[NFBF-L] FW: [blindLaw] Senators Demand Answers On Web Accessibility - Disability Scoop - September 27, 2022

[Sherri Brun]

This is great news! Thanks for sharing.

Sherri

-----Original Message-----
From: NFBF-L <nfbf-l-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Camille Tate via
NFBF-L
Sent: Thursday, September 29, 2022 10:52 PM
To: 'NFB of Florida List for Leaders' <nfbf-leaders at nfbnet.org>; 'NFB of
Florida Internet Mailing List' <nfbf-l at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Camille Tate <ctate2076 at att.net>
Subject: [NFBF-L] FW: [blindLaw] Senators Demand Answers On Web
Accessibility - Disability Scoop - September 27, 2022

You all may find this interesting. We have heard feedback during Washington
Seminar when we talk about web accessibility. They are listening! 

 Sincerely,
Camille Tate
2nd Vice President, National Federation of the Blind of Florida President,
Melbourne Space Coast Chapter, National Federation of the Blind of Florida
Phone: 321 372 4899 

-----Original Message-----
From: BlindLaw <blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Nightingale, Noel
via BlindLaw
Sent: Thursday, September 29, 2022 6:08 PM
To: blindlaw at nfbnet.org
Cc: Nightingale, Noel <Noel.Nightingale at ed.gov>
Subject: [blindLaw] Senators Demand Answers On Web Accessibility -
Disability Scoop - September 27, 2022


https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2022/09/27/senators-demand-answers-web-acces
sibility/30053/
Senators Demand Answers On Web Accessibility By Michelle Diament Disability
Scoop September 27, 2022

A bipartisan group of senators is calling out the federal government for
failing to do enough to make information and services accessible to people
with disabilities.
Under Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, the government is supposed to
ensure that its electronic and information technology - including websites -
are accessible. But compliance efforts are severely lagging, according to
U.S. Sens. Bob Casey, D-Pa., Tim Scott, R-S.C., Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Chuck
Grassley, R-Iowa, Patty Murray, D-Wash., Richard Burr, R-N.C., and Tammy
Duckworth, D-Ill.
Over the summer, the senators wrote to Attorney General Merrick Garland
demanding information about federal government web accessibility.
In particular, the senators pointed out that Section 508 requires the
Department of Justice to issue a report every two years evaluating the
accessibility of federal technology, but they said no such report has been
released since 2012.
"Without regular reports, Congress, taxpayers, and agencies themselves lack
a crucial source of feedback for identifying and resolving longstanding
accessibility issues," the senators wrote.
Meanwhile, the senators pointed to a 2021 report from the nonprofit
Information Technology & Innovation Foundation which found that the
homepages of 30% of the most popular federal websites failed an automated
accessibility test. And, testimony at a July hearing of the Senate Special
Committee on Aging showed that many government agencies - including the
White House - have reached settlements after being sued for failing to meet
their accessibility obligations under Section 508.
Now, several senators are asking the Government Accountability Office to
investigate.
"Accessibility challenges appear to exist across the government, raising
important questions about the effectiveness of accountability mechanisms
intended to monitor the accessibility of federal technology and whether they
are being properly carried out," wrote Casey, Murray and Burr as well as
Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., and Mike Braun, R-Ind., in their request
to GAO. "Given these concerns, we ask the Government Accountability Office
(GAO) to examine how the federal government is complying with laws requiring
the availability of accessible technology and how it evaluates whether legal
requirements are being met."
A spokeswoman for Casey said that both the Justice Department and GAO have
acknowledged receiving the letters and are working on responses.


_______________________________________________
BlindLaw mailing list
BlindLaw at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
BlindLaw:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/ctate2076%40att.net


_______________________________________________
NFBF-L mailing list
NFBF-L at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbf-l_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
NFBF-L:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbf-l_nfbnet.org/flmom2006%40gmail.com