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Dear Federationists:<br>
<br>
As many of you may have already heard, the U.S. Access Board has asked
the public for feedback on some proposed changes to the ADA Accessibility
Guidelines, Rehabilitation Act, and Telecommunications Act.
Specifically, the Access Board plans to update the standards and
accessibility guidelines for electronic and information technology, as
well as add kiosks to the ADA Accessibility Guidelines. We urge you
to make your voices heard and e-mail, fax, or post on
<a href="http://www.regulations.gov/">www.regulations.gov</a> your
comments to these changes, as they have an enormous impact on a blind
person’s ability to access information. With a deadline of midnight
on Monday, June 21, time is running out for us to influence the
board. <br>
<br>
The National Federation of the Blind has been heavily involved with the
formulation of these proposed standards and guidelines, but our role is
not finished. It is important that we applaud the Access Board for
the changes we support so they are not compromised, and that we highlight
where the changes have not gone far enough to ensure full
accessibility. More specifically, we have many concerns regarding
both the definition of a “kiosk” and the kiosks that are exempted in the
proposal. <br>
<br>
In the current proposal, the definition of “kiosk” is limiting. A
kiosk is defined as a self-service unit used only for transportation
(ticketing, seat assignments, boarding passes, etc.) or for ordering
food. This definition should be expanded to include other types of
services not mentioned, as kiosks are increasingly replacing customer
service personnel in a wide range of services, including voting, jury
service payments, and health care. The current definition is silent
on whether a unit used for these services would be considered a kiosk,
and also does not include visual display systems that are used solely for
displaying information to users. Kiosks should have a comprehensive
definition that leaves room for innovative ways kiosks may be
incorporated into our society and eliminates any future debate over
whether a different service is covered under the law and what standards
may apply. <br>
<br>
In addition, the two exemptions for kiosks in the proposal will not
ensure total accessibility. First, closed systems are exempted to
comply with 302. This means a closed system does not have to
provide spoken output, since it would not be required to be usable with
“only the attachment of a personal headset.” Under this assumption,
there is no requirement for these systems to be accessible. Second,
drive-up kiosks are exempted. Although people with certain
disabilities are not drivers, they are all passengers who may encounter a
drive-up kiosk; and exempting drive-up units is discriminatory to a
disabled passenger. The NFB encourages the board to ensure that all
kiosks be required to be accessible. <br>
<br>
These comments and others were compiled and formally submitted by the NFB
to the Access Board. Now it is time for our members to make a
statement and emphasize our concerns regarding kiosks. Your
comments can be short--the act of sending in feedback is more important
than the length of your remarks. You could say something as simple
as “I think the definition of kiosks is too limited. Please expand
the definition and remove the exemptions.” You could also say “I
think the definition of kiosks should be expanded and all exemptions
removed to ensure full accessibility.” You can call Tim Creagan at
(202) 272-0016, e-mail your thoughts to
<a href="mailto:ictrule@access-board.gov">ictrule@access-board.gov</a>
with “2010-1” in the subject line, fax to (202) 272-0081, or post your
comments on
<a href="http://www.regulations.gov/">www.regulations.gov</a>. To
view the full draft, visit
<a href="http://www.access-board.gov/sec508/refresh/draft-rule.htm">
http://www.access-board.gov/sec508/refresh/draft-rule.htm</a>.
<br>
<br>
If you need more information, please contact Lauren McLarney at (410)
659-9314, extension 2207. <br>
<br>
Sincerely,<br>
<br>
Joanne Wilson <br>
Executive Director, Affiliate Action <br>
jwilson@nfb.org<br>
<br><br>
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</x-tab>David
Andrews: dandrews@visi.com<br>
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