Message-Id: <9704102108.AA13652@eagle1.eaglenet.com> Date: Thu, 10 Apr 1997 17:00:27 -0500 Reply-To: Prof Norm Coombs Sender: Computer Use by and for the Blind From: Prof Norm Coombs Subject: Let's get behind this legislation !! !! !! Comments: To: easi AT maelstrom DOT stjohns DOT edu, axslib-l AT maelstrom DOT stjohns DOT edu, adapt-l AT american DOT edu To: Multiple recipients of list BLIND-L Resent-Date: Fri, 11 Apr 1997 02:15:05 -0400 (EDT) Resent-From: Jude DaShiell Resent-To: opendos AT delorie DOT com Resent-Message-Id: From: IN%"uaccess-l AT trace DOT wisc DOT edu" 10-APR-1997 16:57:03.07 To: IN%"uaccess-l AT trace DOT wisc DOT edu" "Multiple recipients of list" CC: Subj: New Bill on Access I thought you would all be interested in this e-mail I just this moment received. I had heard through the grapevine that Congresswoman Eshoo was going to do something but had no specifics. now we do. I am sure that letters/calls etc. to Eshoo's office would be welcome. ______________________________ Forward Header __________________________________ Subject: Info Tech Acess Date: 4/10/97 12:47 PM For your information Representative Anna Eshoo (D-CA) issued a press release on April 9, 1997 to say that she has introduced legislation to improve federal agency compliance with an existing law (Section 508) that requires information technology purchased by the federal government to be accessible to employees with disabilities. The reason for this new legislation is because it was felt that many agencies do not comply with the current requirement. Congresswoman Eshoo states that "while a few federal agencies have made significant efforts to make their information technology systems accessible to employees with disabilities, this hasn't been the case across the board. There is simply no reason why federal bureaucracies should be allowed to ignore the law and deny the full benefits of high technology to their workers. My legislation will add teeth to the current statute and help ensure that agencies comply with existing accessibility guidelines. The bill "Federal Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Compliance Act" directs the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to set up uniform procedures for federal agencies to report their compliance with government accessibility guidelines. It requires agencies to provide written verification of their compliance each year and gives OMB the ability to monitor and enforce compliance as needed. The Act continues the existing expectation that states will comply with federal accessibility guidelines in exchange for federal disability funding. The states currently are expected to follow the guidelines in exchange for federal dollars under the Tech Act, which is due to expire in 1999. The Eshoo legislation inserts the Tech Act provision on Section 508 in the Rehab Act as one of the expectations for states to meet in exchange for federal vocational rehabilitation funding. Approximately 7.5% of federal employees - about 145,000 workers - have disabilities of some sort as stated in the press release. The Depts of Veteran Affairs, Navy, Army, Air Force, and Agriculture employ 62% of the federal workers with disabilities. Most federal employees with disabilities work in professional, administrative, or technical occupations for the government. For more information contact Lewis Roth at 202-225-8104 Return-path: Received: from trace.wisc.edu by ritvax.isc.rit.edu (PMDF V5.1-8 #14499) with ESMTP id <01IHJQ5RBSYEAFTU2E AT ritvax DOT DOT isc DOT rit DOT edu> for nrcgsh; Thu, 10 Apr 1997 16:56:52 EST Received: from trace.wisc.edu (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by trace.wisc.edu (8.7.4/8.7.3) with SMTP id PAA24087; Thu, 10 Apr 1997 15:40:17 -0500 Date: Thu, 10 Apr 1997 15:40:17 -0500 From: Don_Barrett AT ed DOT gov (Don Barrett) Subject: New Bill on Access Sender: uaccess-l AT trace DOT wisc DOT edu To: Multiple recipients of list Errors-to: thompson AT trace DOT wisc DOT edu Reply-to: uaccess-l AT trace DOT wisc DOT edu Message-id: <34d4edc0 AT ed DOT gov> Precedence: bulk Originator: uaccess-l AT trace DOT wisc DOT edu X-Comment: List for Discussion of Universal Access to Information Systems X-Listprocessor-version: 6.0 -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas