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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>The Right to Participate Fully in Twenty-First Century America<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>by Anne Raish<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Anne Raish<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>From the Editor: Civil rights has no meaning if there is no enforcement, and Anne Raish came to the 2022 Convention to say that there would indeed be enforcement.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>These are the words President Riccobono used to introduce her:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Earlier this week, we talked about using all of the tools at our disposal to secure equal access protections for blind people from all branches of the<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>federal government. We continue to recognize that we do have many allies in our work, especially to secure 21st century access rights for blind people,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>and one of those is our next presenter, who is the principal deputy chief for the Disability Rights Section, Civil Rights Division in the United States<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Department of Justice.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>She has been with the Disability Rights Section since 2010, serving as a trial attorney before coming to be in her currently appointed position. She has<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>a long resume of contributions to civil rights work. We're very honored to have her here at this convention, especially as we continue to be very concerned<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>and feel quite an urgency about making sure that we set the standard for all websites, from employers, public accommodations, and other public entities,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>that they be fully accessible to blind people! [Applause] So we welcome her to discuss the right to participate fully in 21st century America. Here, from<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>the Department of Justice, is Anne Raish.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Good morning, everyone. I am really delighted to be here to have the opportunity to speak with you all about the Justice Department's work to advance the<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>right to full participation in 21st century America. And I'm especially excited to be gathering in person for the first time in a really long time! [Cheering<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>and Applause] At the Justice Department, we recognize that perhaps nothing is more fundamental to participation in the 21st century than technology. Now<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>more than ever, technology is the cornerstone of how we communicate, learn, and do business. This was made even more abundantly clear during the height<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>of the pandemic. During that time, to stay home and physically distance, we relied on technology even more to do our grocery shopping, to work, and to<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>consult with our health care providers.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>We are at a critical point for people with disabilities and technology. The pace of technological change is staggering. While advancing technology can<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>open doors for many people with disabilities and provide the means to move closer to the goal of full, equal, and truly integrated access, cutting-edge<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>technological advances can leave people with disabilities behind, especially if the entities that develop, manufacture, and offer them do not make their<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>products and services accessible on the front end.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>When Congress enacted the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504, the internet and information technologies as we know them today did not even<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>exist. For that reason, although the ADA provides and guarantees rights in a variety of acts and activities, it does not mention the internet. Accessibility<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>must be built into the digital environment just like accessibility must be built into the physical environment. [Applause] Enforcement of these laws by<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>the Department of Justice has resulted in public entities, businesses, and some technology developers taking new approaches to accessible technology. My<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>goal today is to share with you all the department's role and tools as it relates to enforcing the ADA in accessible technology. I'm going to talk about<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>some recent work in this area, and then I'm going to talk about how we can work together to enforce full participation<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The Disability Rights Section, where I work, is in the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department. Our work is to advance the rights of people with<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>disabilities using the ADA. We have many tools to achieve this. One of them is regulations. Congress tasked us to provide regulations for the ADA, and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>we can clarify the obligations imposed by the ADA and how those obligations can be met. Currently the Justice Department is working on a rule to provide<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>technical standards to help state and local governments comply with their existing obligations to make their websites accessible to individuals with disabilities.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>[Applause] But I want to make clear—because we hear this from some entities—that even without final regulations, the ADA applies to the accessibility of<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>web information and services. [Applause] That's been the long-standing position of the Justice Department, and courts around the country have recognized<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>that web information and services must be accessible to people with disabilities, even without formal technical standards.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>As another tool to advance disability rights, the department also provides information and technical assistance to entities who have responsibilities to<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>comply with the ADA. To that end, the department has several technical assistance documents regarding web accessibility and services. Most recently, in<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>the spring, the department published new guidance that explains that state and local governments who offer their programs, services, and activities on<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>the web must take steps to ensure that their communications with people with disabilities are as effective as their communications with others.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>This includes services like paying a parking ticket, registering for school, applying for an absentee ballot, and any other government program provided<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>on the web. The guidance also explains that businesses open to the public must ensure that individuals with disabilities have full and equal access to<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>their goods and services, including the services they offer on their websites. This includes retail stores, banks, hotels, medical offices, entertainment<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>venues, and restaurants. The guidance provides examples of common barriers, such as poor color contrast, using color itself to provide information, failing<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>to provide text alternatives to images, and inaccessible online forms, where the forms use labels that can't be detected by screen readers. The guidance<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>then provides a variety of features that businesses and state and local governments can use to make their websites accessible. It also discusses the deficiencies<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>in automated accessibility checkers and states that a manual check of a website can provide a better sense of accessibility.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>This may sound like basic stuff. But our hope is that by putting a document out like this from the Department of Justice, it will prompt businesses and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>state and local governments to put a stronger focus on making their web service accessible. [Applause]<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>You can find this document on our website, ada.gov, and if there are topics or areas where you feel that it would be helpful for the department to issue<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>guidance, please reach out and let us know. We value your insights and your expertise, and we would like to know about recommendations that you have.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>We have another tool that we can use when these other tools fail to bring about sufficient compliance. We also have our enforcement tool, and we can sue<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>government entities under the ADA. [Applause] The department has jurisdiction over all state and local government employers, the activities of all of those<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>state and local governments, and businesses open to the public, like hotels, restaurants, movie theaters, grocery stores, and others. We have jurisdiction<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>to enforce the ADA at all of these entities and have brought enforcement actions against many of them. As you know, many technologies that have access<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>barriers include not only commercial and public websites, but mobile applications, educational software, audio visual multimedia, self-service kiosks,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>e-books, and much more.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I'm going to talk about employment first. Employment is key to how so many of us spend our days, make a living, and even define ourselves. Under the ADA,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>employers must provide reasonable accommodations to employees with disabilities, unless it would impose an undue hardship. Assistive technology and accessible<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>technologies are just some examples of reasonable accommodations. Employers must also test in a way that tests skill and ability on the job, not just measuring<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>disability. Advances in technology have had an enormous impact, but new ways of doing business, if not implemented with access in mind, can limit accessibility<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>or lead to discrimination.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>For example, many employers now use algorithm-driven hiring tools to interview job applicants. Job applicants must answer interview questions on video,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>and those video recordings are then analyzed to see how applicants' facial and voice expression compare to the facial and voice expression of “successful<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>employees.” The risk that the tool might disqualify individuals with speech impairments or facial tics is obvious, but less obvious is how such tools may<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>disqualify individuals with other disabilities. Perhaps more troubling is that job seekers may not know that the tool was used or that it led to their<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>failure in the hiring process. Rejected applicants may have no way of knowing that they have been discriminated against or that they could have asked for<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>a reasonable accommodation.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The department also has many settlement agreements with public employers including a requirement that online job applications comply with web content accessibility<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>guidelines, including Dekalb, Illinois; Isle of Palms, South Carolina; and village of Ruidoso, New Mexico.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Moving on to Titles II and III of the ADA, state and local governments and public accommodations must ensure that their communication with people with<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>disabilities is as effective as communications with others. To that end, they must provide auxiliary aids and services to ensure effective communication.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>An example of those aids and services are accessible electronic and information technology. They must provide those aids and services in a timely manner<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>and in a manner that protects the privacy and independence of the individual.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>In an example of a recent case we did, the Justice Department reached a settlement agreement with the Champaign-Urbana mass transit system in Illinois.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>An individual who was blind noted that when the mass transit redid their website, they did so in a way that reduced usability for blind users. Specifically,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>it limited their ability to plan their trips online and travel independently. The Justice Department conducted a survey of the district’s website and identified<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>sixteen different accessibility barriers, including insufficient color contrast, inaccessible hyperlinks, and limited keyboard access. We asserted that,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>because of the redesign of the district's mass transit website, they excluded people who were blind and with other disabilities' ability to participate<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>in the mass transit program in violation of the ADA. Under the agreement, the district must make the mass transit website accessible for blind users and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>users with manual impairments. The agreement requires the district to comply with WCAG2.1AA.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Also in Illinois, the department is in ongoing litigation against the city of Chicago to ensure that people who are blind or deafblind have equal access<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>to pedestrian crosswalks. It was filed in district court and last year the Justice Department intervened as a plaintiff, alleging that there are no accessible<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>pedestrian signals at over 99 percent of Chicago intersections that have a crossing signal. Chicago is the third largest city in America, and to put the<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>number in perspective, only fifteen of the city's roughly 2,700 crossing signals have accessible signals.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The lawsuit alleges that this widespread failure by the city subjects people who are blind or deafblind to added risks and burdens that are not faced by<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>sighted pedestrians, such as fear of injury or death. We are continuing to litigate that case, and it remains ongoing.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I want to also highlight some matters we've had with public businesses. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Justice Department learned of widespread<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>problems experienced by individuals with disabilities trying to access vaccine websites for the COVID-19 vaccine. [Applause] These websites obviously provide<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>critical information about COVID vaccinations and enable people to schedule appointments online. A number of major retailers operated vaccine registration<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>portals that were not accessible to people who use screen readers or have a hard time using a mouse. [Applause] In response to this feedback, the Justice<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Department reviewed the websites of several large businesses, including Rite Aid, Hy-Vee, Kroger, and CVS. The department determined that these corporations'<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>COVID-19 vaccine portals were not accessible to people with some disabilities. For instance, the calendar on Rite Aid's website used for scheduling vaccine<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>appointments did not show screen readers any available appointment times, and people who used the tab key instead of a mouse could not make a choice on<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>a consent form that they needed to fill out before making their appointment. People who use screen readers could not hear the questions on Hy-Vee's online<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>medical screening forms, and people who used the tab key instead of a mouse could not select appointment times. These are obviously critical functions<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>needed to make a vaccine appointment!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The corporations agreed to make content about the COVID-19 vaccine, including the forms for making appointments, conform to WCAG2.1 level AA. [Cheering<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>and applause] We have also done work in the area of self-service kiosks. Last fall the department filed a brief clarifying that the ADA requires public<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>accommodations to provide auxiliary aids and services so that individuals with disabilities can fully and equally enjoy all of their services. Quest Diagnostics<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>provides health care and diagnostic testing services, and requires patients to use an electronic self-service kiosk to check in, input personal information,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>choose where to wait, and perform other tasks. No staff are allegedly present in the check-in area, so patients who are blind must ask strangers for assistance<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>or bring companions. Our brief explained that the ADA prohibits public accommodations from treating individuals with disabilities differently because of<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>the absence of auxiliary aids and services, including failing to provide effective communication with respect to services offered through visual and electronic<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>means, like self-service kiosks.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I want to mention one more case involving accessible technology, because on this one we are specifically seeking your feedback if you have experience with<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>it. Several years ago, the Department of Justice issued a letter of findings to the University of California at Berkeley, concluding that Berkeley's free<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>online content is inaccessible to individuals with disabilities in violation of the ADA. Berkeley creates and publishes free online content, including<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>courses on its Berkeley X platform, and it provides thousands of hours of audio and visual content featuring conferences, lectures, and other university<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>events and programming. Its online content is made available to the public for free, but much of it is inaccessible to blind individuals and individuals<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>with other disabilities. If you have tried to access UC Berkeley's online content, but you were unable to do so because it was inaccessible, we'd be interested<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>in hearing about your experience. I have an email address that I hope is easy to remember! If you would like to reach out on this, that email address is<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>UCBerkeley@usdoj.gov.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I'll also leave the information up here so you can reach out if you'd like to.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I'd like to end by talking about how we can work together to dismantle barriers to access in 21st century American life. There are many ways that we can<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>collaborate. As you may have done in the past, you can report an ADA violation through the Civil Rights Division's website, which is civilrights.justice.gov.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>You can contact us to inform us of lawsuits filed under the ADA in which we might participate by filing a brief or intervening as a plaintiff. You can<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>recommend technical assistance, and you, of course, can comment on our pending regulations when they are published. Together we can have a significant<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>impact in eliminating barriers to access. The Justice Department will continue to use every one of its tools to advance full participation in 21st century<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>life. Thank you again for having me here today to share some of our work in this important area, and we look forward to our continued collaboration. [Cheering<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>and applause].<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>MARK RICCOBONO: Thank you very much, Anne. We appreciate the work that the Department of Justice is taking on, and we certainly appreciate the notion that<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>regulations are not needed, that the law is very clear about the requirement for the internet to be accessible. We agree with that! [Cheering and applause]<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>On the other hand, the Department of Justice has a lot of weight and tools that it can apply in this area, and we just want to share by show of voice our<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>support for strong regulations from the Department of Justice protecting our rights on the internet. How about it, folks? [Loud cheering and applause]<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>If you could just share that message back at the Department of Justice, we would appreciate it! Thank you for being with us today. [Applause]<o:p></o:p></p></div></body></html>