(Provided by Autism-society.org)
Disability advocates hope for support in the House of Representatives By unanimous consent, the Senate passed the Equal Access to 21st Century Communications Act (S. 3304). The House of Representatives version of the bill, H.R. 3101, passed on the 20th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act on July 26. The bill would require closed captioned television programs to remain captioned when delivered over the Internet; televised emergency information to be accessible to individuals who are blind or have low vision; accessibility of advanced communications equipment and services, such as text messaging and e-mail; hearing aid compatibility of Internet-enabled phones; accessible user controls for televisions and set-top boxes, and easy access to closed captioning and video description; a clearinghouse of information on accessible products and services with public education and outreach; and advisory councils that must include people with disabilities in developing the objectives and protocols for accessibility of Internet-enabled TV and phone technologies. As the provisions of the Senate bill are an improvement over the House bill, advocates support and expect the House to pass the Senate bill, S. 3304.
Click here for a section-by-section description of S. 3304