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New England ADA & Accessible IT Center
Access New England Newsletter |
Information and Guidance on the Americans with
Disabilities Act
Fall 1999 Vol. 4, No. 1
This Issue Highlights Information and Resources Regarding Telecommunication.
What's Inside?
Access Board News
DOJ Update
Employment Update
Regional News
Publications
Frequently Asked Questions
Great Web Sites
Building Your Rolodex
Events/Announcements
FEATURE STORIES
FCC APPROVES NEW TELECOMMUNICATIONS RULES
The telecommunications industry must make pagers, cellular phones and other equipment and services easier for disabled people to use under new rules approved by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The rules do not outline specific standards. Instead, they require manufacturers to do all they can in designing products and services to address the needs of disabled persons. The cost of implementing such features would be kept down by incorporating them early in the production process, said FCC chairman William E. Kennard.
The adopted rules and policies implement Section 255 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 and Section 251(a)(2) of the Communications Act of 1934. These rules will give people with disabilities access to a broad range of products and services - such as telephones, cell phones, pagers, call-waiting, and operator services, that many cannot currently use. According to Chairman Kennard, this action "represents the most significant opportunity for people with disabilities since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990."
Access to telecommunications can bring independence. The disability community has told the FCC of the frustration of not being able to check the balance of a checking account using telecommunications relay service, or not being able to tell if a wireless phone is turned on, or not being able to use a calling card because of inadequate time to enter in the appropriate numbers. The FCC has received numerous reports from relatives of senior citizens saying that their elderly parents could live on their own, if only they had telecommunications equipment that they could use.
Equipment such as voice-activated phones, talking Caller ID and phones with keypads that have large buttons or small identifying bumps on the "5" key will become more commonplace. Also more widely available would be "text telephones," usually referred to as TTY or TDD systems, and phones with volume controls or lower placement for people who use wheelchairs.
The benefits of the new rules could extend far beyond the traditional ranks of disabled persons, said Jeff Kramer, legislative representative for the American Association of Retired Persons. "For our membership, it's an important issue" to have phones for those whose vision and sight might be fading with age.
"It's not just for people who are in their seventies and eighties," Kramer said -- "we're finding people who are reaching their fifties are having more problems than they had in the past with hearing loss, possibly because of exposure to loud music in their youth."
Gregg Vanderheiden, an industrial engineering professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said consumers shouldn't view future technological features as intended only to help people who have disabilities.
"As we age, we find that disabilities and functional limitations increase," he said. "When we're young, not many of us probably have disabilities but as we get older we're finding that they increase more and more."
Statistically, most Americans will have a disability, or experience a limitation, at some point in their lives. While 5.3% of persons 15-24 years of age have some kind of functional limitation, 23% of persons in the 45-54 age range experience functional limitation. The percentage of those affected by functional limitations increases with age: 34.2% of those aged 55-64; 45.4% of those aged 65-69; 55.3% for those aged 70-74 and 72.5% for those aged 75 and older. The number of persons with functional limitations will also increase with time. Today, only about 20% of Americans are over age 55, but by the 2050, 35% of our population will be over age 55.
Vanderheiden has created a prototype cell phone with a special diamond-shaped button that allows users whose fingers might bump unwanted keys to select the buttons they want and then confirm the choice. That button can also be programmed to make the phone speak the function of the other buttons, so that the phone can be more easily used by the blind.
The communications industry is largely on board with the new rules. Objections that some companies raised at the draft-rule stage were worked out, several industry representatives said. David Bolnick, program manager for Microsoft Corp.'s Accessibility and Disabilities Group, said some of the changes can be as simple as slapping a piece of velcro on a cell phone so that a person in a wheelchair with limited hand mobility can use it. Other features are already built into the technology.
Kennard said the new rules are not intended to micromanage the design process of telecommunications products.
"This is about making sure there is a meaningful good-faith dialogue between all the stakeholders here, the industry, the disability community and those of us here at the FCC," he said.
The FCC will enforce the rules through fines or damage awards from the thousands to the millions of dollars. Kennard, however, said he believes manufacturers won't have a problem meeting the rules because of the flexibility being granted to them.
For additional information about rulemaking, subscribe to fccinfo@fcc.gov to receive e-mail delivery of updates from the FCC. The Public Service Division of the Office of Public Affairs of the Federal Communications Commission also makes available "A Glossary of Telecommunications Terms." It contains many words and phrases used to describe telecommunications terms which commonly appear in Commission documents and other publications or articles on telecommunications technology. It can be obtained at: http://www.fcc.gov/Consumers/glossary.html.
(Sources: Las Vegas Sun, "FCC Approves Disability Ruling, " July 14, 1999. Washington Post, "Making Cell Phones Disabled-Friendly," John Schwartz, July 14, 1999, Page E1.)
W3C ISSUES WEB CONTENT ACCESSIBILITY GUIDELINES
The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) recently announced the release of the "Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0" as a recommendation for making web sites accessible. W3C encourages information providers to raise their level of accessibility using this recommendation.
"The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines explain what to do," said Tim Berners-Lee, Director of W3C. "It has always been difficult to know, when making a site more accessible, which changes are critical. These guidelines answer that question, and set common expectations so that providers of Web sites and users can be much more strategic. The bar has been set, and technologically it is not a very high bar."
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines establish stable principles for accessible design, such as the need to provide equivalent alternatives for auditory and visual information. Each guideline has associated "checkpoints" explaining how these accessibility principles apply to specific features of sites. For example, providing alternative text for images ensures that information is available to a person who cannot see images. Providing captions for audio files makes information available to someone who cannot hear audio. The guidelines are designed to be forward-compatible with evolving Web technologies, yet enable sites to be compatible with older internet browsers.
Accessible design also benefits other Web users, for instance, by promoting device independence for Web content. Checkpoints that support Web access for people with visual disabilities also help people accessing the Web from mobile phones, hand-held devices, or automobile-based PC's; when connection speed is too slow to support viewing images or video; or when a person's eyes are "busy" with other tasks. Checkpoints such as captions support access for people with hearing impairments but also help people who are using the Web in noisy or in silent environments; and they make it possible to index and search on audio content. Use of Cascading Style Sheets for control of presentation not only facilitates accessibility, but also speeds download time of pages and can reduce costs of maintaining or updating the "look and feel" of sites.
W3C's Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) in partnership with organizations around the world, is pursuing accessibility of the Web through five activities: ensuring that core technologies of the Web support accessibility; developing guidelines for Web content, user agents, and authoring tools; developing evaluation and repair tools for accessibility; conducting education and outreach; and tracking research and development that can affect future accessibility of the Web.
As with other areas of WAI work, these guidelines are an outcome of a collaboration of industry, disability organizations, accessibility research centers, and governments working together to identify consensus solutions for barriers that people with disabilities encounter on the Web.
"The W3C has provided a unique forum which has allowed us to bring together experts from industry, research, and practice in a way that has not been possible before," explained Gregg Vanderheiden, Director of Trace Research & Development Center at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and Co-Chair of the Web Content Guidelines Working Group. "The result is a set of guidelines that is more comprehensive, technically sound and practical than anything possible before. In addition, because the guidelines are built on the work and participation of virtually everyone who is active in this area, it provides us for the first time with a definitive set of guidelines that can serve as a reference for the field."
For more information regarding the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, contact the World Wide Web Consortium at http://www.w3.org or for a Guidelines factsheet go to http://www.w3.org/TR/1999/WAI-WEBCONTENT-19990505.
ACCESS BOARD NEWS
ADVISORY COMMITTEE PRESENTS REPORT ON INFORMATION ACCESS
A world wired for the "Information Age" presents a new frontier for accessibility. Under a law Congress passed last year, the Federal government stands to be on the forefront in ensuring access to electronic and information technology. The Access Board is responsible for issuing access standards for such technology. As a first step in this process, the Board created an advisory committee to develop recommendations on the standards. On May 12, 1999, the Electronic and Information Technology Access Advisory Committee (EITAAC) completed its work and presented its recommendations to the Board.
The EITAAC report provides recommended standards and includes both performance- based requirements, which focus on the capabilities of covered technologies, and technical criteria specific to certain types of technology. Access is addressed for people with physical, sensory, and cognitive disabilities. The recommendations establish criteria that would allow people with disabilities to locate, identify, and operate all of the input, control and mechanical functions, and to access available information. The report also addresses compatibility with adaptive equipment people with disabilities commonly use for access.
The Board will use the committee's report to develop proposed standards under the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1998, which President Clinton signed into law last August. Section 508 of the act requires access to the Federal government's electronic and information technology. It applies to all Federal agencies when they develop, procure, maintain, or use electronic and information 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." Section 508 speaks to various means for disseminating information, including computers, software, and electronic office equipment. It applies to, but is not solely focused on, Federal pages on the Internet or the World Wide Web. It does not apply to web pages of private industry.
(Source: Access Currents, Volume 5, No. 3 May/June 1999.)
ACCESS BOARD PROPOSAL FOR A NEW ADAAG
At its March meeting, the Access Board unanimously approved a rule to completely revise and update its Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG), moving the rule one step closer to publication. Once published, the rule will be available for public comment. This will be the first comprehensive update of the guidelines since they were originally issued in July 1991.
The Board adopted the complete contents of the proposed rule. This includes not only the text of the rule providing updated scoping and technical requirements, but also new illustrations and advisory material (commentary) developed by Board staff, and an accompanying discussion of the changes known as the "preamble" in the published rule. The preamble will provide a section-by-section description of the changes and will ask questions of the public concerning various issues and provisions. Public comment greatly assists the Board in finalizing a proposed rule.
When does the proposed rule hit the streets? Not until a few regulatory actions are completed. First, the proposed rule, along with a regulatory assessment, must be reviewed by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), which reviews most Federal regulations. OMB has 90 days to complete its review of the Board's rule. Once cleared by OMB, the rule will be published in the Federal Register and be made available for public comment.
The Board intends to provide a 120-day comment period. During this time, it will hold public hearings that will provide a forum for submitting comment. Dates and places for these hearings will be indicated in the proposed rule along with instructions for submitting comments. The text of the rule will contain a new ADAAG based on recommendations from the ADAAG Review Advisory Committee. The committee's report is available from the Board (publication S29) and its web site (www.access-board.gov). In addition, the rule will provide updated guidelines for federally funded facilities under the Architectural Barriers Act (ABA). The ABA guidelines will be modeled after the new ADAAG so that a consistent level of access is required for Federal facilities and for facilities covered by the ADA.
(Source: Access Currents, Volume 5, No. 2 March/April 1999.)
DOJ UPDATE
REGIONAL SETTLEMENT AGREEMENTS
Med-Dent, Inc., Presque Isle, Maine -- The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Maine entered into a settlement agreement with Med-Dent, Inc., the owner of a medical office building in Presque Isle, requiring it to make changes that will provide physical access to patients who use wheelchairs. A wheelchair user complained that steps at the exterior entrances and an interior stairwell of the office of her treating neurologist denied her access to the physician's office and required her doctor to examine and treat her in a van in the parking lot. The building owner agreed to install ramps to the exterior front entrances of the office building; install a vertical platform lift at the interior stairwell of the structure; provide training in operation of the lift to persons employed at the building; post accessible parking signs; and replace door knobs with lever-type handles that can be grasped by persons who have disabilities.
Shoppers Landing Limited Partnership, Freeport, Maine -- Shoppers Landing, a commercial landlord, agreed to construct a ramp from the street to the rear door of a retail clothing store; post signs at the inaccessible entrance directing patrons to the accessible entrance; and maintain the walkway to the accessible entrance.
Drive-through Access -- Sixty-four franchise restaurants of a nationally recognized quick service chain in Maine reached an agreement with the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maine to provide access to individuals who are unable to use drive-through speakers, including persons who are deaf or hard of hearing or who have speech impairments. Each restaurant will post clearly visible signs at the drive-through order board informing customers that picture menus and assistance are available for customers with speech or hearing disabilities at the restaurant's pick-up window. In addition, pencils, pens, and paper will be readily available at the pick-up window for customers who indicate they wish to write their order. Drive-through staff will be fully trained in the ADA's requirements for restaurants.
(Source: Enforcing the ADA: A Status Report from the Department of Justice, April - June 1999.)
EMPLOYMENT UPDATE
EEOC REVAMPS INTERNET WEB SITE
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has redesigned its home page on the World Wide Web to make information more accessible to the public in a user-friendly format. The action is part of EEOC's continuing effort to enhance outreach and education in order to meet better the needs of those it serves.
"Bringing informative and educational information to employers, the legal community, and the public at large is a high priority for the Commission, and these latest improvements to our web site reflect this ongoing commitment," said EEOC Chairwoman Ida L. Castro. "Technologically, we've come from a long way back in the pack to where we now have a dynamic web site that engages everybody with a stake in EEOC's work."
Since its beginnings in February 1997, EEOC's web site (http://www.eeoc.gov/) has been now recognized as a valuable information resource. The site has been praised for providing direct information about equal employment opportunity in an easy-to-understand format. So far in 1999, the web site has received an average of approximately 100,000 visitors per month.
News publications specializing in technology, business, and legal issues have pointed out that EEOC has been among the leading federal agencies in designing an innovative web site. In addition to being selected as one of the nation's top 100 Internet sites for new companies by Entrepreneur magazine in its July issue, EEOC's web site has been featured in PC Magazine and the National Law Journal.
The changes will provide quicker and easier access to agency information with restructured sections for private sector employers and employees, and an expanded section on the federal sector complaint process. The web site also contains comprehensive information on small business compliance, the agency's national mediation and technical assistance programs, as well as private sector charge filing procedures. In addition, the site includes rules and regulations, fact sheets, brochures, guidance documents, enforcement and litigation statistics, and press releases.
REGIONAL NEWS
Access Board Town Meeting in Boston
The U.S. Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board) will hold a Town Meeting in Boston on November 17th regarding the NPRM for recreation facilities contained in the report Recommendations for Accessibility Guidelines: Recreational Facilities and Outdoor Developed Areas. More than likely, the Board will also address the NPRM to revise the ADA and ABA Accessibility Guidelines.
The Town Meeting will be jointly sponsored by Adaptive Environments, the Massachusetts Office on Disability, and the City of Boston Disability Commission. The event is free and open to the public.
The public is invited to provide, or listen to, comment at hearings on: November 17, 1999 in Boston, MA at the World Trade Center, 164 Northern Avenue, 9:30 am -- 4:00 pm. Pre-registration for providing comment is available by calling (800) 872-2253, ext 18 (v) or (800) 993-2822 (tty).
Hidden Disabilities Conference in NH
The NH Governor's Commission on Disability is sponsoring a conference entitled "Hidden Disabilities: Shedding Light on Recent Supreme Court Decisions Affecting Employment and the ADA" on Wednesday, November 17, 1999 from 9:30am - 3:30pm at the Sheraton Nashua, 11 Tara Boulevard, Nashua, NH. Event co-sponsors include: Granite State Independent Living, the New Hampshire Developmental Disabilities Council, the Disabilities Rights Center, and other disability groups.
Recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions regarding the definition of "disability," under the ADA, have left employers and persons with disabilities with many unanswered questions.
Of particular interest is how the decisions effect employment protections for persons with so-called "hidden disabilities" - those with psychiatric conditions, epilepsy, traumatic brain injury, etc. The effects of these decisions, particularly as they relate to persons with hidden disabilities, will be the focus of this conference.
The conference will feature the following speakers:
- Tony Coelho, Chairman, President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities - Topic "Business and Disability Community Collaboration - Everybody Wins"
- Andrew J. Imparato, General Counsel and Director of Policy, National Council on Disability (NCD) - Topic: "National Policy Trends and Legislation"
- Christopher Kuczynski, Director of the ADA Policy Division, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission - Topic: "Enforcement Litigation and Employer Responsibilities Under the ADA"
- Don Shumway, Commissioner, NH Department of Health and Human Services - Topic: "Debunking The Myths, Stigmas, and Stereotypes of Mental Illness"
- Panel Discussion - Topic: "Where Do We Go From Here?" The agenda will include a panel of NH business leaders and members of the hidden disability community.
New England Leading National Election Accessibility Negotiations
Four New Englanders, Lee Perselay (Disability Rights Center), Clyde Terry (Developmental Disabilities Council), and Larry Robinson (Granite State Independent Living) of New Hampshire and Bob Cooper (Governor's Commission on Disabilities) of Rhode Island are participating in national negotiations with election officials from across the country on updating the US Voting Rights Act of 1965/Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped. The introduction in the US Senate of S. 511, by Senator John McCain (AZ), would amend the Voting Rights Act to require that all polling places and ballots be accessible and independently usable by voters with mobility, vision, reading and other disabilities, and lead to the establishment of a task force of voting officials and disability rights activists. The Task Force consists of approximately 50 state, county, and local election officials and about a dozen national and state level disability rights activists.
After two meetings, the task force has reached agreement on some intermediate steps to improve voter accessibility to the upcoming primary elections. With the assistance of the Federal Election Commission, the Election Center will distribute a polling place survey to be used in determining polling sites for the primaries. This survey will go to 8,000 election officials and will explain the current accessibility requirements. A resource guide and fact sheets on polling accessibility and auxiliary aids to assist voters cast their ballots independently will also be distributed. Election officials and disability advocates will continue meeting to address the longer term goal of all polling places being accessible and every voter having the right to cast a secret ballot without needing the assistance of elections officials or others.
Maine Design Professionals and Code Officials Attend Fall ADA / Life Safety Workshops
More than one hundred fifty code enforcement officials and two dozen design professionals from across the state of Maine took part in the State Planning Office sponsored one-day ADA Workshops held in October. Developed and coordinated by Alpha One of South Portland, Maine, the one-day workshops were held in Bangor, Presque Isle, South Portland, Auburn, and Belfast.
The primary objective of the workshops was to educate and update Maine code enforcement officials and design professionals on the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Maine Human Rights Act, and other applicable federal accessibility regulations that impact design, construction, and enforcement in the Maine building industry. Presentations included a comparative review of the Maine Human Rights Act and the ADA and an overview of the newly enacted rules for complying with the Maine accessibility regulations. Other topics presented included ADA Title II requirements affecting Maine municipalities, new NFPA-101 changes affecting accessibility, and recent / upcoming regulatory changes to the ADA Accessibility Guidelines that impact compliance and the enforcement of the Maine Human Rights Act.
The workshops are regularly sponsored by the State Planning Office as part of mandated training for certification of local Code Enforcement Officials, as required by the State of Maine Code Enforcement Training & Certification Program. Design professionals belonging to the American Institute of Architects attending and participating in the workshops, on the other hand, satisfied a minimum of twelve (12) Health, Safety, and Welfare Learning Units towards AIA Continuing Education Credits mandated for membership in the organization.
As technical and documented support for the workshops, Alpha One developed a three hundred page Training Manual for the workshops to supplement information orally presented. The "Municipal Code Enforcement Officers Training and Certification Manual" serves as the basis for State of Maine Code Enforcement Training and Certification in the area of "Accessibility Standards and Requirements".
PUBLICATIONS
COMPUTER ACCESS
General Input Device Emulating Interface Proposal -- Proposed standard defining a connection and communication protocol to be used between alternate input devices and interfaces which emulate standard computer input devices. 50 pages. Price: $4.00
Considerations in the Design of Computers and Operating Systems to Increase Their Accessibility to Persons with Disabilities -- Guidelines for computer accessibility developed as a cooperative effort by industry, government, researchers, and consumers. 55 pages. Price: $4.00
A Dual Information Class Model for Providing Access to Computers with Graphic User Interfaces for People who are Blind -- Presents specific strategies for accessing graphic information, along with the description of a multisensory prototype used to explore the access issues. 13 pages. Price: $1.00
Nonvisual Alternative Display Techniques for Output from Graphics-Based Computers -- Delineates 11 types of information commonly displayed by computer systems along with access and interpretation strategies that might be considered for presentation of each category of information. 27 pages. Price: $2.00
Access Issues Related to Virtual Reality for People with Disabilities -- Discussion of ways to facilitate the development of built-in access to virtual reality for people with disabilities. 7 pages. Price: $1.00
A Standard Approach for Full Visual Annotation of Auditorially Presented Information for Users, Including Those who are Deaf: Showsounds -- Describes a standard cross-platform strategy for providing access to sounds generated by electronic information systems, built around a "ShowSounds switch" or flag built into the basic system architecture. 9 pages. Price: $1.00
Checklists for Implementing Accessibility in Computer Laboratories at Colleges and Universities -- Contains five checklists with suggestions for maximizing accessibility, as well as information on assisting students who still cannot be accommodated by the adapted labs. 32 pages. Price: $3.00
Checklists for Making Library Automation Accessible to Patrons with Disabilities -- Gives step-by-step instructions for setting up and implementing an accessibility effort in library automation. Four action checklists are provided, organized by the time and cost needed for implementation. 35 pages. Price: $3.00
All publications available from the Trace Research and Development Center.
Contact:
Trace Research & Development Center
University of Wisconsin-Madison
5901 Research Park Boulevard
Madison, WI 53719-1252
Telephone: (608) 262-6966
TTY: (608) 263-5408
Fax: (608) 262-8848
E-mail: web@trace.wisc.edu
Web Site: http://trace.wisc.edu/
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Questions & Answers about Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1998
Q: What is Section 508?
A: Section 508 is a part of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 that requires electronic and information technology developed, procured, maintained, or used by the Federal government be accessible to people with disabilities. On August 7, 1998, the President signed into law the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, which includes the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1998. Section 508 was originally added to the Rehabilitation Act in 1986; the 1998 amendments significantly expand and strengthen the technology access requirements in Section 508.
Q: To whom does Section 508 apply?
A: Section 508 applies to Federal departments and agencies. It does not regulate the private sector and does not apply to recipients of Federal funds.
Q: What does Section 508 require of Federal agencies and departments?
A: Section 508 requires that when Federal agencies develop, procure, maintain, or use electronic and information technology, they must ensure that it is accessible to people with disabilities, unless it would pose an undue burden to do so. Federal employees and members of the public who have disabilities must have access to and use of information and services that is comparable to the access and use available to non-disabled Federal employees and members of the public.
Q: How will technology accessibility standards be developed?
A: The Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board) is required to issue standards by February 7, 2000 that define which electronic and information technology is covered by Section 508, and describe what is meant by `accessible technology' by setting forth the technical and functional performance criteria necessary to implement the accessibility requirements. The Access Board created an Electronic and Information Technology Access Advisory Committee (EITAAC) to advise it on the standards. The Committee's final report was delivered to the Board May 11, 1999.
Q: Where can Federal agencies go for technical assistance?
A: The General Services Administration and the Access Board will provide technical assistance on the requirements of Section 508. Agencies and individuals may also seek information from the many public, non-profit, educational, or private institutions and organizations that specialize in making technology accessible to people with disabilities.
Q: Does Section 508 apply to Web sites of federal agencies?
A: Yes. Federal agencies which provide information to the public or to their employees through Web sites must ensure that such sites are available to all persons with internet or intranet access, including persons with disabilities.
Q: Does this mean Web sites can't have graphics?
A: Not at all. Actually, designing an accessible Web site is not as difficult as most people believe. Often it is a matter of identifying graphics, elements, frames, etc. For example, HTML code already provides the "Alt Text" tag for graphics which some designers simply forget or ignore. Accessible sites have several advantages. For one thing, some people turn off graphics so sites will load faster. Without "alt" tags, graphics-intense sites may be unusable.
(Source: "Questions & Answers about Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1998," US Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board.)
GREAT WEB SITES
The Disabilities Issues Task Force (DITF)
http://www.fcc.gov/dtf/
An internal FCC task force dedicated to ensuring that FCC actions and policies promote access to telecommunications equipment and services by individuals with disabilities. The DITF was formed in March 1995 and is composed of contact representatives from every bureau and office of the Commission.
World Wide Web Consortium's (W3C) Web Accessibility Initiative
http://www.w3.org/WAI/
The W3C's commitment to lead the Web to its full potential includes promoting a high degree of usability for people with disabilities. The Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI), in coordination with organizations around the world, is pursuing accessibility of the Web through five primary areas of work: technology, guidelines, tools, education & outreach, and research & development.
Federal Relay Service
(Previously known as the Federal Information Relay Service)
http://www.gsa.gov/frs/
Provides access to the U.S. Government TTY Directory. This is a listing of TTY numbers for all federal agencies and departments. Updated through 1999.
Trace Research and Development Center
http://trace.wisc.edu/
Trace is a research center at the University of Wisconsin - Madison which focuses on making off- the-shelf technologies and systems like computers, the Internet, and information kiosks more accessible for everyone through the process known as universal, or accessible design. The Trace Center is regarded as a leading research, development, and resource center in the area of access to computers by people with disabilities. Over the last several years, the Trace Center has also become recognized for its work in disability access and universal design of the World Wide Web, information transaction machines, and telecommunications.
The CPB/WGBH National Center for Accessible Media (NCAM)
http://www.wgbh.org/wgbh/pages/ncam/
The National Center for Accessible Media is a research and development facility that works to make media accessible to underserved populations such as disabled persons, minority-language users, and people with low literacy skills. NCAM is an extension of public broadcasting's work in media access that began 25 years ago with the creation of captioning for deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers, and has more recently resulted in the development of video description for blind and visually impaired audiences.
Department of Justice Section 508 Home Page
http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/508/508home.html
Information regarding the obligations of federal agencies to comply with Section 508 and conduct self-evaluations of their electronic and information technology. Section 508 requires that Federal agencies' electronic and information technology is accessible to people with disabilities, including employees and members of the public. It also establishes requirements for any electronic and information technology developed, maintained, procured, or used by the Federal government.
The New England Assistive Technology Exchange
http://www.mv.com/ipusers/nhaat/neat/
The New England Regional Assistive Technology Exchange enables consumers and professionals to access a variety of assistive technology by providing a forum to list equipment available for sale, loan, exchange or donation. This process is convenient, easy to use and accessible to everyone. Any individual, agency or organization can be part of the Exchange.
BUILDING YOUR ROLODEX
Federal Communications Commission
445 12th St., SW
Washington, D.C. 20554
News media information: (202) 418-0500
Fax-On-Demand: (202) 418-2830
TTY: (202) 418-2555
Internet: http://www.fcc.gov
FCC's Toll Free TTY Number: (888) 835-5322
Relay Services in New England
Connecticut:
Relay Connecticut
1-800-842-9710 (tty)
1-800-833-8134 (voice)
Relay Connecticut Customer Service
1-800-676-3777 (tty/voice)
http://www.relayconnecticut.com/
Maine:
Maine Telecommunications Relay Service
1-800-437-1220 or (207) 955-3323 (tty)
1-800-457-1220 or (207) 955-3777 (voice)
Massachusetts:
Massachusetts Relay Service
1-800-439-2370 (tty)
1-800-439-0183 (voice)
New Hampshire:
Relay New Hampshire
1-800-735-2964 (tty/voice)
Relay New Hampshire Customer Service
1-800-676-3777 (tty/voice)
http://www.relaynewhampshire.com/
Rhode Island:
Rhode Island Relay Service
1-800-745-5555 (tty)
1-800-745-6575 (voice)
Vermont:
Vermont Relay Service
1-800-253-0191 (tty)
1-800-253-0195 (voice)
EVENTS/ANNOUNCEMENTS
Designing for the 21st Century
Second International Conference on Universal Design
June 14-18, 2000
Providence Convention Center, Providence, RI
Sponsored by Adaptive Environments and the Center for Universal Design
For additional information, contact Valerie Fletcher at (617) 695-1225 ext. 26 or visit
the conference website: www.adaptiveenvironments.org/21century
Arts and Accessibility in New England
March 1-3, 2000
Royal Sonesta Hotel, Cambridge, MA
Sponsored by New England Foundation for the Arts
Contact: Contact Renee Wells (802) 388-7133 for access requests and Doug DeNatale, denatale@nefa.org, (617) 951-0010 x13 for registration
Hidden Disabilities and The ADA
November 17, 1999
Sheraton Tara, Nashua, NH
Sponsored by the Governor's Commission on Disability
Contact: Contact the Commission at (800) 852-3405 (in NH only) or (603) 271-2773
E-mail: mjenkins@gov.state.nh.us
Build Boston '99
November 16-18, 1999
World Trade Center, Boston, MA
Sponsored by the Boston Society of Architects/AIA
To register, call (800) 544-1898 or visit www.buildboston.com
Access Board Town Meeting
November 17, 1999, 9:30 am - 4:00 pm
World Trade Center, Boston, MA
Contact the Access Board at (800) 872-2253 ext. 18 (v) or (800) 993-2822 (tty)
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