Telecommunications and Electronic and Information Technology Advisory Committee
“TEITAC”

Update and Revisions

Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Standards
Telecommunications Act Accessibility Guidelines

Overview
•	Telecommunications Act of 1996 47 U.S.C. §255
•	“Section 255”
•	Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended 29 U.S.C. § 794 (d)
•	“Section 508”

Access Board Role:
Draft technical standards for §508:
•	Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Standards (“§508 Standards”)

Draft technical guidelines for §255:
Telecommunications Act Accessibility Guidelines (“§255 Guidelines”)

Access Board Revisions of Standards and Guidelines 
Rulemaking Process provides for periodic review and “refresh” of:
Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Standards (“§508 Standards”)
And
Telecommunications Act Accessibility Guidelines (“§255 Guidelines”)

Differences Between the ADA, §504, §508, and §255
•	ADA and §504 - do not directly regulate the design of technology and are primarily focused on the “individual”.
•	§508 - requires Federal entities to develop, procure, and maintain accessible E&IT and is primarily focused on the “technology environment” available to anyone (employee or consumer) of government services.
•	§255 - requires Telecommunication manufacturers and service provider to provide accessible products and services.

Electronic and Information Technology
Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (29 U.S.C. 794d), requires that:
•	Federal employees with disabilities, and members of the public with disabilities seeking information or services, have access to and use of information and data that is comparable to the access and use by persons who are not individuals with disabilities, unless…
Standard:
 ….an “Undue Burden” would be imposed on the agency.

Telecommunications Act
•	Manufacturers and service providers must ensure that products are “designed, developed, and fabricated to be accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities” or
•	“…ensure that [products or services are] compatible with [AT] commonly used by individuals with disabilities to achieve access…”
Standard: 
•	When it is “Readily Achievable” to do so.

Section 255 of the Telecommunications Act

Overview

The Purpose of Section 255
“…to ensure that people with disabilities have access to telecommunications services and related equipment…”
Source:  Federal Register Nov. 19, 1999 p. 63235

What does Section 255 require?
Manufacturers and service providers must:
•	make their products and services accessible.
•	“…ensure that [products or services are] compatible with [AT] commonly used by individuals with disabilities to achieve access…”

§ 255 General Requirements
•	Provide equipment that is accessible
•	Include representation from people with disabilities in the processes of Product Design, Development, and Evaluation
{ Photograph of TTY enabled phone. }

Cell Phone:  How Accessible ?
{ Photograph of two, a better accessible phone and a poorly accessible phone cell phone both held in a persons’ hands with text boxes pointing to the on/off buttons, volume control, button feel, and text display size.  In this example, the phone on the right is neither accessible nor particularly usable because of the size of the buttons and the size of the text. }

Section 508 of the Rehabilitation  Act

Overview

Rehab Act § 508 requires:
•	Federal agencies 
•	develop, lease and purchase only accessible E&IT 
•	through procurement process
•	Enforcement mechanisms
•	Complaint Process
•	Legal Action

Who Must Comply With § 508?
•	Each Federal Department and Agency
•	United States Postal Service
•	When procuring, developing, maintaining, or using E&IT
Section 508 (a)(1)(A)

Who Benefits from § 508
1.	People with disabilities who interact with federal agencies. 
2.	Federal employees with disabilities. 
3.	All people with disabilities because accessible products for the federal market are also sold in the public marketplace.

What Technology is Covered by §508?
Includes, but is not limited to…
•	Computers  { Photograph of a computer. }
•	Printers  { Photograph of a printer. }
•	Software  {Screen shot of a software application. }
•	Telecommunications  { Cartoon of a person holding a phone with “You may have 15 seconds to finish your message…” in a word balloon. }
•	Kiosks  { Photograph of a transaction machine.  It is similar in to an ATM but this one includes full sized keyboard and a telephone handset.  As part of the kiosk is signage that reads “Library & Tourist Information”. }
•	Office Equipment  { Photograph of person using a scanner. }
•	Websites  { Screen shot of website.  “Welcome to ITTATC” is readable.  Images are not loaded so alt text is displayed. }

Access Board §508 Standards Cover --
•	Technical Standards
•	Functional Performance Criteria
•	Information, Documentation and Support

Why Conduct A Refresh?

Changed Technology: 
iPods and Podcasting  { Photograph of iPod. }

VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Phones  { Photograph of digital phone with integrated multi-line LCD display. }

What are other countries doing?
•	How can we harmonize our standards?
{ Image of mercator projection map of the world. }

Telecommunications Act 
“readily achievable”
•	The Telecommunications Act Accessibility Guidelines apply to manufacturers.
•	A manufacturer of telecommunications equipment …shall ensure that the equipment is designed, developed, and fabricated to be accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities, if readily achievable.

Electronic & Information Technology
“Undue Burden”
•	The Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Standards apply to Federal government agencies.
•	When agencies develop, procure, maintain, or use electronic and information technology, they must ensure that it is accessible to Federal employees and individuals with disabilities who are members of the public seeking information or services from a Federal agency unless an undue burden would be imposed on the agency.

Why an Advisory Committee?
•	508 requires consultation.
•	Advisory committees allow interested groups, including those representing designers, industry, and people with disabilities, to play a substantive role in the development of guidelines which are then proposed for public comment.

Federal Advisory Committee Act
•	Charter:  outlines the committee's mission and specific duties.
•	Duration: two years.
•	Committees must be fairly balanced in terms of the points of view represented and the functions to be performed.
•	Members are selected by the head of the agency.

Resources on §508 and §255:
Government:
•	US Access Board:  www.access-board.gov
•	FCC:  www.FCC.gov
Federally Funded: 
•	ITTATC (Information Technology Technical Assistance and Training Center) www.ittatc.org

Questions?
Future Contact
U.S. Access Board
	www.access-board.gov
Tim Creagan
	creagan@access-board.gov
	202-272-0016
Comments
	508@access-board.gov  “508 Refresh”