[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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