[guispeak] Consumer input on accessibility standards
- From: Jamal Mazrui <empower@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: ProgrammingBlind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, Program-L@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, GUISpeak@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 18 Jun 2010 12:16:43 -0400 (EDT)
All,
We are in a period of time when accessibility standards for technology are
being updated in a more comprehensive manner than ever before, and our
input is vital. After a decade of experience in the U.S. implementing
Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act and Section 255 of the
Communications Act, agencies will be refreshing their regulations to
account for new technologies, fill gaps, and clarify incentives. The
regulations are being harmonized, not only across federal agencies, but
with international standards on usability and interoperability, such as
those of the World Wide Web Consortium.
Twenty years ago, the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed as a
landmark civil rights law for people with disabilities, mandating
universal design of our physical world wherever possible. The standard
setting process underway today could be called ADA 2.0 for the virtual
world. It will affect how often each of us encounters a
disability-related barrier when we seek to participate in professional,
community, or personal spheres of life. The virtual world is superseding
the physical world at an accelerated rate, and these standards will affect
our access to society for many years to come.
The good news is that a world built on software and information, rather
than bricks and mortar, is much easier to make accessible. Software is
malleable, with few limitations beyond the reaches of our imagination. We
can thus help to create a more accessible world than any prior generations
have experienced.
Though there will be successive deadlines in the standard setting process,
the next one is now just a few days away, on June 21 at midnight. If you
have not done so already, please consider learning about the current
proposal of the U.S. Access Board, and expressing your opinion on any of
its questions. An excellent set of material about this proposal has been
done by the Trace Research and Development Center, available at
http://508-255-refresh.trace.wisc.edu/
The American Council of the Blind has posted extensive analysis and
suggestions at
http://acb.org/ACB-Section-508-255-and-ADAAG-comments.htm
The American Foundation for the Blind has other resources at
http://www.afb.org/Section.asp?SectionID=3&TopicID=135&DocumentID=5251
Regards,
Jamal
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