Resources

Throughout the month of August, the U.S. Access Board held a series of public hearings on the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on people with disabilities. On August 8, two hearings (in the morning and afternoon) were held to hear from members of the disability community. Additionally, a panel of speakers delivered remarks on the risks, benefits, and potential of artificial intelligence with…

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is divided into five sections, which are known as titles. These five titles describe the rights of people with disabilities and the responsibilities of governments, businesses, and organizations covered by the law. What happens when someone believes the law was violated? Several federal agencies enforce the ADA. The agency responsible for responding to a…

On September 9, 2024, Apple Inc announced hearing health features coming to AirPods Pro 2, which provide the world’s first all-in-one hearing health experience including a clinical-grade, over-the-counter Hearing Aid feature. Included in these new features is Hearing Protection to help users prevent exposure to loud environmental noise while preserving the sound signature of what they’re listening…

On September 10, 2024, the FCC announced that survivors of domestic abuse can get discounted phone, internet, or bundled services through the FCC’s Lifeline program. Survivors can now make a request with their service provider to separate their mobile phone lines from family plans where the abuser is on the account. Impacted survivors experiencing financial hardship can also receive up to six…

EEOC v. Smith’s Detection Inc., Case No. 1:24-cv-2510 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, Baltimore Division. The agency filed against Smith’s Detection, Inc., a leading manufacturer of threat detection equipment, for demoting a disabled employee to avoid providing her with personal protective equipment (PPE). The employee, who suffered from complete hearing loss in her left…

The U.S. Department of Justice publication, ADA Requirements: Effective Communication is designed to help title II ((State and local governments) and title III entities ((businesses and nonprofit organizations that serve the public) understand how ADA rules for effective communication apply to them. These entities must provide auxiliary aids and services when needed to communicate effectively with…

Technology continues to evolve at the speed of human ingenuity, which means that the broad antidiscrimination mandates of the ADA must continually be applied to new situations. Fortunately, technology offers many innovative tools to make life more accessible and eliminate barriers to equal opportunity. Some of these technological tools are described in the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's…

At its July 18, 2024 Open Meeting, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted a Third Report and Order requiring manufacturers of covered apparatus and multichannel video programming distributors (MVPDs) to make closed captioning display settings readily accessible to individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing. The Order adopts a “readily accessible” requirement for closed captioning…

The ADA’s equal-opportunity mandate goes beyond making sure that information provided through electronic means is as readily accessible to people with disabilities as it is to those without disabilities. It also means making sure that software and other information technology deployed by employers to aid in the hiring process or to monitor and rate employee performance does not screen out…

On July 19, 2024, the FCC released a Report and Order taking steps to advance the nationwide transition to Next Generation 911 (NG911). Unlike the current 911 system, NG911 uses Internet Protocol (IP)-based format and routing, and will support the transmission of text, photos, videos, and data. In the Report and Order, the FCC adopted the first nationwide NG911 transition rules that define the…