Laura
07-01-2009, 12:59 PM
Source: AFB DirectConnect
Landmark Communications and Video Accessibility Legislation Introduced--Urge Your to Cosponsor!
On Friday afternoon, June 26, Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA) reintroduced comprehensive legislation to ensure that people with disabilities have access to Internet-based telecommunications and video programming technologies. The bill, the Twenty-first Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2009 (H.R. 3101), will:
* require that mobile and other Internet-based telecommunications devices be fully hearing aid compatible, have accessible user interfaces, and offer people with disabilities use of a full range of text messaging and other popular services that are currently largely inaccessible;
* provide people who are deaf-blind with vital but costly technologies they need to communicate electronically, establish a process for the provision of real-time text capability, and clarify existing relay-to-relay, Lifeline and Linkup service requirements to ensure their relevance to the real world communications needs of people with disabilities;
* restore the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC's) modest video description rules and unambiguously establish the Commission's current and ongoing authority to expand such regulations, require emergency announcements and similar information to be accessible to people with disabilities through audible presentation of on-screen alerts, ensure that video programming offered via the Internet will be both captioned and described, and call for all devices that receive and playback video programming to employ accessible user interfaces and allow ready access to captioning and description; and
* strengthen consumers' ability to enforce their rights to communications and video accessibility through the establishment of a clearinghouse of information about service and equipment accessibility and usability, a meaningful FCC complaint process that holds industry accountable for their accessibility obligations, and judicial review of FCC action to ensure the Commission's own accountability.
All Members of the United States House of Representatives should be actively encouraged to cosponsor H.R. 3101, the Twenty-first Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2009, and you are urged to contact your Member of Congress immediately to make such a request. Learn how to contact your Member of Congress at https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml.
Additionally, please share this alert widely with your networks and other contacts to spread the word.
This landmark legislation, the work product of the Coalition of Organizations for Accessible Technology (COAT), was introduced by Rep. Markey in the last Congress as H.R. 6320 and has been significantly revised based on extensive and successful negotiation with leading industry players. COAT is a broad-based cross-disability coalition of more than 230 national, regional, and community-based groups working together for information age equity for people with disabilities. You can find additional information about COAT and supporting material describing the purposes and provisions of COAT's proposed legislation at www.coataccess.org.
For further information, contact:
Mark Richert
Director, Public Policy, AFB
(202) 822-0833
mrichert@afb.net
Landmark Communications and Video Accessibility Legislation Introduced--Urge Your to Cosponsor!
On Friday afternoon, June 26, Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA) reintroduced comprehensive legislation to ensure that people with disabilities have access to Internet-based telecommunications and video programming technologies. The bill, the Twenty-first Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2009 (H.R. 3101), will:
* require that mobile and other Internet-based telecommunications devices be fully hearing aid compatible, have accessible user interfaces, and offer people with disabilities use of a full range of text messaging and other popular services that are currently largely inaccessible;
* provide people who are deaf-blind with vital but costly technologies they need to communicate electronically, establish a process for the provision of real-time text capability, and clarify existing relay-to-relay, Lifeline and Linkup service requirements to ensure their relevance to the real world communications needs of people with disabilities;
* restore the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC's) modest video description rules and unambiguously establish the Commission's current and ongoing authority to expand such regulations, require emergency announcements and similar information to be accessible to people with disabilities through audible presentation of on-screen alerts, ensure that video programming offered via the Internet will be both captioned and described, and call for all devices that receive and playback video programming to employ accessible user interfaces and allow ready access to captioning and description; and
* strengthen consumers' ability to enforce their rights to communications and video accessibility through the establishment of a clearinghouse of information about service and equipment accessibility and usability, a meaningful FCC complaint process that holds industry accountable for their accessibility obligations, and judicial review of FCC action to ensure the Commission's own accountability.
All Members of the United States House of Representatives should be actively encouraged to cosponsor H.R. 3101, the Twenty-first Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2009, and you are urged to contact your Member of Congress immediately to make such a request. Learn how to contact your Member of Congress at https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml.
Additionally, please share this alert widely with your networks and other contacts to spread the word.
This landmark legislation, the work product of the Coalition of Organizations for Accessible Technology (COAT), was introduced by Rep. Markey in the last Congress as H.R. 6320 and has been significantly revised based on extensive and successful negotiation with leading industry players. COAT is a broad-based cross-disability coalition of more than 230 national, regional, and community-based groups working together for information age equity for people with disabilities. You can find additional information about COAT and supporting material describing the purposes and provisions of COAT's proposed legislation at www.coataccess.org.
For further information, contact:
Mark Richert
Director, Public Policy, AFB
(202) 822-0833
mrichert@afb.net