Legislation Would Make New Information and Communications Technologies
Accessible
Paul Schroeder
On May 1, 2008, the United States Congress heard testimony on draft
legislation, the “Twenty-first Century Communications and Video
Accessibility Act.” The legislation was requested by a coalition of
organizations from the disability community to ensure that new
information and communications technologies are accessible. The
hearing took place before the Subcommittee on Telecommunications and
the Internet.
The legislation that is now under consideration would put in place
new requirements in several areas. First, it would build on the
existing law known as Section 255 which requires telephones to be
designed so that they are accessible to people with disabilities. That
law passed in 1996, and this new legislation would address
communications technologies that use the Internet to send and receive
information. The legislation would also require video description of
TV programs, starting with a modest requirement, but clearly directing
that video description be increased over time. Video description means
the insertion of audio descriptions of a television program’s key
visual elements during natural pauses in the program’s dialogue. Some
may remember that a previous law had required minimal video
description, but that law was struck down in the courts. For those of
us frustrated by the ever-increasing inaccessibility of our TV sets,
the draft legislation requires that controls like on-screen menus and
electronic program guides be made to be usable by those of us who
can’t see the screen. And, for individuals who are deaf-blind, the
legislation would enable funds now used to help pay for phone service
for low-income or hard-to-serve individuals to be used to help pay for
braille displays and other technology needed to use text
telecommunications devices and call relay systems. Finally, the
legislation also includes several improvements for people who are deaf
or hard of hearing.
The hearing featured a wonderful exchange about the accessibility of
new technologies like the BlackBerry. Sergeant Major Jesse Acosta, one
of our nation’s military heroes who lost his sight during combat in
Iraq, described in blunt terms his frustration with communications
technologies that he cannot use. In response, a Congressman
demonstrated how to use the BlackBerry’s voice call feature, but Mr.
Acosta pointed out that without being able to see the screen, he
couldn’t set up the feature. And, in a priceless exchange, Congressman
Edward Markey, a Democrat from Massachusetts who chairs the
Subcommittee, also pointed out that a blind person would need
assistance from someone who could see to enter names and numbers in
the contact list. Chairman Markey has been a long-time friend
of the disability community, and as the force behind this new
legislation, he clearly “gets it.”
More information is on the blog on AFB’s web site at
http://www.afb.org/blog/
. You can get more information about the draft legislation by going
to the web site of the disability coalition that is supporting it–The
Coalition of Organizations for Accessible Technology (COAT) at
http://www.coataccess.org
.
You can also keep up with developments by signing up for
“DirectConnect,” a periodic advocacy information email from AFB’s
Public Policy Center in Washington, DC. Send an e-mail to Barbara
LeMoine at [email protected]
to add your name to the list.
—
BETTER IP RELAY – EVERYWHERE! i711.com makes all your relay calls better.
Better web calls. Better wireless calls. Better AIM calls. Why settle for
ordinary IP relay? Go beyond! Try http://www.i711.com for free today!
NEW! Try out our Deaf Network of Texas Calendar! Go to
http://calendar.deafnetwork.com
NOTE: deafnetwork.com does not endorse any of the products, vendors,
consultants, or documentation referenced in this message or. Any mention of
vendors, products, or services is for informational purposes only.
Powered by http://www.CrazyWebHosting.com
If you do not want to receive any more newsletters,
http://deafnetwork.com/list/?p=unsubscribe&uid=23e6b0ac27edebd2b6f52f1354859234
To update your preferences and to unsubscribe visit
http://deafnetwork.com/list/?p=preferences&uid=23e6b0ac27edebd2b6f52f1354859234
Forward a Message to Someone
http://deafnetwork.com/list/?p=forward&uid=23e6b0ac27edebd2b6f52f1354859234&mid=1666
—
Powered by PHPlist, www.phplist.com —