Bill Text: NJ SR14 | 2010-2011 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Urges textbook publishers and institutions of higher education to work together to make college textbooks available in Braille to New Jersey students.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Failed) 2010-02-01 - Withdrawn from Consideration [SR14 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2010-SR14-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
214th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2010 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Senator M. TERESA RUIZ
District 29 (Essex and Union)
SYNOPSIS
Urges textbook publishers and institutions of higher education to work together to make college textbooks available in Braille to New Jersey students.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel
A Senate Resolution urging textbook publishers and institutions of higher education to make college textbooks available in Braille.
Whereas, Textbooks provide an essential source of information and it is critical that each student have access to all required textbooks to help ensure academic success; and
Whereas, Although federal law requires textbook publishers to provide standardized electronic files to a national repository for rapid, cost-effective conversion into Braille and other formats for textbooks used in elementary school and high school, such a requirement does not exist for books used by students at institutions of higher education; and
Whereas, Digital technology is rapidly changing the way materials are published, making the provision of electronic files for use by blind and visually impaired students and faculty easy and inexpensive for textbook publishers; and
Whereas, Blind and visually impaired students devote significant time searching for accessible versions of the books they need for their coursework and, when the books are not otherwise available, must spend even more of their time, which could otherwise be devoted to studying, scanning the books themselves or seeking others to scan the books or edit the files for their use; and
Whereas, Although advocates for the blind have been working at the national level to create consensus with individual publishers and the Association of American Publishers to pass legislation for the provision of accessible higher education textbooks on a federal level, such legislation has not yet been accomplished; and
Whereas, New Jersey's blind and visually impaired students continue to struggle to gain access to textbooks at institutions of higher education and it is appropriate that efforts be made at the State level to foster the development and provision of academic textbooks for such students enrolled in institutions of higher education located in New Jersey; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of New Jersey:
1. This House urges textbook publishers and public and independent institutions of higher education located within the State to work collaboratively to make college textbooks available in Braille for blind and visually impaired students enrolled in the State's public and independent institutions of higher education.
2. Duly authenticated copies of this resolution, signed by the President of the Senate and attested by the Secretary thereof, shall be transmitted to the New Jersey Commission on Higher Education and public and independent institutions of higher education and textbook publishers located in New Jersey.
STATEMENT
This Senate resolution urges textbook publishers and public and independent institutions of higher education located within the State to work collaboratively to make college textbooks available in Braille for blind and visually impaired college and university students. Although federal law requires textbook publishers to provide standardized electronic files to a national repository for rapid, cost-effective conversion into Braille and other formats for textbooks used in elementary school and high school, such a requirement does not exist for books used by students at institutions of higher education. Blind and visually impaired college students devote significant time searching for accessible versions of the books they need for their coursework and, when the books are not otherwise available, must spend even more of their time scanning the books themselves or seeking others to scan the books or edit the files for their use. Textbooks provide an essential source of information and it is critical that each student have access to all required textbooks to help ensure academic success.
