IT Accessibility Review
Volume 1, Number 1
IT Accessibility Legal Briefs
Access Board Announces New Guidelines for Accessible Design
The U.S. Access Board has issued new design guidelines that coincide with the access provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The guidelines specify how accessibility must be achieved in new construction and modifications. They provide specifications for various building components, such as parking, ramps, entrances, telephones, and restrooms. Revisions to the guidelines have been made to continue to meet the needs of people with disabilities and keep pace with technological innovations. For example, new provisions for ATMs specify audible output to provide equal access for people with vision impairments, and reach ranges have been lowered to better serve people who use wheelchairs and individuals of short stature. The guidelines, which feature a new format and organization, have been extensively edited for greater clarity.
To retrieve a copy of the new design guidelines, go to:
http://www.access-board.gov/ada-aba.htm.
States Focus on Accessible Voting Legislation
With the Presidential election just a few days away, some states have turned their attention towards enacting accessible voting measures. California, for instance, has issued accessible voting machine standards. In doing so, California has become the first state in the country to establish requirements for the development and testing of paper trail audits for electronic voting machines. The Accessible Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (AVVPAT) coincides with the Help America Vote Act (HAVA).
- More on HAVA
Arizona is also enforcing HAVA by requiring all polling locations to have at least one accessible voting machine by 2006. The accessible voting device will enable voters to use a touch screen or audio prompts. Once voters with disabilities cast their votes, the machine records them on conventional paper ballots.
- More on Arizona HAVA
Another state that has concentrated on accessible voting is Washington. In Yakima County, officials have adopted the Hart InterCivic´s Electronic Voting System. Like the Arizona system, the InterCivic system has audio prompts in English or Spanish so persons with visual impairments can hear and respond to ballot selections. It also has an easy-to-maneuver rotary wheel and push buttons so individuals with mobility impairments can locate ballot choices and record their votes.
- More on InterCivic
Court Rules on Arkansas Administrative Information System
A state judge ruled that Arkansas must make its Administrative Statewide Information System (AASIS) software compliant with State Code 25-26-201 (b)(1) The code stipulates that "Individuals who are blind or visually impaired have the right to full participation in the life of the state, including the use of advanced technology which is provided by the state or state-assisted organizations for use by employees, program participants, and members of the general public…." The ruling stems from a 2001 lawsuit brought by two blind employees of the state who claimed they could not use accounting, budgeting, and time card systems.
- More on Arkansas Ruling
Senators Strengthen Assistive Technologies Act
Senators Tom Harkin (Iowa), Judd Gregg (New Hampshire), and Jack Reed (Rhode Island) have introduced a bipartisan bill to strengthen and improve state Assistive Technology (AT) programs. The bill ensures that "access to technology such as computers, hearing aids, instructional training materials, prosthetics and Internet sites is readily available for members of the public with disabilities." Its provisions include authorization of additional funds, assurance of AT availability in communities and schools, and alignment of the AT Act with other disability legislations.
To obtain complete details about the AT ACT, visit Senator Harkin´s website at:
http://harkin.senate.gov/news.cfm?id=223184.
