Wireless RERC - Mobile Broadband

App Factory Releases 2014-2015 Call for Proposals

blippincott4 — Wed, 30 Apr 2014 04:00:00 +0000

Each year, the Wireless RERC’s App Factory invites experienced organizations or individual developers based in the U.S. to submit proposals for financial support to develop assistive and/or accessibility apps for mobile platforms (e.g., Android, Blackberry 10, iOS, Windows Phone).

Apps developed through this program include AccessNote by the American Foundation for the Blind, BrailleTouch by BrailleTech, LLC, and Sprint ID Accessibility Packs, Currency Identifier, and IDEAL Group Reader by Apps4Android.

Proposals for 2014-15 are due on June 30, 2014. Selection of proposals for funding will be on October 15. More information can be found in the PDF of the Call for Proposals below.

Related Files:

Attachment	Size
App Factory_RFP_2014.pdf	242.61 KB

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines

mz22 — Wed, 20 Nov 2013 16:33:59 +0000

Web Accessibility

W3C

For Review: Implementing UAAG 2.0

November 2013 — W3C has issued a request for reviewers for the last call working draft regarding Implementing User Agent Accessibility Guidelines (UAAG) 2.0. The draft provides guidance for designing accessible user agents, which include “web browsers and other types of software that retrieve and render web content.” The updated version of the draft now includes mobile accessibility examples to demonstrate how “web browsers that follow UAAG benefit people with disabilities.” Some examples include individuals who may need to utilize alternative content for images to prevent excessive scrolling or need to set closed captioning as the default for all videos. W3C is now seeking final comments on the draft, which are due by December 16, 2013 to public-uaag2-comments@w3.org.

Last Call for 2013-14 App Developers

blippincott4 — Thu, 19 Sep 2013 18:53:18 +0000

The RERC's App Factory is holding open its 2013-14 Call for Proposals until October 8. Interested app developers can view the PDF below for proposal requirements or view the App Factory RFP webpage.

Related Files:

Attachment	Size
2013 App RFP.9.19.13.pdf	488.34 KB

Update on Broadband Adoption and Use

mz22 — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:55:46 +0000

National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)

broadband adoption

Exploring the Digital Nation

June 2013 — The Department of Commerce, National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) released Exploring the Digital Nation: America’s Emerging Online Experience, a report describing the adoption and use of broadband in the United States. According to the report broadband is available to over 90% of Americans, but the percentage who actually use it in the home is about 70%. Reasons cited for the disparity include cost and the perception that there is no need to use the Internet at home. Adoption rates also varied according to demographics. For example, broadband adoption was lower among rural households, households headed by a person with a disability, and households with lower income. Nevertheless, the NTIA report argues that broadband adoption can be beneficial for finding employment, career training, accessing medical information, encouraging civic engagement, and accessing financial information and consumer services.

Broadband Adoption Toolkit

mz22 — Wed, 08 May 2013 17:09:20 +0000

broadband adoption

Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP)

National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)

NTIA Broadband Adoption Toolkit

May 8, 2013 — The Department of Commerce, National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) released the Broadband Adoption Toolkit in an effort to help document and share effective practices gathered from recipients of grants through the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP). The toolkit highlights that approximately 100 million people have yet to adopt broadband in their homes and provides guidance for initiatives working to bring people online. Specifically, the toolkit notes that only 38% of people with disabilities have broadband at home which is compounded by the fact that “for people with disabilities, using a computer can pose a multitude of unique barriers.” The toolkit provides recommendations such as providing a mobile computer lab which is ADA compliant, ensuring instructors are trained to help meet the needs of people with disabilities, and making organizational changes to welcome people with disabilities and ensure accessibility.

Next FCC Open Meeting on February 20

mz22 — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 21:09:53 +0000

Commission Meeting Agenda

Online Broadcast of Meeting

February 13, 2013 — The next Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Open Meeting will be held on Wednesday, February 20, 2013. The agenda items include: consideration of a Report and Order that would adopt new technical and operational requirements for signal boosters to enhance wireless coverage for consumers; and a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would increase the amount of unlicensed spectrum available, resulting in the expansion of Wi-Fi technology to provide consumers with faster Internet speeds and less congestion. The enhancement of wireless coverage and the expansion of Wi-Fi technology will be of benefit to all individuals and their daily activities, including those individuals with disabilities, specifically those that rely on IP-based communication methods. The meeting will start at 10:30am and can be viewed online via a live broadcast on www.fcc.gov/live.

Wireless RERC Recommends Accessibility Concerns be Included in the NTIA CPS Supplement

blippincott4 — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 15:09:31 +0000

Wireless RERC

Department of Commerce

National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)

Current Population Survey

Publication Type:

Policy Filings

05.31.2012 – The Wireless RERC filed comments with the Department of Commerce “In the Matter of Computer and Internet Use Supplement to the Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey” [FR Doc. 2012-8103]. The comments responded to a proposal by The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration to add twelve questions to the Current Population Survey (CPS) Computer and Internet Use Supplement. The comments highlight that broadband availability, affordability and accessibility are directly important for people with disabilities. Specifically, for many deaf and hard of hearing people, broadband applications encompassing text and video-based communications and data access are their most important broadband wireless device functions. Therefore, the Wireless RERC proposed that additional demographic questions should be added to the CPS asking respondents to self-identify if they have a disability, allowing for the determination of specific trends amongst disability populations. In addition, the comments proposed to include questions concerning if an individual utilizes assistive technology to access the Internet and its content, and if accessibility issues or the cost of assistive technology were concerns when purchasing broadband services or equipment. [Source: WirelessRERC]

Related Files:

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Wireless RERC NTIA Comments	45.98 KB

New Legislation for Rural Broadband Deployment

blippincott4 — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 18:25:04 +0000

broadband deployment

broadband adoption

broadband assistance programs

The Broadband Connections for Rural Opportunities Program Act of 2012 [S.2271]

03.29.12 – U.S. Congresswoman Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), introduced new legislation, The Broadband Connections for Rural Opportunities Program Act of 2012 [S.2271], regarding grants to subsidize rural broadband deployment. The Act would amend the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 by implementing the grant program to provide funds to private stakeholders, non-profits, government entities, and higher education institutions for facilitating broadband deployment in rural or underserved areas. The proposed legislation would also allow the Department of Agriculture to award each grant, up to fifty percent of project costs. The Act would amend the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 by adding Section 604, which allocates funds to create a national clearinghouse containing easily accessible information concerning “options, opportunities, resources, successful public-private partnerships, comprehensive funding sources, and technology tutorials for rural broadband.” Lastly, the Act calls for a report to be made to Congress concerning the effectiveness of current Federal broadband assistance programs and broadband access policies for rural and underserved areas, best practices of broadband adoption by state and local governments, and the coordination of federal efforts for rural broadband deployment.

[Source: U.S. Government Printing Office]