[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 245 (Wednesday, December 22, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 80481-80482]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-32094]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Advisory Commission on Accessible Instructional Materials in 
Postsecondary Education for Students with Disabilities

AGENCY: U. S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and 
Rehabilitative Services, Advisory Commission on Accessible 
Instructional Materials in Postsecondary Education for Students with 
Disabilities.

ACTION: Notice of an Open Meeting via Conference Call.

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SUMMARY: The notice sets forth the schedule and agenda of the meeting 
of the Advisory Commission on Accessible Instructional Materials in 
Postsecondary Education for Students with Disabilities. The notice also 
describes the functions of the Commission. Notice of the meeting is 
required by section 10 (a) (2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act 
and is intended to notify the public of its opportunity to attend.

DATES: January 7, 2011.

TIME: 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The Commission will meet via conference call on January 7, 
2011. The Executive Director of the Commission will serve as the 
``host'' of the meeting and will initiate the teleconference meeting at 
approximately 10:45 a.m. EST on January 7, 2011. The Dial-In number for 
members of the public for the call is 1-800-860-2442 or 1-412-858-4600 
for individuals calling in from outside of the United States.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: Elizabeth Shook, Program Specialist, 
Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, United States 
Department of Education, 550 12th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20202; 
telephone: (202) 245-7642, fax: 202-245-7638.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Advisory Commission on Accessible 
Instructional Materials in Postsecondary Education for Students with 
Disabilities (the Commission) is established under Section 772 of the 
Higher Education Opportunity Act, Public Law 110-315, dated August 14, 
2008. The Commission is established to (a) conduct a comprehensive 
study, which will--(I) assess the barriers and systemic issues that may 
affect, and technical solutions available that may improve, the timely 
delivery and quality of accessible instructional materials for 
postsecondary students with print disabilities, as well as the 
effective use of such materials by faculty and staff; and (II) make 
recommendations related to the development of a comprehensive approach 
to improve the opportunities for postsecondary students with print 
disabilities to access instructional materials in specialized formats 
in a time frame comparable to the availability of instructional 
materials for postsecondary nondisabled students.
    In making recommendations for the study, the Commission shall 
consider--(I) how students with print disabilities may obtain 
instructional materials in accessible formats within a time frame 
comparable to the availability of instructional materials for 
nondisabled students; and to the maximum extent practicable, at costs 
comparable to the costs of such materials for nondisabled students; 
(II) the feasibility and technical parameters of establishing 
standardized electronic file formats, such as the National 
Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard as defined in Section 
674(e)(3) of the

[[Page 80482]]

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, to be provided by 
publishers of instructional materials to producers of materials in 
specialized formats, institutions of higher education, and eligible 
students; (III) the feasibility of establishing a national 
clearinghouse, repository, or file-sharing network for electronic files 
in specialized formats and files used in producing instructional 
materials in specialized formats, and a list of possible entities 
qualified to administer such clearinghouse, repository, or network; 
(IV) the feasibility of establishing market-based solutions involving 
collaborations among publishers of instructional materials, producers 
of materials in specialized formats, and institutions of higher 
education; (V) solutions utilizing universal design; and (VI) solutions 
for low-incidence, high-cost requests for instructional materials in 
specialized formats.
    The purpose of the meeting is to receive updates from two of the 
Commission's task force groups. The Commission will receive updates 
from the Technology and Legal task force groups. The Commission will 
also review its upcoming meeting schedule and the timeline for 
completing its report.
    Given the limited meeting time, the Commission does not anticipate 
that there will be an opportunity for public comment during the 
teleconference meeting. Members of the public are encouraged to submit 
written comments to the AIM Commission Web site at 
[email protected]. Members of the public may also join the 
Commission's list serv at [email protected].
    Detailed minutes of the meeting, including summaries of the 
activities of the closed sessions and related matters that are 
informative to the public and consistent with the policy of section 5 
U.S.C. 552b(c) will be available to the public. Records are kept of all 
Commission proceedings and are available for public inspection at the 
Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, United States 
Department of Education, 550 12th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20202, 
Monday--Friday during the hours of 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Individuals who will need accommodations for a 
disability in order to listen to the meeting (e.g., interpreting 
services, assistive listening devices, or material in alternative 
format) should notify Elizabeth Shook at (202) 245-7642, no later than 
January 4, 2011. We will make every attempt to meet requests for 
accommodations after this date, but, cannot guarantee their 
availability. The conference call will be accessible to individuals 
with disabilities.
    Electronic Access to this Document: You may view this document, as 
well as all other documents of this Department published in the Federal 
Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) on the 
Internet at the following site: http://www.ed.gov/news/fedregister/index.html. To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is 
available free at this site. If you have questions about using PDF, 
call the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO), toll free at 1-866-512-
1800; or in the Washington, DC area at 202-512-0000.

    Dated: December 16, 2010.
Alexa Posny,
Assistant Secretary, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative 
Services.
[FR Doc. 2010-32094 Filed 12-21-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P