Accessibility in the Evolving Information Environment

 

Federal Requirements for Accessibility

I. Accessibility in the Evolving Information Environment\
\
A. Federal Requirements for Accessibility\
When information environments accommodate people with limitations of
vision, hearing, or mobility they are afforded equal opportunities to
become proficient users of information resources. Federal agencies are
responding to their mission level responsibility to ensure that evolving
information environments are accessible to current and prospective
employees with disabilities and citizens with disabilities who need to
access Federal offices and public information services. By establishing
accessible information environments, agencies also promote productivity,
job retention of employees who develop disabilities, and the
introduction of innovative interfaces to enhance access to information
by all users.\
This accessibility policy is based on two laws, the reauthorization of
the Rehabilitation Act 1992 (Pub.L. 102-569, Section 508) and the
Telecommunications Accessibility Enhancement Act of 1988 (Pub.L.
100-542). These statutes have been implemented in the Federal
Information Resources Management Regulation (FIRMR) promulgated by GSA.
The FIRMR requires that agencies identify computer and
telecommunications accessibility requirements for current and
prospective employees and public information services and address the
functional aspects of these requirements in solicitation documents and
when subscribing to telecommunications services. (See Appendices F, G,
H, I and J for text of the laws, regulations, and bulletins).\
\
These laws do not represent a radical new direction for agencies, but
serve to reinforce through a strong IRM focus, the existing mission
requirements under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. This Act requires
federally conducted or federally sponsored programs to be accessible to
persons with disabilities and mandates that management policies must not
discriminate in the hiring, placement, and advancement of persons with
disabilities. In 1992, Congress improved this legislation and amended
Section 508 on electronic equipment to make more explicit the importance
of information technology to meet mission responsibilities for
accessibility to Federal programs and facilities. The second statute,
the Telecommunications Accessibility Enhancement Act, mandates a
proactive approach within the government to advancing accessibility to
the Federal telecommunications system by hearing impaired and speech
impaired individuals.\
\
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) has adapted and
extended many of the existing responsibilities of the Rehabilitation Act
for implementation outside the Federal government. The law requires
barrierfree access to places that serve the public, such as theaters,
restaurants, and museums. State and local government services,
transportation, and telecommunications services must also be accessible.
Discrimination on the basis of disability in private sector employment
is also prohibited. As implementation of ADA continues, accessibility to
information resources represents just one important area where Federal
departments can demonstrate to the private sector successful
implementation strategies and the benefits of accessibility policies.\
\
B. How People with Disabilities Access Information Resources\
People with limitations of vision, hearing, or mobility are ensured full
access and integration to information resources at a level equivalent to
people without disabilities when automated information environments
offer the flexibility they need. This flexibility can be achieved in
most information environments through off the shelf \"drop in\" or \"add
on\" hardware and software enhancements that modify the common keyboard
input and monitor output interactions familiar to most computer users.
When a common keyboard requires too much dexterity, coordination or
effort from an individual it can be replaced or enhanced so that less
effort is required. In addition to being more user responsive, this
input capability may also offer portability, speech input, or a wireless
connection to the computer. If a person can not use a monitor without
undue effort and visual strain, the display contents are magnified or
replaced with synthesized speech.\
\
Organizations already expect this kind of flexibility as they routinely
add firmware boards with specialized modems, terminal emulation, memory,
or fax capabilities to personal computers. Having become aware of the
need to accommodate people with disabilities and the availability of
flexible \"drop in\" or \"add on\" products to do so, agency
acquisitions are now being planned to ensure continued integration of
the access capabilities needed in the information systems purchased.
Many of these access products represent maturing technologies that are
beneficial to all users such as speech input/output and enhanced monitor
and keyboard capabilities. Braille displays and printers are an
exception, being used almost exclusively by blind individuals. The
following examples highlight how people with specific requirements for
accessing and using information technology are readily accommodated in
evolving information environments.\
\
The primary limitation experienced by a blind individual using a
computer is the inability to benefit from the visual feedback presented
on the screen. This access limitation is overcome by adding software and
a peripheral device to provide usable feedback in the form of
synthesized speech or refreshable braille. Many blind individuals have a
strong preference to receive memos, correspondence, and reports
electronically by disk, electronic mail (Email), or LAN service. Optical
character readers configured to support speech would typically be used
when documents are received in printed form only. An inexpensive pocket
computer consisting of a 7key braille input keypad and synthesized
speech output is frequently used by braille users at meetings to take
notes, prepare summary documents, and complement the officebased
computer. Because there is no monitor requirement, true portability has
been readily achieved.\
\
Many blind individuals are also early and avid users of CDROM
technology. As more and more volumes of documentation and reference
material become available on CDROM disks, this technology represents a
cost and availability breakthrough to the print barrier experienced by
blind people. Using CDROM technology, documents can be searched
efficiently. When a desired section is located, it can be skimmed at a
fast rate of speech output or reviewed at a slower rate for thorough
analysis. Blind individuals may also be eager to adopt voice mail into
their office routines. Messages can then be retrieved independently
instead of relying upon others. Bulletin boards, online services, and
telephonebased information services are also highly valued and utilized.
These information services provide ease of access to desired information
that is complete, concise, and available independently.\
\
Individuals with limitations of hand strength or the ability to execute
the fine movements necessary for writing or manipulating printed
documents also experience unnecessary constraints when material is not
available in electronic form. Accessing documentation for computer
application programs on screen via diskette can be much easier and
efficient than manipulating manuals and turning pages.\
\
Many keyboard enhancement packages such as keyboard macros and word
prediction are used extensively by persons with mobility limitations.
Although these techniques offer benefit to almost all users, people with
mobility impairments have become early adopters and avid users of these
technologies. The appropriate alternative keyboard can compensate for
the limited usefulness of more common keyboards. Miniature and expanded
keyboards represent two examples of alternative keyboards. In many
instances combining several input strategies yields the greatest
returns. An alternative keyboard coupled with the use of keyboard macros
or word prediction software can result in a significant productivity
increase for many people with mobility impairments affecting their arms
or hands.\
\
Because individuals with severe mobility impairments are also early
users of speech recognition, one solution approach might combine speech
recognition with keyboard macros and related keyboard enhancements. The
success of this approach depends on the ability to emulate through
speech and macros any keystroke, keystroke combination, or mouse control
available to other individuals in the same environment. When keyboard
commands are executed using speech input, users can access bulletin
board systems and other information networks, in addition to controlling
their local computer.\
\
Deaf individuals experience few difficulties with printed documents, but
are at a disadvantage if information is only presented auditorily,
either through live presentation or voiceonly telecommunications. Deaf
individuals are adversely impacted when organizations fail to provide
available alternatives to standard telephones, such as
Telecommunications Devices for the Deaf (TDDs). A TDD is a
telecommunications device that has a typewriter style keyboard, a
readout display, and a phone line connector or an acoustic coupler for a
standard telephone handset. TDD users type and read messages over the
telephone lines rather than talk and listen like hearing telephone
users. TDD compatible modems can also be added to personal computers to
enable them to send and receive TDD calls.\
\
Many hard of hearing individuals are able to use a standard telephone
set if it has been equipped with a device to provide amplification.
Handsets with amplification devices built in can be used to replace the
standard handset. Individuals with a speech impairment that permits
clear speech, but at a greatly reduced volume, may also benefit from an
adapted telephone set. A telephone handset that amplifies the speaker\'s
voice can be added to many phones to replace the standard handset.\
\
Some deaf individuals may also be nonvocal or not have clearly
understandable speech. Communication needs within an office can be
addressed through a variety of means including handwritten
communications, typing to each other using a computer, Email, sign
language interpreters, and coworkers use of American Sign Language.
Communication with other offices may require use of TDDs, Email, and
fax. Offices equipped with TDDs could be called directly and the
exchange would resemble the interactive chat mode of Email as the two
parties take turns typing their messages. Offices without TDDs could be
reached through TDD relay services. Relay operators equipped with TDDs
or TDDcompatible computers, relay the typed and spoken messages in the
appropriate mode to the sending and receiving parties (see Appendix D
for information on the Federal Information Relay Service). A deaf
individual could also call a TDDcompatible bulletin board or an
automated information service that supports both voice and text output.\
\
This is just a small sampling of information system capabilities
employed by people with disabilities today. As the examples have
demonstrated, essential job functions can be readily performed when
access to needed information resources and telecommunication services is
provided. Many of the previous difficulties associated with the physical
aspects of handwriting or turning pages are also eliminated with
electronicbased information. In addition, electronic information
exchange provides a \"disability transparent\" means of communication.
Email messages do not reveal, nor does it matter, whether the sender
happens to have a disability in one or more areas such as hearing,
speech, vision, or mobility. Identifying and providing the appropriate
tools to accommodate people\'s needs is fundamental to achieving
accessibility. More information on the full range of accommodation
solutions possible may be found in Section III: Overview of
Accommodation Solutions.\
\
C. How Organizations Benefit from Accessible Information Environments\
As implementation of the accessibility statutes proceeds, agencies are
discovering that effective utilization of accommodation tools promotes
productivity and ensures access to workrelated and public information.
Organizations benefit significantly from the ability to recruit and
retain quality employees and the ability to effectively interact with
all clients, including those with disabilities.\
\
Agency experiences with accommodation solutions that incorporate
maturing technologies such as speech synthesis, speech recognition, or
document scanning, also provide an effective means for evaluating
nearterm applications with potential benefit to all users. Many
employees in hands busy, eyes busy, or noisy environments can benefit
today from flexible interface alternatives that have already been
adopted by people with disabilities. Accommodation tools and practices
are also being employed to minimize or prevent the visual fatigue and
repetitive motion injuries associated with keyboardintensive
environments. As the workforce ages, accessible information environments
will support the requirements of people who develop agerelated
limitations of vision, hearing, or mobility. As planning by Federal
agencies increasingly reflects the total information environment,
including electronic interfaces with the public and other agencies,
accessibility represents a solid foundation to maximizing the value of
the evolving information systems.\
\
As a major buyer of information technology, the Federal government is
stimulating industry to respond to its accessibility requirement. It is
anticipated that the marketplace pull to readily accessible information
systems will become even stronger as businesses and state governments
implement plans for accessible environments in response to the Americans
with Disabilities Act.