----- Original Message -----
From: Mark J. Senk (CDC/NIOSH/NPPTL) <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Wed, 11 Aug 2010 11:48:51 -0000 (UTC)
Subject: [VICUG-L] improved access to video, set top boxes, emergency info
COAT APPLAUDS U.S. SENATE FOR PASSAGE OF THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY
COMMUNICATIONS & VIDEO ACCESSIBILITY ACT
S. 3304 passes by unanimous consent!
Washington, DC, August 10, 2010: - The Coalition of Organizations for
Accessible Technology (COAT) applauds the U.S. Senate for passage of the
"Twenty-first Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act" (S.
3304) by unanimous consent on August 5, 2010. COAT especially thanks
Senator Pryor (D-AR), who introduced S. 3304, as well as co-sponsors
Senators Kerry (D-MA), Dorgan (D-ND), and Conrad (D-ND). Passage of S.
3304 was also supported by Senators Hutchison (R-TX), Ensign (R-NV), and
Schumer (D-NY).
S. 3304 requires captioned television programs to be captioned when
delivered over the Internet, requires video description on television
for people with vision loss, allocates $10 million per year for
communications equipment used by people who are deaf-blind, ensures
emergency information is accessible to individuals who are blind or have
low vision, and provides for accessibility of advanced communications
such as text messaging, email and web browsing on mobile devices, among
several other provisions.
"The U.S. Senate takes us a huge step forward for accessible
technology," said Jenifer Simpson of the American Association of People
with Disabilities (AAPD), a COAT founding member. "They have given
Americans with disabilities access to smart phones, other advanced
communications technology, and video programming," she added.
"We are delighted that S.3304 ensures the availability of captioning for
television programs on the Internet," said Rosaline Crawford of the
National Association of the Deaf, another COAT leading organization.
"Our community was left behind as television moved to the Internet, and
S. 3304 takes a big step in the right direction," she added.
"Video description for television programs - the narration of visual
elements during pauses in dialogue - is essential in this day and age,"
said Eric Bridges of the American Council of the Blind, another COAT
leader. "More importantly, I thank the U.S. Senate for ensuring that we
will now have access to the same emergency information everyone else has
been seeing on television for years. Unbelievably, up until now, all the
FCC has required is an audible tone on television to alert people who
are blind or visually impaired that they should go seek out emergency
information somewhere else. Having equal access to emergency information
increases the safety of our community and will save lives!"
Among the other provisions in S. 3304 are requirements for accessible
user controls for televisions and set-top boxes, and easy access to
closed captioning and video description. Mark Richert of the American
Foundation for the Blind, another leading COAT organization said: "The
Senate's action last week brings people with vision loss so much closer
to the access they deserve to advanced communications equipment and
services, such as text messaging, email, and web browsing. These
technologies aren't luxuries; they are essential tools for learning,
working and participating in community. The U.S. Senate's leadership
will bring people into the digital world, people who have been left out
and left behind when industry fails to design accessibility into their
products and services. S. 3304 will encourage companies to innovate to
make advanced communications accessible on smart phones and other
devices."
S. 3304 will now go to the House of Representatives.
###
About COAT: The Coalition of Organizations for Accessible Technology,
or COAT, founded in March 2007, is a coalition of over 310 organizations
that advocates for legislative and regulatory safeguards that will
ensure full access by people with disabilities to evolving high speed
broadband, wireless and other Internet protocol (IP) technologies. More
information is available at http://www.coataccess.org
<http://www.coataccess.org/> or by e-mail to [log in to unmask]
Message via :
Elisa M. Gonzalez
Training and Outreach Coordinator
Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program (CAP) Visit us online at
www.tricare.mil/cap
Follow DoDCAP on Twitter at www.twitter.com/DoDCAP and Facebook at
www.facebook.com/DoDCAP
VICUG-L is the Visually Impaired Computer User Group List.
Archived on the World Wide Web at
http://listserv.icors.org/archives/vicug-l.html
Signoff: [log in to unmask]
Subscribe: [log in to unmask]
VICUG-L is the Visually Impaired Computer User Group List.
Archived on the World Wide Web at
http://listserv.icors.org/archives/vicug-l.html
Signoff: [log in to unmask]
Subscribe: [log in to unmask]
|
