Press releases from Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Arkansas) and American Association of People with Disabilities:

The U.S. Senate has unanimously passed a bill aimed at making the Internet and mobile phones more accessible to people who are blind or have reduced vision. Among its provisions, the measure:

• Mandates accessibility in smart phones, including compatibility with hearing aids;
• Requires closed captioning on some television programming shown on the Internet; and
• Requires that video programming devices be capable of closed captioning, video descriptions and emergency alerts.

A similar measure has already passed the House.

“The Internet and other emerging communication equipment are no longer a luxury. They are an essential gateway to learn, interact and conduct business,” said bill co-sponsor Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Arkansas). “This legislation will ensure all Americans, including those with disabilities, are able to fully participate in today’s online world.”

See also:

FCC issues order to make mobile phones more compatible with hearing aids — The Hill’s technology blog

House passes bill to make Internet more accessible for disabled — Post Tech blog, Washington Post

House votes to improve Internet access for disabled — Associated Press

This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 10th, 2010 at 9:39 am and is filed under accessibility, NOT2BEMISSED, technology. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.