accessibility

February 2013— The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released a Report to Congress in entitled Legal and Regulatory Framework for Next Generation 911 Services, in which the Wireless RERC was cited and referenced throughout the document. In preparation of the report, the FCC issued a Public Notice that sought public comments on the issues related to the legal and regulatory infrastructure needed for the transition from legacy 911 to Next Generation 911 (NG911).

February 28, 2013— The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy launched the new Federal Social Media Accessibility Working Group whose initiative is to evaluate and provide solutions for overcoming the challenges of accessibility of social media platforms and the content posted on same. The first resource developed and released by the working group is an evolving toolkit that provides guidance and baseline standards for agencies and companies to ensure their social content is accessible to all individuals, including those with disabilities.

February 201 3— U.S. Representative George Miller (CA), the ranking Democrat in the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, introduced a new education bill: The Transforming Education through Technology Act [H.R. 521]. The bill proposes that Congress fund educational grants to be distributed to states and districts totaling $500 million. The funds would support technology to improve the college-and-career readiness, achievement and engagement of all students, including those with disabilities.

AccessNote is an iOS app that enables users who are blind or visually impaired to take notes, create documents, and access applications.  In addition to being a low-cost alternative to traditional notetakers costing $2000 or more, AccessNote allows users to combine efficient notetaking with many other features and functions of the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Download AccessNote from the App Store.

January 29, 2013 — A Public Notice [DA 13-114] was issued by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) reminding the telecommunications service providers and equipment manufacturers subject to Section 255, 716, or 718 of the Communications Act, that as of January 30, 2013 they are required to maintain records of meeting accessibility compliance and to file the first annual recordkeeping certification by April 1, 2013.