The League of Minnesota Cities commends the Legislature for addressing public policy on providing non-visual access to technology for blind or visually impaired people. Cities concur with the goal of ensuring that emerging technology is available to all, particularly during rapid advancements in technology. Despite this worthy initiative, it is unfortunate that the Legislature chose to employ a mandate upon local governments as the market driver to ensure technology is accessible. The proposed implementation standards would use public sector purchasing done with limited property tax payer dollars to overcome the gaps in non-visual access to technology in the private sector. To drive the technology market, the problem of addressing the lack of non-visual access to technology has come to rest on the public sector.
Cities understand the law was designed to promote more and better non-visual access to technology.
Subsequent conversations with the advocates after the law was enacted confirmed this original understanding. Due to the compressed time frame of a short legislative session, a full and well thought out public policy discussion did not take place. Following enactment, a more complete understanding of the law developed. Assurances provided by advocates of the law did not accurately reflect its practical application. The law, in its broadest interpretation, is costly, unclear, and travels far beyond the reasonable ADA accommodation requirements.