Policy and Outreach Initiatives (DS1)

This August, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced requirements and compliance deadlines that impact communications and technology accesses for people with hearing loss.  The first was the order requiring closed captioning of internet video clips [MB Docket No. 11-154] which establishes an effective date of September 4, 2014. They also adopted rules that complement previous commitments made by...

With July marking the 24^th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the President took steps to accelerate employment opportunities for people with disabilities by signing the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) [H.R. 803].  Among other things, the Act includes provisions to enhance pre-employment...

The 24^th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is approaching, and preparations are underway to celebrate achievements and further educate people, businesses and organizations on how to further realize the ADA’s goals.  To that end, the Southeast ADA Center of the ADA National Network has released an ADA Anniversary Tool Kit with information on the background of the ADA, current disability...

Dr. James White, Director of Communications Studies at Georgia Tech’s Center for Advanced Communications Policy CACP and Wireless RERC researcher, authored a National Council on Disability (NCD) report: Effective Communication for People with Disabilities Before, During, and After Emergencies Evaluated. The report, which was recently published and...

In April, the Department of Justice reached a 10-year settlement agreement with the State of Rhode Island following investigations into the state’s day-activity service system for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Under the settlement, Rhode Island has agreed to redirect State funding to more integrated services to ensure individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities are afforded better employment and employment transition services.  Federal...

In March, H&R Block entered into a five-year consent decree with the Department of Justice (DOJ) following complaints that H&R Block violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by failing to ensure accessibility on their website and mobile applications.

In regulatory news, the Federal Communications Commission (...

In February, U.S. Representatives Matt Cartwright (D-PA), Mark Takano (D-CA) and Steve Stockman (R-TX) introduced a new bill, the Alice Cogswell and Anne Sullivan Macy Act[H.R. 4040], to enhance education for students with sensory disabilities. The bill would ensure children who are blind, have low vision or are deaf or hard of hearing are provided with proper evaluation of their educational needs and qualified teachers to meet those needs....

In January,The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released a Policy Statement Second Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FNPRM) regarding the rollout of text-to-911. , the FCC urged Commercial Mobile Radio Service providers as well as providers of other text messaging services to enable text-to-911 for their consumers.

Complementing...

In November, the United States District Court found that New York City failed to accommodate the needs of people with disabilities when planning for and responding to disasters in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The court highlighted that the plan does not include provisions for the accessibility of transportation, emergency shelters, or emergency communications for people with disabilities. Although the case only holds the City liable for their actions, the decision...