[Iabs-talk] FW: WGBH Lauds Passage of the Communications Accessibility Act

Tue Oct 5 02:10:58 UTC 2010

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From: Ruda, Sharon [mailto:SRuda at ILSOS.NET] 
Sent: Monday, October 04, 2010 9:36 AM
To: tbctech at ISLemail.org; anne craig; Bloomberg, Kathleen; Brown, Vandella;
CyndyColletti; lawren Tucker; McCormick, Greg; McGuckin, Patrick; Natale,
Joe; Norris, Patricia; Redemer, Blaine; Bogdan, William;
camille at horizons-blind.org; dafk-Bledsoe at sbcglobal.net;
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lbroom at shawls.lib.il.us; Rita Howells; Suzanne Rood Cox;
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Subject: FW: WGBH Lauds Passage of the Communications Accessibility Act

I'm back. Here is info from Diana Brawley. Exciting news for our clients.
Sharon

From: Diana Brawley Sussman [mailto:dbrawley at shawls.lib.il.us] 
Sent: Thursday, September 30, 2010 11:49 AM
To: 'Loretta Broomfield'; Ruda, Sharon
Subject: FW: WGBH Lauds Passage of the Communications Accessibility Act

From: dvsconsumers at mail4.wgbh.org [mailto:dvsconsumers at mail4.wgbh.org] On
Behalf Of Mary Watkins
Sent: Wednesday, September 29, 2010 12:06 PM
To: dvsconsumers
Subject: WGBH Lauds Passage of the Communications Accessibility Act

WGBH Lauds Passage of Communications Accessibility Act

Legislation by Rep. Markey includes blind and deaf individuals in digital
media

As a pioneer in media access for deaf and blind audiences, Boston public
broadcaster WGBH commends yesterday's Congressional passage of The 21st
Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act. 

The landmark legislation by Rep. Edward Markey (D-MA) promises to bring all
of the benefits of modern digital technology to people with disabilities. 

Through its Media Access department, WGBH has been involved for more than 35
years in helping make virtually every innovative development in media and
technology accessible and inclusive of all members of our society. This new
legislation builds on and ratifies many of those efforts. 

"Congressman Markey has been a leader and tireless advocate in ensuring that
people with disabilities are not left behind as media changes through
technology," said Larry Goldberg, director of the WGBH National Center for
Accessible Media (NCAM). "The new legislation enacted today not only
reinstates a previous mandate for video description, but also paves the way
for widespread use of cutting edge technologies for accessibility." 

WGBH launched captioned TV in 1972 and video description (for people who are
blind or visually impaired) in 1990 - its first two major initiatives in
assuring equal access to television for all Americans. In 1993 WGBH created
NCAM and began to develop technology standards and solutions for the
emerging media of the coming two decades, including these projects related
to the provisions of the new legislation: captioning and description on the
web, automated alerting of blind people when emergency information is
televised, talking set-top cable boxes and other R&D projects funded by
Federal grants and strategic partnerships with industry. 

"WGBH has always sought practical, affordable and pragmatic pathways toward
full media and technology inclusion for people with disabilities - solutions
that work for consumers as well as the companies that serve them," said
Goldberg. "Innovative and accessible technologies can be built into the
fabric of our lives and our tools. This legislation gives added impetus to
adoption of the kinds of inclusive mainstream designs and inventions that
WGBH's staff and its collaborators throughout the world are working on every
day." 

For more information on the Media Access Group at WGBH, visit
access.wgbh.org. 

About WGBH 
WGBH Boston is America's preeminent public broadcaster, producing such
award-winning PBS series as Masterpiece, Antiques Roadshow, Frontline, Nova,
American Experience, Arthur, Curious George, and more than a dozen other
prime-time, lifestyle, and children's series. WGBH Radio serves listeners
from Cape Cod to New Hampshire with WGBH 89.7, Boston's NPR Station for News
and Culture; 99.5 All Classical. WGBH also produces the national radio news
program The World. WGBH is a leading producer of online content and a
pioneer in developing educational multimedia and new technologies that make
media accessible for people with disabilities. Find more information at
www.wgbh.org. 

Press Contact: 
Mary Watkins 
617 300-3700 
mary_watkins at wgbh.org 

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