[NFBMO] Kansas City Star Publishes Letter to editor about Website & Mobile App Accessibility

[Daniel Garcia]

Dear Friends:

Today, the Kansas City Star published a letter I sent to the editor about website & mobile app accessibility, which is one of our national legislative priorities.

Source:
https://www.kansascity.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article250120169.html

For your convenience, I have copied the text of the letter below my signature. When I submitted this letter, it was under the heading of “Another kind of digital divide.” The editor changed the title to “”Lead the Way,” which does not make much sense to me. The important thing is that they published the letter.

Regards

Daniel Garcia, President, Kansas City Chapter
National Federation of the Blind of Missouri
dangarcia3 at hotmail.com
(816) 621-0902
www.nfb.org
www.nfbmo.org
Live the life you want.

***

LEAD THE WAY

The Kansas City Star has recently reported on efforts by congressional Democrats to bridge the digital divide between rural and urban as well as affluent and underserved communities. There is another digital divide the public needs to be aware of, and it stems from the fact that blind people employ screen-reading technology to use computers and smart devices.

When websites and apps are properly coded, blind people can access digital information as effectively as everyone else. However, when websites and apps are not properly coded, it becomes difficult for blind people to access information about employment, finances, education, medical records and more.

Website and app developers say they want to make their products usable for the blind but do not know how. To remedy this situation, the National Federation of the Blind is proposing federal legislation that would provide a regulatory framework to guide developers in the creation of accessible products. The Department of Justice would enforce these regulations.

We hope Congress acts promptly to bridge the digital divide between blind and sighted consumers of digital information.

- Daniel Garcia, President, National Federation of the Blind of Kansas City, Kansas City