September 2, 2005 (Vol. 5, Issue 11)

In This Issue:

UPCOMING EVENTS

1. Workplace Accommodations: State of the Science, September 15-16, 2005
2. 8th Annual Accessing Higher Ground: Accessible Media, Web and Technology Conference, November 8-11, 2005

FCC TELECOMMUNICATIONS/REGULATIONS

1. Panasonic Corporation Granted Waiver of Hearing Aid-Compatibility and Volume Control Requirements
2. ABS-CBN International Was Denied Its Petition for Waiver of Closed Captioning Requirements
3. WDLP Broadcasting Was Granted Its Petition for Waiver of Closed Captioning Requirements
4. Proposed Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture for Failing to Make Emergency TV Broadcasts Accessible

FOR YOUR ACTION/INFORMATION

1. Internet Phone Customers May Get Cut Off

ARTICLES/PUBLICATIONS

1. OMB Launches e-Guide for Section 508 Compliance
2. NSA Connects with General Dynamics for Secure Phone-PDA Contract
3. Digital Government: Technology and Public Sector Performance

PAST EVENTS

1. Assistive Technology Showcase

RESOURCES

1. Finding Facts and Figures: Disability Data Resources
2. ITTATC Publishes New Batch of "Ask the Experts" Questions and Answers

UPCOMING EVENTS

1. WORKPLACE ACCOMODATIONS: STATE OF THE SCIENCE
September 15-16, 2005
Atlanta, GA.

This conference aims to bring together researchers, practitioners (i.e., rehabilitation engineers, rehabilitation counselors, occupational therapists), policy makers, product designers, employers, and employees with disabilities to discuss present and future directions for workplace accommodations.

Session topics will include:

1. Evidence-Based Practice
2. Universal Design (UD) & Assistive Technology
3. UD & Information Technology
4. Safety in the Workplace
5. Aging Workers
6. Telework
7. VR Services

For further information: http://www.workrerc.org/sos.

2. 8TH ANNUAL ACCESSING HIGHER GROUND: ACCESSIBLE MEDIA, WEB AND TECHNOLOGY CONFERENCE
November 8-11, 2005
Boulder, CO.

This conference will include more than 45 sessions, including "hands-on labs and lectures...on the availability and benefits of accessible media and technology in the university, college and business setting."

Pre-conference events include: (i) Equal Access to Software & Information (EASI) sessions on library access; (ii) California State University, Northridge (CSUN) 'AT Applications Certificate Program' (ATACP) trainings; (iii) The Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD) presentations on the NIMUS e-text initiative; and (iv) WebAIM (Web Accessibility in Mind) hands-on workshops addressing 'The Next Generation of Web Accessibility: Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, Robust (POUR).'

For highlights and further information: http://www.colorado.edu/sacs/ATconference/schedovrvw2005.html#highlights .

FCC TELECOMMUNICATIONS/REGULATIONS

1. PANASONIC CORPORATION GRANTED WAIVER OF HEARING-AID COMPATIBILITY AND VOLUME CONTRTOL REQUIREMENTS

In an August 18th Order (DA 05-2294), the FCC has granted Panasonic Corp. a waiver of hearing aid-compatibility and volume control requirements for the Panasonic 2.4 GHz FHSS Cordless Telephone with Bone Conduction Type Ear-Piece.

Access the Order:
Word:http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-05-2294A1.doc

PDF: http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-05-2294A1.pdf

2. ABS-CBN INTERNATIONAL WAS DENIED ITS PETITION FOR WAIVER OF CLOSED CAPTIONING REQUIREMENTS

In an August 11th Memorandum Opinion & Order (CSR 5827) (DA No. 05-2262), the FCC denied ABS-CBN International's Petition for Waiver of Closed Captioning Requirements.

Access the Memorandum Opinion & Order:
Word: http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-05-2262A1.doc

PDF: http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-05-2262A1.pdf

3. WDLP BROADCASTING WAS GRANTED ITS PETITION FOR WAIVER OF CLOSED CAPTIONING REQUIREMENTS

On August 10, the FCC granted a Petition for Waiver of Closed Captioning Requirements to WDLP Broadcasting Co., LLC in a Memorandum Opinion & Order (CSR 6296) (DA No. 05-2257).

Access the Memorandum Opinion & Order:
Word: http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-05-2257A1.doc

PDF: http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-05-2257A1.pdf

4. PROPOSED NOTICE OF APPARENT LIABILITY FOR FORFEITURE FOR FAILING TO MAKE EMERGENCY TV BROADCASTS ACCESSIBLE

On August 8, the FCC concluded that Waterman Broadcasting Corp. and Montclair Communications, Inc. "willfully or repeatedly violated" the Communications Act and FCC regulations "by failing in a timely manner to make accessible to persons with hearing disabilities emergency information that they provided aurally in their programming for WBBH-TV and WZVN-TV during the Hurricane Charley emergency in the Fort Myers-Naples, Florida area on August 12 and August 13, 2004." The Commission issued a Proposed Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture (DA No. 05-2258) in the amount of $24,000 against Waterman Broadcasting Corp. and Montclair Communications, Inc.

Access the Proposed Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture:
Word: http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-05-2258A1.doc

PDF: http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-05-2258A1.pdf

FOR YOUR ACTION/INFORMATION

1. INTERNET PHONE CUSTOMERS MAY GET CUT OFF

Bruce Meyerson, Internet Phone Customers May Get Cut Off, Associated Press, Aug. 25, 2005.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050825/ap_on_hi_te/internet_phones_e911_8

In compliance with an FCC order, providers of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone services may turn off services on August 29th to consumers who have not been advised of and acknowledged "the risk of losing 911 services in a power outage." Vonage Holdings Corporation notes that 4% of its customers, amounting to 31,000 consumer accounts, have not acknowledged the company's risk advisory and are subject to cut off. Time Warner Cable, in contrast, "has told the FCC it sees no need to disconnect anyone." Some VoIP consumers have criticized the FCC as acting in heavy-handed or arbitrary manner by imposing the order.

ARTICLES/PUBLICATIONS

1. OMB LAUNCHES E-GUIDE FOR SECTION 508 COMPLIANCE

Mary Mosquera, OMB Launches e-Guide for Section 508 Compliance, Washington Technology, Aug. 17, 2005.
http://www.washingtontechnology.com/news/1_1/egov/26800-1.html

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has highlighted the General Services Administration's (GSA) 'Buy Accessible Wizard' in an August 11 memorandum from David H. Safavian, Administrator for Federal Procurement Policy, and Karen S. Evans, Office of E-Government & Information Technology, reiterating "the importance of complying with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act and directing agencies to technical assistance." The Wizard is an online guide designed to help federal agencies comply with Section 508. The memo emphasized the need for "continued coordination" among federal agencies, industry partners, the Chief Information Officers Council, and the Chief Acquisition Officers Council.

Read the Memorandum:
http://www.section508.gov/docs/Section_508_Memo_Safavian-Evans.doc

Access the GSA Wizard: http://www.buyaccessible.gov

2. NSA CONNECTS WITH GENERAL DYNAMICS FOR SECURE PHONE-PDA CONTRACT

Roseanne Gerin, NSA Connects with General Dynamics for Secure Phone-PDA Contract, Government Computer News, Aug. 19, 2005.
http://www.gcn.com/vol1_no1/daily-updates/36724-1.html

General Dynamics Corporation has received an $18 million contract from the National Security Agency to develop a new digital assistant device capable of: (i) "secure voice and data communications, including e-mail, Web access and file viewing," (ii) use on "existing commercial cellular networks," and "connectivity to a wide array of wireless protocols."

3. DIGITAL GOVERNMENT: TECHNOLOGY AND PUBLIC SECTOR PERFORMANCE

A new book on digital government by Darrell M. West of Brown University is available from Princeton University Press. This book "outlines the variety of factors that have restricted the ability of policy makers to make effective use of new technology. Although digital government offers the potential for revolutionary change, social, political, and economic forces constrain the scope of transformation and prevent government officials from realizing the full benefits of interactive technology."

For more information on the book's contents, including a preview of Chapter 1: Scope, Causes, and Consequences of Electronic Government 1, as well as how to order, access: http://www.pupress.princeton.edu/titles/8088.html.

The book has also been reviewed at: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0691121826/qid=1125674782/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-5288982-5860145?v=glance&s=books&n=507846.

PAST EVENTS

1. ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY SHOWCASE

On August 25th, the General Services Administration hosted an Assistive Technology Showcase - marking the August Assistive Technology Day - at its central office in Washington, DC. This free event provided hourly demonstrations of ZoomText 9.0 and BigShot screen magnifiers.

For more information:
http://www.section508.gov/docs/August2005AssistiveTechnologyDay.doc

RESOURCES

1. FINDING FACTS AND FIGURES: DISABILITY DATA RESOURCES

The U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy, provides direct web access to several comprehensive sources of disability statistics. Find, for instance, FedStats, Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Center for Health Statistics, Disability Statistics Center, and others.

For a complete list and URLs:
http://www.dol.gov/odep/pubs/fact/finding.htm

2. ITTATC PUBLISHES NEW BATCH OF "ASK THE EXPERTS" QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

ITTATC researchers, in collaboration with leading accessibility experts, have developed a series of questions and answers that address some of the issues involving Section 508, Section 255, and the universal design of technology. The latest batch, which focuses on web-based topics, includes answers to the following questions:

(a) When marking up my web pages, should I use <b> or <strong> to represent bolded text?

(b) When marking up my web pages, what is the appropriate way to mark up headings?

(c) When using graphical bullets on my web pages, do I need to use alt text for those graphics?

(d) What is the best way to provide text equivalents for non-text elements?

(e) Is it necessary for every form element to have a label?

(f) What types of technical problems might I encounter when developing an accessible website?

(g) Are there any tools available to help me as a developer to experience some of the web accessibility issues encountered by people with disabilities?

(h) Where can I learn more about creating accessible websites?

You can find the Ask the Experts questions at http://www.ittatc.org/technical/experts/.

In the future, ITTATC will add new questions and answers to the series, so check our website often to see what's new from the accessibility experts.