20th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (new location and time)
20th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act
Federal Communications Commission
Monday, July 19, 2010
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-298505A1.doc
For info on location (Dept of Commerce):
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-299651A1.doc
As part of its continuing effort to develop and implement consumer-focused policies, including disabilities access, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will begin its year-long celebration of the 20th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on Monday, July 19, 2010.
The event will include the following:
- Launch of the Commission's Accessibility and Innovation Forum
- Announcement of FCC initiatives concerning disability access
- Technology Expo of emerging communications equipment and services
- Debut of a video documenting first-person testimonials on disability access
- Performances by Gallaudet University students
Additional information about the event will be released at a later date. The celebration is free and the public is encouraged to attend. Pre-registration is encouraged, but not required.
To pre-register, please send an E-mail to: Pam.Gregory@fcc.gov, or call (202) 418-2498 voice; (202) 418-1169 TTY.
Reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities are available upon request. Include a description of the accommodation you will need and tell us how to contact you if we need more information. Make your request as early as possible. Last minute requests will be accepted, but may be impossible to fill. Send an e-mail to fcc504@fcc.gov or call the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau at 202-418-0530 (voice), 202-418-0432 (TTY).
Here's the FCC recap:
In a day-long program held July 19, 2010, titled "Empowering Americans with Disabilities Through Technology," the Federal Communications Commission, in conjunction with other government agencies, kicked off a year-long celebration of the 20th anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The day included a Technology Showcase at which more than 40 exhibitors demonstrated their accessible technologies, a celebration program which included remarks from FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, presentation of an original video chronicling personal stories about the impact of technology on people with disabilities, performances by Gallaudet University and other deaf performers, and a brainstorming discussion by technology developers and persons with disabilities to identify and prioritize technology barriers to people with disabilities and explore possible solutions to those barriers.
Among the announcements at the celebration was the launch of the Accessibility and Innovation Initiative which will be a means to promote collaborative problem-solving among a wide variety of stakeholders, including the disability community, industry, academics, government representatives, third-party developers, innovators, students, and assistive technology vendors. It will have its own website that will include a problem-solving commons - a place where everyone with an interest in communications access can meet to share creative ideas. It is at www.broadband.gov/accessibilityandinnovation.
The FCC also announced the "Chairman's AAA Awards," -- Awards for Advancements in Accessibility. The first of these awards will be given out on the next anniversary of the ADA to recognize efforts in the private and public sector -- as well as public-private partnerships -- that advance accessibility.
In addition to the Technology Showcase and Celebration, the Commission is also moving forward on implementation of a number of recommendations of the National Broadband Plan and other related accessibility items, including release on July 19 of a Public Notice seeking public input on specific features needed to make wireless devices - including smart phones -accessible to people who are blind or have low vision, including those who are both deaf and blind. In October, the FCC will also be working with the Coleman Institute and Silicon Flatirons to launch a special challenge on cloud-computing solutions for accessibility by people with disabilities.