[tabi] Re: proposed change to the ADA; public comments ending soon
- From: "Allison and Chip Orange" <acorange@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <tabi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 20 Jun 2010 18:14:11 -0400
You raise a good point Lynn, and I don't know. that's why, I suspect, the
person gave a suggested short comment for those who won't have time to
research the issues, but who still want to help. the suggested short
comment looks reasonable to me.
Chip
-----Original Message-----
From: tabi-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:tabi-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of Lynn Evans
Sent: Sunday, June 20, 2010 5:41 PM
To: tabi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [tabi] Re: proposed change to the ADA; public comments ending soon
The dead line is June 21.
It would take me three days to acquaint myself it the issues.
I have seen these urgent post on other list. So why do they tell us the last
minute if they what us to respond?
----- Original Message -----
From: "Allison and Chip Orange" <acorange@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <tabi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, June 20, 2010 4:42 PM
Subject: [tabi] proposed change to the ADA; public comments ending soon
> Below is an urgent appeal from the NFB for all blind individuals to
> comment on proposed changes to the ADA:
>
>
> Dear Federationists:
>
> As many of you may have already heard, the U.S. Access Board has asked
> the public for feedback on some proposed changes to the ADA
> Accessibility Guidelines, Rehabilitation Act, and Telecommunications
> Act. Specifically, the Access Board plans to update the standards and
> accessibility guidelines for electronic and information technology, as
> well as add kiosks to the ADA Accessibility Guidelines. We urge you
> to make your voices heard and e-mail, fax, or post on
> <http://www.regulations.gov/ www.regulations.gov your comments to
> these changes, as they have an enormous impact on a blind person's
> ability to access information. With a deadline of midnight on Monday,
> June 21, time is running out for us to influence the board.
>
> The National Federation of the Blind has been heavily involved with
> the formulation of these proposed standards and guidelines, but our
> role is not finished. It is important that we applaud the Access
> Board for the changes we support so they are not compromised, and that
> we highlight where the changes have not gone far enough to ensure full
> accessibility.
> More specifically, we have many concerns regarding both the definition
> of a "kiosk" and the kiosks that are exempted in the proposal.
>
> In the current proposal, the definition of "kiosk" is limiting. A
> kiosk is defined as a self-service unit used only for transportation
> (ticketing, seat assignments, boarding passes, etc.) or for ordering
> food. This definition should be expanded to include other types of
> services not mentioned, as kiosks are increasingly replacing customer
> service personnel in a wide range of services, including voting, jury
> service payments, and health care. The current definition is silent
> on whether a unit used for these services would be considered a kiosk,
> and also does not include visual display systems that are used solely
> for displaying information to users. Kiosks should have a
> comprehensive definition that leaves room for innovative ways kiosks
> may be incorporated into our society and eliminates any future debate
> over whether a different service is covered under the law and what
> standards may apply.
>
> In addition, the two exemptions for kiosks in the proposal will not
> ensure total accessibility. First, closed systems are exempted to
> comply with 302. This means a closed system does not have to provide
> spoken output, since it would not be required to be usable with "only
> the attachment of a personal headset." Under this assumption, there
> is no requirement for these systems to be accessible. Second, drive-up
> kiosks are exempted.
> Although people with certain disabilities are not drivers, they are
> all passengers who may encounter a drive-up kiosk; and exempting
> drive-up units is discriminatory to a disabled passenger. The NFB
> encourages the board to ensure that all kiosks be required to be
> accessible.
>
> These comments and others were compiled and formally submitted by the
> NFB to the Access Board. Now it is time for our members to make a
> statement and emphasize our concerns regarding kiosks. Your comments
> can be short--the act of sending in feedback is more important than
> the length of your remarks. You could say something as simple as "I
> think the definition of kiosks is too limited. Please expand the
> definition and remove the exemptions." You could also say "I think
> the definition of kiosks should be expanded and all exemptions removed
> to ensure full accessibility." You can call Tim Creagan at (202)
> 272-0016, e-mail your thoughts to
> <mailto:ictrule@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ictrule@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx with
> "2010-1" in the subject line, fax to (202) 272-0081, or post your
> comments on <http://www.regulations.gov/ www.regulations.gov. To view
> the full draft, visit
> <http://www.access-board.gov/sec508/refresh/draft-rule.htm
> http://www.access-board.gov/sec508/refresh/draft-rule.htm.
>
> If you need more information, please contact Lauren McLarney at (410)
> 659-9314, extension 2207.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Joanne Wilson
> Executive Director, Affiliate Action
> jwilson@xxxxxxx
>
>
> Check out the TABI resource web page at
> http://acorange.home.comcast.net/TABI
> and please make suggestions for new material.
>
>
>
> if you'd like to unsubscribe you can do so through the freelists.org web
> interface, or by sending an email to the address
> tabi-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word "unsubscribe" in the subject.
Check out the TABI resource web page at
http://acorange.home.comcast.net/TABI
and please make suggestions for new material.
if you'd like to unsubscribe you can do so through the freelists.org web
interface, or by sending an email to the address tabi-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
with the word "unsubscribe" in the subject.
Check out the TABI resource web page at http://acorange.home.comcast.net/TABI
and please make suggestions for new material.
if you'd like to unsubscribe you can do so through the freelists.org web
interface, or by sending an email to the address tabi-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
with the word "unsubscribe" in the subject.
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