it took the biggest step forward with the advent of the iphone 3gs and the ipad.

On Jun 5, 2010, at 6:06 PM, Harry Brown wrote:


Hi all,
Please see below!
This is great news!
Let's be involved!
Harry
 05/31/10  Technology Bill in the Senate
The massive effort to put Internet-equipped accessible mobile phones and other technology into the hands of people with disabilities took yet
another giant leap forward yesterday. Senator John Kerry (D-MA) held an
historic and well-attended hearing of the Subcommittee on
Communications, Technology, and the Internet which he chairs to discuss how he and his Senate colleagues can move swiftly to enact comprehensive telecommunications
and video programming legislation that would dramatically improve the ability of people with vision loss to benefit
from the technology revolution.
Compelling testimony from an Iraq War veteran who lost his vision in combat, along with presentations by an impressive array of witnesses from the deafness
and technology industry communities, underscored the
tremendous possibilities that are in store for all people with disabilities if only the most commonly available mobile and video programming technologies
are designed with the unique needs of people
living with vision loss and other disabilities in mind.
Senator Kerry expressed the hope that comprehensive legislation will be passed in the Senate soon. The Senate legislation, S. 3304, the Equal
Access to Twenty-first Century Communications Act, while flawed in several areas, does mirror in many ways the landmark bill currently pending in the House
sponsored by Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA), H.R. 3101, the
Twenty-first Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act,
legislation that enjoys the endorsement of the disability community and major industry players. Rep. Markey also testified at yesterday's hearing and congratulated
his Senate counterparts for their leadership.
Given the growing momentum in Congress, there is increasing optimism that action in either or both chambers may be possible in time for the twentieth anniversary
of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities
Act to be commemorated on July 26 of this year. Advocates should therefore continue to press their House and Senate members to support prompt passage of
the strongest possible technology accessibility bill
and to use H.R. 3101 as the model for such legislation.
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