Process

• Key Elements of Emerging Legislation

• The Path Forward

8/20/2019 TEACH Act Update: The Path to Voluntary Guidelines for Accessible Instructional Materials (282395078)

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TEACH Act Background

8/20/2019 TEACH Act Update: The Path to Voluntary Guidelines for Accessible Instructional Materials (282395078)

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 Accessibility, Not Copyright

First “TEACH”: Technology, Education, andCopyright Harmonization Act (2002)

This “TEACH”: Technology, Equality, and

 Accessibility in College and HigherEducation Act (2013)

Focus: Voluntary accessibility guidelines for

electronic instructional materials and relatedtechnologies

Name change coming

8/20/2019 TEACH Act Update: The Path to Voluntary Guidelines for Accessible Instructional Materials (282395078)

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History

HEOA creates postsecondary accessibleinstructional materials commission (2008)

Commission calls for instructional materials

guidelines (2011)

National Fed. of the Blind, Assoc. of

 American Publishers craft proposal (2012)

TEACH Act introduced in U.S. House

(2013) and Senate (2014)

Higher ed. groups join NFB, AAP to develop

a new approach (2014)

8/20/2019 TEACH Act Update: The Path to Voluntary Guidelines for Accessible Instructional Materials (282395078)

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Key Discussion Points

 Agreed on:

Shared goal of advancing accessibility of

electronic instructional materials, technologies

Voluntary guidelines within existing law andregulation

Needed to work on:

Clarification of definitions, scope

Designing an effective process

8/20/2019 TEACH Act Update: The Path to Voluntary Guidelines for Accessible Instructional Materials (282395078)

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Collaborative Process

8/20/2019 TEACH Act Update: The Path to Voluntary Guidelines for Accessible Instructional Materials (282395078)

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Nature of the Process

Negotiating team: NFB, AAP, ACE/EDUCAUSE (on behalf of assoc. group)

Met regularly, starting October 2014; with

frequent communication between meetings Confirmed shared outline in June, started

drafting bill in late July, in process now

Goal of including legislation in HEAreauthorization

8/20/2019 TEACH Act Update: The Path to Voluntary Guidelines for Accessible Instructional Materials (282395078)

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Nature of the Process, continued

Broad stakeholder communities withdiverse views and interests

Balancing concerns, vetting proposals,

finding solutions – it all takes time Goodwill and patience by all = success so

far, with a bill taking shape

HEA reauthorization delayed

8/20/2019 TEACH Act Update: The Path to Voluntary Guidelines for Accessible Instructional Materials (282395078)

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Key Elements of Emerging Legislation

8/20/2019 TEACH Act Update: The Path to Voluntary Guidelines for Accessible Instructional Materials (282395078)

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Getting to Guidelines

Compromise bill won’t create the voluntaryguidelines

Establishes an independent commission,

supported by a panel of technical experts Balanced stakeholder representation

Will engage presidents, CIOs, provosts,

other senior executives for top-level buy-in

8/20/2019 TEACH Act Update: The Path to Voluntary Guidelines for Accessible Instructional Materials (282395078)

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Getting to Guidelines, continued

Review general standards, identify gaps,then develop guidelines to bridge the gap

(where possible)

Produce an annotated list of general ITstandards, too

Eighteen months to complete, with six-

month extension available Super-majority (75%) required to approve

the guidelines and the list

8/20/2019 TEACH Act Update: The Path to Voluntary Guidelines for Accessible Instructional Materials (282395078)

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Getting to Guidelines, continued

Legal safe harbor for following guidelines,limited safe harbor if document process only

Guidelines remain voluntary; no changes to

existing law and regulations “Electronic instructional materials” & “related

technologies” tied to instructional program 

8/20/2019 TEACH Act Update: The Path to Voluntary Guidelines for Accessible Instructional Materials (282395078)

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The Path Forward

8/20/2019 TEACH Act Update: The Path to Voluntary Guidelines for Accessible Instructional Materials (282395078)

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Our Next Steps

Negotiating team reaches shared draft, vets/finalizes with other stakeholders

Identify House/Senate sponsors and

introduce bill in Congress Meet with congressional staff as needed to

educate them about provisions/impact

8/20/2019 TEACH Act Update: The Path to Voluntary Guidelines for Accessible Instructional Materials (282395078)

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Legislative Process

Sponsors, relevant committee staff maymake changes, requiring more negotiation

Bill may get integrated with Higher Education

 Act reauthorization Helpful to have the issue considered in context

of higher education policy generally

Timetable for reauthorization uncertain, though May lead to longer-term engagement with

Congress before passage

8/20/2019 TEACH Act Update: The Path to Voluntary Guidelines for Accessible Instructional Materials (282395078)

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For Future Updates… 

Watch the EDUCAUSE Review Online “PolicySpotlight” blog:

http://er.educause.edu/columns/policy-spotlight 

Watch the ACE Advocacy News webpage:http://www.acenet.edu/advocacy-

news/Pages/default.aspx 

Subscribe to EDUCAUSE Policy Digest :

http://net.educause.edu/PolicyDigest/1029292 

8/20/2019 TEACH Act Update: The Path to Voluntary Guidelines for Accessible Instructional Materials (282395078)

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/teach-act-update-the-path-to-voluntary-guidelines-for-accessible-instructional 19/19

Questions or comments?

 jcummings@educause.edu  jfansmith@acenet.edu