[Nfbmo] Electronic Bill of rights
Wunder, Gary
WunderG at health.missouri.edu
Thu Mar 4 13:26:30 UTC 2010
Wonderful. We need their help for sure.
-----Original Message-----
From: nfbmo-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfbmo-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of fred olver
Sent: Monday, March 01, 2010 9:28 AM
To: NFB of Missouri Mailing List
Subject: Re: [Nfbmo] Electronic Bill of rights
Thanks, Gary, some folks in my Sunday School class were interested in it and how to support the idea.
Fred
----- Original Message -----
From: "Wunder, Gary" <WunderG at health.missouri.edu>
To: "'NFB of Missouri Mailing List'" <nfbmo at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, March 01, 2010 9:16 AM
Subject: Re: [Nfbmo] Electronic Bill of rights
> This should contain our bill number which is H.R. 4533. Please support.
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nfbmo-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfbmo-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
> Of fred olver
> Sent: Monday, March 01, 2010 8:16 AM
> To: NFB of Missouri Mailing List
> Subject: [Nfbmo] Electronic Bill of rights
>
> A TECHNOLOGY BILL OF RIGHTS FOR THE BLIND
>
>
>
>
>
> Purpose: To mandate that consumer electronics, home appliances, kiosks,
> and electronic office technology provide user interfaces that are
> accessible through nonvisual means.
>
>
>
>
>
> Background: In recent years rapid advances in microchip and digital
> technology have led to increasingly complex user interfaces for everyday
> products such as consumer electronics, home appliances, kiosks, and
> electronic office technology. Many new devices in these categories
> require interaction with visual displays, on-screen menus, touch screens,
> and other user interfaces that are inaccessible to individuals who are
> blind or have low vision. Settings on the stove, dishwasher, or home
> entertainment system are no longer controlled by knobs, switches, and
> buttons that can be readily identified and whose settings can be easily
> discerned. Inaccessibility of these devices is a major barrier to a blind
> person's independence and productivity. If a blind person cannot operate
> the interfaces of basic office equipment such as copiers and fax machines,
> this is a potential threat to that person's opportunity to join the
> workforce or to maintain an existing job.
>
>
>
> Many popular nonvisual mechanisms are available for manufacturers to
> create interfaces accessible to everyone. For example, text-to-speech
> technology is inexpensive and more ubiquitous than it has ever been-it is
> used in everything from automated telephone systems to the weather
> forecasting service broadcast by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
> Administration. Indeed, a few manufacturers have incorporated this
> technology into their products to create talking menus or to articulate
> what is on the display screen, but many manufacturers have continued to
> design interfaces that do not include any nonvisual means of use,
> rendering the devices inaccessible to blind people.
>
>
>
>
>
> Need for Legislation: Currently no enforceable mandates exist for
> manufacturers of consumer electronics, home appliances, kiosks, and
> electronic office technology to make their products accessible to all
> consumers. There are also no accessibility standards to provide guidance
> to manufacturers on how to avoid creating barriers to access by the blind.
>
>
>
> Congress should therefore enact a Technology Bill of Rights for the Blind
> which:
>
> a.. establishes that manufacturers must create accessible user interfaces
> for their products,
> b.. provides a means for enforcement, and
> c.. establishes standards that will provide meaningful benchmarks that
> manufacturers can use to make their products accessible.
>
>
> This legislation does not mandate a single, one-size-fits-all solution for
> all consumer technology, home appliances, kiosks, or electronic office
> technology. Rather it mandates regulations setting meaningful
> accessibility standards that allow manufacturers to select from a menu of
> potential solutions or create new ones. This will not only give
> manufacturers the freedom and flexibility they desire, but will also
> encourage innovations that make consumer technology more usable for
> everyone.
>
>
>
>
>
> Proposed Legislation: Congress should enact a Technology Bill of Rights
> for the Blind that:
>
>
>
> a.. Mandates that all consumer electronics, home appliances, kiosks, and
> electronic office technology be designed so that blind people are able to
> access the same functions as sighted people by nonvisual means and with
> substantially equivalent ease of use.
>
>
> a.. Creates a commission to establish standards for nonvisual
> accessibility of electronic devices intended for use in the home or
> office. Such a commission should represent all stakeholders, including:
> - organizations of the blind;
>
> - manufacturers of consumer electronics, home appliances, kiosks,
> and electronic office technology, or associations representing such
> manufacturers; and
>
> - experts on universal design, electronic engineering, and related
> fields.
>
>
>
> a.. Endows the Department of Justice with the authority to enforce the
> regulations promulgated by the commission established by this legislation.
>
>
> a.. Authorizes the commission to reexamine and rewrite standards
> periodically as consumer electronic technology continues to evolve.
>
>
>
>
> Requested Action: Please support blind Americans and cosponsor a
> Technology Bill of Rights for the Blind to ensure that blind people can
> fully participate in all aspects of American society. Increased access
> leads to increased independence, increased employment, and increased tax
> revenue.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Contact Information:
>
> Lauren McLarney
>
> Government Programs Specialist
>
> NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
>
> Phone: (410) 659-9314, extension 2207
>
> Email: lmclarney at nfb.org
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