Date: Sun, 24 Dec 2000 11:40:16 -0500 (EST)
From: Jamal Mazrui <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Latest newsletter of the U.S. Access Board
Sender: [log in to unmask]
To: Disability Policy <[log in to unmask]>
X_Mailing_List_Server: Majordomo 1.94.1
X_Mailing_List_Provider: TRIPIL (http://www.tripil.com)
Original-recipient: rfc822;[log in to unmask]

Access Currents
Volume 6, No. 6 November/ December 2000

Board Issues Standards for Electronic and Information Technology
The Federal Government stands to be in the forefront in ensuring access to
electronic and information technology through standards the Access Board
issued on December 21, 2000.  These standards, the first of their kind in
the Federal sector, cover various means of disseminating information,
including computers, software, and electronic office equipment.  They
provide criteria that spell out what makes these products accessible to
people with disabilities, including those with vision, hearing, and mobility
impairments.  The Board developed these standards under Section 508 of the
Rehabilitation Act, as amended, which requires that electronic and
information technology in the Federal sector be accessible.  The law applies
to Federal agencies when they develop, procure, maintain, or use such
technology.  Federal agencies must ensure that this technology is accessible
to employees and members of the public with disabilities to the extent it
does not pose an "undue burden."

The law directed the Board to develop these standards, which will become
part of the Federal government's procurement regulations, to help Federal
agencies determine whether a particular product or technology is accessible.
The standards define the types of technology covered and lay out the minimum
level of access required.  They provide both technical criteria specific to
various types of technologies and performance-based requirements, which
focus on the functional capabilities of covered technologies.  Also covered
is compatibility with adaptive equipment people with disabilities commonly
use for information and communication access.

The standards are based on recommendations from an advisory committee the
Board established for this purpose.  The Electronic and Information
Technology Access Advisory Committee was composed of 27 members representing
industry, various disability organizations, and other groups with an
interest in the issues to be addressed.  The Board published the standards
in proposed form on March 31, 2000 and made them available for public
comment for 60 days.  Over 100 individuals and organizations submitted
comments to the Board.  Comments were submitted by Federal agencies,
representatives of the information technology industry, disability groups,
and persons with disabilities.  The Board finalized the standards according
to its review and analysis of these comments.  The final standards will
become part of the Federal Acquisition Regulations.  The enforcement
provisions of Section 508 will take effect six months from the date the
Board published its standards. These provisions set up an administrative
process under which individuals with disabilities can file a complaint
concerning the accessibility of an agency's electronic or information
technology.  Alternatively, individuals may file a civil action against an
agency.

The standards are posted on the Board's website at www.access-board.gov.
Copies can be ordered by calling the Board at (800) 872-2253 (voice) or
(800) 993-2822 (TTY), pressing "2" for publications, and requesting
publication S-40.  The standards are available in alternate formats,
including cassette tape, Braille, large print, and disk.

Standards for Electronic and Information Technology: An Overview

General (Subpart A)
The standards cover the full range of electronic and information
technologies in the Federal sector, including computers, software, networks,
peripherals and other types of electronic office equipment. The general
section clarifies the scope of covered technologies, defines key terms,
recognizes certain exemptions, and permits alternative technologies that
provide equivalent or greater access.

Technical Standards (Subpart B)
The standards include both technical specifications and performance_based
requirements. This dual approach recognizes the dynamic and continually
evolving nature of the technology involved as well as the need for clear and
specific standards to facilitate compliance.  Certain provisions are
designed to ensure compatibility with adaptive equipment people with
disabilities commonly use for information and communication access, such as
screen readers, Braille displays, and TTYs.  Separate sections provide
criteria specific to:
        * software applications and operating systems
        * web_based information or applications
        * telecommunication products
        * video and multimedia products
        * self contained, closed products
        * desktop and portable computers

Software Applications and Operating Systems
Most of the specifications for software pertain to usability for people with
vision impairments. For example, one provision requires alternative keyboard
navigation, which is essential for people with vision impairments who cannot
rely on pointing devices, such as a mouse.  Other provisions address
animated displays, color and contrast settings, flash rate, and electronic
forms, among others.

Web_based Intranet and Internet Information and Applications
The criteria for web_based technology and information are based on access
guidelines developed by the Web Accessibility Initiative of the World Wide
Web Consortium.  Many of these provisions ensure access for people with
vision impairments who rely on various assistive products to access
computer_based information, such as screen readers, which translate what's
on a computer screen into automated audible output, and refreshable Braille
displays.  Certain conventions, such as verbal tags or identification of
graphics and format devices, are necessary so that these devices can "read"
them for the user in a sensible way.  The standards do not prohibit the use
of web site graphics or animation.  This section also addresses the
usability of multimedia presentations, image maps, style sheets, scripting
languages, applets and plug_ins, and electronic forms.

Telecommunications Products
The provisions of this section are designed primarily to ensure access for
people who are deaf or hard of hearing.  This includes compatibility with
hearing aids, cochlear implants, assistive listening devices, and TTYs.
TTYs are devices that enable people with hearing or speech impairments to
communicate over the telephone; they typically include an acoustic coupler
for the telephone handset, a simplified keyboard, and a visible message
display. One requirement calls for a standard non_acoustic TTY connection
point for telecommunication products that allow voice communication but that
do provide TTY functionality. Other specifications address adjustable volume
controls for output, product interface with hearing technologies, and the
usability of keys and controls by people who may have impaired vision or
limited dexterity or motor control.

Video or Multimedia Products
Multimedia products involve more than one media and include, but are not
limited to, video programs, narrated slide productions, and computer
generated presentations.   Provisions address caption decoder circuitry (for
any system with a screen larger than 13 inches) and secondary audio channels
for television tuners, including tuner cards for use in computers.  The
standards also require captioning and audio description for certain training
and informational multimedia productions developed or procured by Federal
agencies.

Self Contained, Closed Products
This section covers products that generally have imbedded software but are
often designed in such a way that a user cannot easily attach or install
assistive technology.  Examples include information kiosks, information
transaction machines, copiers, printers, calculators, fax machines, and
similar types of products.  The standards require that access features be
built into the system so users do not have to attach an assistive device to
it. Other specifications address mechanisms for private listening (handset
or a standard headphone jack), touchscreens, auditory output and adjustable
volume controls, and location of controls in accessible reach ranges.

Desktop and Portable Computers
This section focuses on keyboards and other mechanically operated controls,
touch screens, use of biometric form of identification, and ports and
connectors.

Functional Performance Criteria (Subpart C)
The performance requirements of this section are intended for overall
product evaluation and for technologies or components for which there is no
specific requirement under the technical standards in Subpart B.  These
criteria are designed to ensure that the individual accessible components
work together to create an accessible product.  They cover operation,
including input and control functions, operation of mechanical mechanisms,
and access to visual and audible information.  These provisions are
structured to allow people with sensory or physical disabilities to locate,
identify, and operate input, control and mechanical functions, and to access
the information provided, including text, static or dynamic images, icons,
labels, sounds or incidental operating cues.

Information, Documentation, and Support (Subpart D)
The standards also address access to all information, documentation, and
support provided to end users (e.g., Federal employees) of covered
technologies.  This includes user guides, installation guides for end_user
installable devices, and customer support and technical support
communications.  Such information must be available in alternate formats
upon request at no additional charge.  Alternate formats or methods of
communication can include Braille, cassette recordings, large print,
electronic text, Internet postings, TTY access, and captioning and audio
description for video materials.

Advisory Committee Issues Report on Passenger Vessels
On November 17, 2000, the Passenger Vessel Access Advisory Committee
presented its recommendations to the Board on accessibility guidelines for
passenger vessels at a meeting in Miami Beach, Florida.  These
recommendations are contained in a report available from the Board.  The
report details access criteria in view of certain design considerations for
various types of vessels, including ferries, gaming boats, cruise ships, and
sightseeing boats.  The recommendations are specific to newly constructed
and altered passenger vessels covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA).  The Board will use its recommendations to develop accessibility
guidelines for passenger vessels.

Committee members represented a variety of interests and fields of
expertise, including the owners and operators of various passenger vessels,
naval engineers, disability organizations, and others.  Identifying the
types of vessels to be addressed was a key part of the Committee's mission.
The Committee took a wide variety of vessels into consideration, from those
used primarily for transportation, such as ferries, to those used for
recreation or other purposes, such as gaming boats and cruise ships.
Created by the Board in August 1998, the Committee met extensively over a
two_year period to develop its recommendations.  The Committee modeled its
recommenda-tions on the work of an earlier advisory committee charged with
reviewing and updating the Board's ADA Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) for
Buildings and Facilities.

Under the ADA, the Board is responsible for developing and maintaining
accessibility guidelines for transportation vehicles.   The ADA
Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) for Transportation Vehicles, as originally
issued by the Board, cover buses, vans, various rail vehicles, and other
modes of transportation, but they do not address passenger vessels. The
Board had reserved requirements for such vessels pending further study.  The
Board will propose guidelines based on the committee's report that will be
made available for public comment.  These guidelines, once finalized, will
supplement ADAAG.

Committee Members
Debra Contreras, American Classic Voyages
Melanie Brunson, American Council of the Blind
Louis Linden, American Sail Training Association
Wayne Nelson, American Society of Travel Agents
Alan Bernstein, BB Riverboats
Stephen Spinetto, Boston Commission for Persons with Disabilities
Donald Backe, Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating, Inc.
Ted Thompson, International Council of Cruise Lines
Christopher Shepler, National Tour Association
Christine Griffin, Paralyzed Veterans of America
John Waterhouse, Passenger Vessel Association
Richard Skaff, Port of San Francisco
Janice Tuck, Princess Cruises
Robert Gearing, Rhode Island Tourism Division
Susan Finisdore, Self Help for Hard of Hearing People, Inc.
Laurel Van Horn, Society for the Advancement of Travel for the Handicapped
Jerry Kainulainen, Southeast Alaska Independent Living
Carri George, Southwest Disability and Business Technical Assistance Center
David Chapman, The Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers
Lawrence Evans, Transportation Institute
Tyler Cassedy and David Humphreys, Washington State Department of
Transportation


President Clinton Appoints Board Member
President Clinton named Soy Williams as a public member of the Access Board.
Williams, of Hume, Virginia, is the Government Relations Director of the
International Code Council, Inc. (ICC), whose primary mission is to
promulgate a single set of comprehensive and coordinated model building
codes for the United States and beyond.  Williams has served as staff to
organizations and government agencies overseeing laws for disability rights,
where her primary accomplishments were in the areas of building codes,
standards, and regulations.  She previously served as a member of the
Board's ADAAG Review Advisory Committee, which conducted a comprehensive
review and update of ADAAG.  The Board is currently in the process of
updating these guidelines according to the Committee's recommendations.
Williams received a degree in architecture from the University of California
at Berkeley.

Williams joins twelve other representatives of the public who comprise half
of the agency's governing board.  The other half is comprised of
representatives from most of the Federal departments.  Williams replaces
public member James Weisman of Jackson Heights, New York, whose second term
expired.  Public members are limited to two terms.
Advisory Committee to Present Report on Accessible Public Rights-of-Way
On January 10, 2001, the Public Rights-of-Way Access Advisory Committee will
present its recommen-dations to the Board at a special session to be held at
the annual meeting of the Transportation Research Board in Washington, D.C.
The Board created this committee in 1999 to develop recommendations that the
Board will use to craft accessibility guidelines specific to public
rights-of-way.  These new guidelines, which will be proposed for public
comment, will supplement existing Board guidelines for facilities covered by
the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Federal facilities subject to
the Architectural Barriers Act (ABA).  The committee's report  will also
provide a consensus document that transportation practitioners can use to
implement the ADA and Department of Transportation access policies.

The Committee will present its report at an afternoon session beginning at
4:45 p.m.  A second session at 7:30 p.m. will cover the Committee's research
recommendations and its outline of other transportation initiatives on
pedestrian accessibility.  Both sessions will be held in the Grand Ballroom
of the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, the headquarters venue for TRB.

"Access Currents" is a free newsletter issued by the Access Board every
other month by mail and e-mail.  Send questions or comments to
[log in to unmask] or call (202) 272-5434 ext. 127 (voice) or (202)
272-5449 (TTY).  Mailing address: 1331 F Street, N.W., Suite 1000;
Washington, D.C. 20004-1111; website: www.access-board.gov.