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…

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…

The Justice Department and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) partnered to publish guidance on the protections in federal nondiscrimination laws requiring that telehealth be accessible to people with disabilities and limited English proficient persons. Protections for people with disabilities include among other things effective communication. Providers must communicate effectively…

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted an Order (Declaratory Ruling, Order, Report and Order, and Order on Reconsideration) restoring Net Neutrality and bringing back a national standard for broadband reliability, security, and consumer protection, effective July 22, 2024. For People with Disabilities, the Order will: Better safeguard access to IP-based telecommunications relay…

On June 12, 2023, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released a Report and Order in response to reports that video conferencing services lack—or have inferior—captioning; ineffective display of sign language interpreters; inability of blind or low vision users to find and use volume controls; and insufficient user control of accessibility tools. Further, there is no easy way to use…

In the last couple of months, we've seen a number of "Dear Colleague" letters regarding accessibility announced by various US administrative agencies, like the Department of Justice and the Department of Education, either individually or jointly. The most recent "Dear Colleague" letter ( attached below ) was issued jointly by the Justice Department and the Department of Education on May 19, 2023,…