[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 163 (Tuesday, August 23, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52643-52644]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-21559]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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: Open Meeting: September 8-9, 2011.

    Time: Sept. 8, 2011: The open meeting will run from 8:30 a.m.-5 
p.m.
    Sept. 9, 2011: The open meeting will run from 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The Madison Building, Library of Congress, Room 408, 101 
Independence Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20599-6000.

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 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

[[Page 52644]]

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 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 Commission will meet in open session on Thursday and Friday, 
and will review and discuss the final draft of the Commission's report 
to the Secretary and Congress.
    Detailed minutes of the meeting and hearing, will be available to 
the public within 14 days of the meeting. 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 attend 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 September 2, 2011. We will make 
every attempt to meet requests for accommodations after this date, but, 
cannot guarantee their availability. The meeting site is accessible to 
individuals with disabilities.
    Members of the public who would like to offer comments remotely may 
submit written comments to [email protected] or by mail to Advisory 
Commission on Accessible Instructional Materials in Postsecondary 
Education for Students with Disabilities, 550 12th St., SW., Room PCP-
5113, Washington, DC 20202. All submissions will become part of the 
public record.
    Members of the public also have the option of participating in the 
open meeting and public hearing remotely. Remote access will be 
provided via an internet webinar service utilizing VoiP (Voice Over 
Internet Protocol). For the September 8, 2011 portion of the meeting 
from 8:30 a.m.--5 p.m., the URL is https://aimpsc.ilinc.com/join/yvfbsvw. The login will be available to the public starting at 8 a.m. 
(Eastern). On September 9, the URL will be https://aimpsc.ilinc.com/join/ccctxjw for the Commission meeting from 8:30 a.m.--4:00 p.m., and 
the login will be open to public at 8 a.m. (Eastern).
    Login information is also provided via the Commission's public 
listserv at [email protected] and posted at the following site: 
http://www2.ed.gov/about/bdscomm/list/aim/index.html.
    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.

Alexa Posny,
Assistant Secretary, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative 
Services.
[FR Doc. 2011-21559 Filed 8-22-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P