ADA In Focus - Volume 9, Number 3
Fall 2004
- ADA and IT Issues:
- Training News and Events
- Affiliates News:
- ADA Rulings:
- What's New:
- Web Sites
ADA & IT IN FOCUS is published three times yearly by the ADA & IT Information Center for the Mid Atlantic Region. It is posted to the web on the “Publications” page at www.adainfo.org. It is also available by request in large print, Braille, audio cassette, and computer disk.
Richard G. Luecking, President
Marian Vessels, Project Director
Nancy Horton, Assistant Director
Kathleen Desmond Porter, Training and Organization Development Director
Rachel Margolis, Program Assistant
David Stewart, Technical Assistance Specialist
Mark Derry, Training Consultant
Traci Lemon, Office Manager
TransCen, Inc. is a Rockville, MD based firm specializing in human resources issues that impact workplace diversity. TransCen administers the ADA & IT Information Center, providing business and technical assistance to DE, DC, MD, PA, VA and WV.
This is a publication of the ADA & IT Information Center, funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research of the U.S. Dept. of Ed. (Grant # H133D010212). The opinions contained in this publication are those of the grantee and do not necessarily reflect those of the Dept. of Education.
ADA & IT Information Center
451 Hungerford Dr., Suite 607
Rockville, MD 20850 4151
TEL: 301 217 0124 V/TTY
FAX: 301 217 0754
Toll-free: 800 949 4232 V/TTY
URL: www.adainfo.org
© 2004 by TransCen, Inc.
ADA and IT Issues:
INTERNET: ACCESSIBLE WEB PAGES
The Internet has evolved, in a few short years, into an extremely sophisticated means of communication. People can not only find a wealth of information on every topic under the sun, but can interact, virtually, with a wide variety of government and business services.
Want to renew your car license plates? Shop for a unique holiday gift? Make an airline reservation? Pay your taxes? Chances are, you can do all of these things, and many more, via the Internet. People even “go to” school and work on-line.
However, people with disabilities often face barriers navigating web sites. Some of the most common problems arise when web sites are incompatible with assistive technologies, when page designs are “locked in,” so that a user can not customize the appearance of the page, or when web designers use only one method of presenting information.
Assistive Technology
Many people with disabilities use assistive technologies to access web sites. These technologies include things like software or devices that may read aloud the text on the screen, enlarge it, or send it to a refreshable Braille display for a person who is blind or has low vision. A person with an impairment that affects mobility, strength, or dexterity may use an alternate type of mouse or pointing device, such as a mouth-stick, or perhaps voice recognition software to talk to his computer.
Assistive technologies, for some people, are simply a means to get to a web site and access the content. Just as a person might use assistive technology (for example, a wheelchair) to physically get around, she still needs a ramp to get into a building with steps at the entrance. Without the ramp, the wheelchair alone will not get her inside the building and enable her to do what she came to do. Likewise, a web site must be accessible to those using assistive technologies, or they can’t get in, find information, or do what they came to do.
Another important feature for many people with disabilities is the ability to establish their own preferences for viewing web pages. Individuals can set their own styles, so that text will be enlarged, or perhaps the colors of the text or back-ground will be adjusted. The fact that technology allows this flexibility is one of the great advantages of a web page over an old-fashioned printed page, yet many web designers “lock in” the styles they prefer, and eliminate this option for visitors to their sites.
Presenting information through only one method can also create problems for people with disabilities. A picture might be worth a thousand words, but only to those who can see the picture. A picture without any words to describe it is worth exactly nothing to a person who is blind. An audio recording with no transcript is worth double that (still nothing!) to a person who is deaf.
These considerations don’t mean that web designers can’t have active and attractive web sites. Pictures and graphics, audio and video presentations, and various other features can still be used to enhance a web site. In fact, such features (within the bounds of good design and good taste, of course!) can enable many visitors with disabilities to understand a web site better and appreciate it more, just as they do for people without disabilities.
Tips for Accessible Web Sites
- Use text equivalents (“alt” tags, “longdesc”, transcripts, captions, etc.) to explain or describe non-text elements (graphics, images, audio or video clips, etc.). Text elements should also be used to identify frames, areas of image maps, and for information provided by scripts.
- Make sure that text equivalents are meaningful. “Image123” may be text, but it doesn’t tell anyone what the image really is.
- Synchronize “equivalent alternatives” (captions, audio descriptions) with multimedia presentations (audio and video together). For example, make sure the captions run in time with the actual audio track of the presentation.
- Associate row and column headings with each cell in a table. This will enable assistive technologies to indicate the relationship between the information in the cells with the appropriate headings.
- Make sure color is not the only way to indicate information or instructions.
- Use only “external” style sheets, so that individual user-defined style sheets will not be overridden.
- Associate appropriate text (for example, using “explicit labels”) with input boxes in on-line forms.
- When using a “time out” feature, provide an alert and an opportunity for the user to get more time.
- Avoid screens or images with high-intensity, rapid flickering or flashing. People who are photo-sensitive may experience dizziness, nausea, or even seizures.
- Use a “skip navigation” link to enable users to by-pass repetitive navigation links.
- If you must use a text-only page, make sure it is updated when the primary page is updated!
NEW IT RESOURCES
Mid-Atlantic Accessible Education-Based IT Consortium Tutorials
This web site provides tutorials on accessibility features in commonly used software applications, including Office XP, Office 2000, Adobe PDF, Windows XP Professional, and Windows 2000 Professional.
http://www.adainfo.org/IT/tutorials/index.htm
Universal Design of Web Pages in Class Projects
This publication provides guidance to instructors of web design courses and teachers who have students create web pages as a class activity.
http://www.washington.edu/doit/Brochures/Technology/universal_class.html
IT in Education Accessibility Checklist
This on-line interactive tool can help educational entities manage IT accessibility goals. It was developed by the National Center on Accessible Information Technology in Education (AccessIT), in collaboration with the ten Disability and Business Technical Assistance Centers (DBTACs).
http://www.washington.edu/accessit/it-checklist/
Training News & Events
Embrace, Empower, Employ: Strategies and Resources for Promoting Employment
Baltimore, MD.............................October 20 - 21, 2004
This conference will offer workshops for job seekers and their families, employers, human resource professionals, employment specialists, administrators, and other professionals.
For more information, contact Maryland Works at
410-381-8660 or 410-381-1612 (TTY),
or e-mail info@mdworks.com
World of Possibilities Expo
Dulles Expo & Conference Center,
Chantilly, VA.............................October 22 - 24, 2004
This Expo will provide an opportunity for attendees to explore a vast array of products and services, including assistive and adaptive technology, durable medical equipment, computer software, mobility products, living aids, and more. The Expo will also offer informative workshops, demonstrations, and representatives from local and statewide agencies and organizations to provide information about supports, services and resources.
For more information, call 410-549-5707
or (toll free) 1-866-CARING-4,
or visit http://expo.caringcommunities.org/
Pennsylvania Governor’s Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities: 51st Annual Conference
Harrisburg, PA...................................November 3, 2004
For more information, contact Carl Marshall, Office of Vocational Rehabilitation at 1-800-442-6351
or 1-800-233-3008 TTY (in PA only),
717-783-3129 or 717-783-4912 TTY,
or e-mail carmarshal@state.pa.us
Annual ADA Update
Timonium, MD..................................November 4, 2004
This popular annual event is sponsored by the Maryland Coalition on ADA Education, and features speaker from the U.S. Department of Justice, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and Access Board.
For more information, contact Jack Andre
at 301-871-8077 V/Relay
or e-mail cjandre@comcast.net
For information on these and other ADA, IT, and disability-related training events, check the “Training” page at the ADA & IT Information Center web site: www.adainfo.org/training
Affiliates News:
K-12 Web Site Contest
The Mid-Atlantic Accessible Education-Based Information Technology Consortium sponsored a web accessibility contest for K-12 schools in the region. There were categories for student developed sites at the elementary, middle, and high school levels, as well as a category for non-student developed sites. Kudos to all who participated, and congratulations to the winning students and schools:
High School, Student Developed Sites
1st Place: Montgomery Blair High School, MD
Student: Wilma Bainbridge
2nd Place: Hundred High School, WV
Student Team: Chester Campbell, Luke Luallin, Steven Sams, A.J. Kyle
3rd Place (tie): Delcastle Technical High School, DE
Student Team: Amber Prosceno, Matt Mangini, Ramone Aiken
Redbank Valley Junior Senior High School, PA
Student Team: “Website Kidz”
Elementary School, Student Developed Sites
1st Place: Frankford Elementary School, WV
Student Team: Mrs. Hoover’s second grade!
Non-Student Developed Sites
1st Place: Newark High School, DE
2nd Place (tie): Christiana High School, DE
Glasgow High School, DE
3rd Place: Northwest Tri-County Intermediate Unit 5, PA
Watch the “Accessible IT” pages at www.adainfo.org for details on next year’s contest, or contact the Consortium partner in your state (State Assistive Technology Programs, at right) for more information.
To Contact our Affiliates:
State ADA Coalitions:
MD - 301-871-8077 V/RELAY
E-MAIL - cjandre@comcast.net
DC - 202-234-7550 ext. 5 V or 202-234-7590 TTY
E-MAIL - info@disabilityrightscouncil.org
DE - 302-376-4399 v or 757-376-4397 TTY
E-MAIL - jtate@fcilde.org
WV - 800-946-9471 V/RELAY
E-MAIL - ADAcoalition@aol.com
VA - 757-461-8007 V or 757-461-7527 TTY
E-MAIL - kgonzalez@endependence.org
PA 814-863-0471 V/TTY
E-MAIL - wwrl@psu.edu
State Assistive Technology Programs:
MD - 800-832-4827 V or 866-881-7488 TTY
WEB - www.mdtap.org
DC - 202-547-0198 V or 202-547-2657 TTY
WEB - www.atpdc.org
DE - 800-870-3284 V/TTY (IN STATE ONLY)
WEB - www.asel.udel.edu/dati
WV - 800-841-8436 V/TTY (IN STATE ONLY)
WEB - www.cedwvu.org/programs/wvats
VA 800-552-5019 V/TTY (IN STATE ONLY)
WEB - www.vats.org
PA 800-204-7428 V/RELAY (IN STATE ONLY)
WEB – http://disabilities.temple.edu/programs/assistive/piat.htm
MORE CENTER NEWS
ADA Basic Building Blocks
The Center sponsored a contest for all the CILs (Centers for Independent Living) in our region to encourage staff and Board members to take the on-line “ADA Basic Building Blocks” course. This introductory course, developed by the Southeast Disability and Business Technical Assistance Center, explores both the spirit and the requirements of the ADA. Each individual staff or Board member who completed the course with a score of at least 90% received a $25.00 personal gift certificate. Congratulations to the following people, who all completed the course with high marks:
- Sandra Baskin
- Tracy Bridgers
- Marie Camp
- Brenda Carper
- Colleen Charlton
- Vantoria Clay
- Zoom Cloke
- Melvin Dean
- Richard DiPeppe
- Frances Durham
- Sallee Ebbett
- Debbie Eddings
- Brenda Estes
- Kelly Gonzalez
- Sandy Herman
- Melvin Jones
- Irene Lenz
- Rena Lewis
- Tammy Manno
- Nona Manus
- Karen Michalski-Karney
- Katherine Pearson
- Guadalupe Saavedra
- Sam Smith
- Tracey Swain
- Lisbet Ward
- Cheryl Ward
Additionally, the Endependence Center in Norfolk, as the CIL with the highest ratio of staff and Board members participating, will be enjoying a pizza party!
Center Launches New Web Site
The Center recently launched an updated and upgraded web site, featuring a new look and a greater level of accessibility for visitors with disabilities. The site will continue to offer information about upcoming training events, as well as the latest news and resources on the ADA and accessible information technology. Visit us at www.adainfo.org
WV Coalition Coordinator Wins Award
David Stewart, the Coordinator of the West Virginia ADA Coalition, was recently presented with the 2004 Region 3 Advocacy Award from the National Council on Independent Living (NCIL). Congratulations, David!
Wm. L. Wilkoff
Wm. L. Wilkoff (“Bill”), an industrial designer and former member of the Center’s Advisory Board, died June 24 in Washington, D.C.
Mr. Wilkoff, together with his wife Paula, operated District Design, a barrier free design and consultation business.
Mr. Wilkoff’s career was long and illustrious. He served the Barrier Free Subcommittee of the D.C. Building Code Advisory Board, the ADA Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) Review Federal Advisory Committee, and the President’s Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities. He was also the recipient of numerous awards, including the 1998 National American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) Design for Humanity Award.
ADA Rulings: Supreme Court Decisions: Supports Access to Court Programs and Services
The Supreme Court supported the constitutionality of title II of the ADA in its decision in the case of Tennessee v. Lane. The Court ruled, by a 5-4 majority, that title II, “as applied to....the fundamental right of access to the courts,” was a valid exercise of Congressional power, and therefore individuals with disabilities can sue states for damages under that title. A syllabus and the majority opinion, as well as concurring and dissenting opinions, can be found at: www.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/03pdf/02 1667.pdf
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has recently reached settlement agreements with several public agencies and private businesses in the region.
Brookside Gardens, operated by The Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission, will correct accessibility errors in the newly constructed Visitors Center, and also improve access at the Conservatory.
Little General Stores, Inc. will remove barriers in stores located throughout West Virginia, and will also pay $3,000 in damages to the complainant.
Franklin County, Pennsylvania will implement changes in its policies and procedures to improve its response to TTY users who call 9-1-1 for emergency services.
Maryland Department of Juvenile Services (MDJS) will implement policies to ensure the provision of auxiliary aids and services, such as interpreters and TTYs, so that residents who are deaf or hard of hearing will have full access to programs and services. MDJS will also pay $5,000 to the complainant.
DOJ entered a similar agreement with Youth Services International, Inc. (YSI) and Correctional Services Corporation (CSC), private corporations that operate juvenile detention facilities in the state of Maryland. YSI will pay the complainant $60,000.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has recently resolved several complaints in the region. An individual with multiple sclerosis complained that Phillips Edison & Co. terminated her because of her disability. The company will pay the individual over $50,000 and provide training to its Chief Executive Officer.
An individual with a back impairment charged that Delta Airlines failed to provide reasonable accommodation and discharged her because of her disability. Delta agreed to pay the charging party $37,000 in damages and provide additional ADA training to its employees.
An individual filed a complaint when Quality Food Cooperative, Inc., refused to allow him to return to work without a “release” to “full duty with no restrictions.” The worker alleged that Quality Foods failed to provide reasonable accommodation and then terminated his employment. The company will pay the individual $13,500.
Commissioner Paul Miller Leaves EEOC
Paul Steven Miller, a Commissioner for ten years at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, will leave to join the faculty of the University of Washington School of Law in Seattle.
Mr. Miller, a leading expert in disability law, was instrumental in developing EEOC enforcement and litigation policy, particularly in relation to the ADA and genetic discrimination. He also played a central role in the creation of the EEOC's National Mediation Program.
"Our nation has been enriched by having Paul Miller's intellect and passion devoted to furthering the mission of equal employment opportunity," said Commission Chair Cari M. Dominguez.
What's New
Disability Mentoring Day
The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), in partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), and a host of private corporations, sponsors Disability Mentoring Day (DMD). This effort, which includes year-round activities, will kick off on Wednesday, October 20.
DMD promotes career development for students and job-seekers with disabilities through job shadowing and hands-on career exploration. Activities around the country bring students and employers together for informational sessions about career opportunities and one-on-one mentoring with volunteers at public and private places of employment.
For more information or to find out how to get involved, visit the DMD web site at http://www.dmd-aapd.org/ or contact AAPD toll free at 800-840-8844 (V/TTY), or locally at 202-457-0046 (V/TTY).
DOJ and HUD: Joint Statement on Fair Housing Act
The U.S. Department of Justice and the Department of Housing and Urban Development issued a joint statement that discusses the Federal Fair Housing Act and reasonable accommodations in housing for people with disabilities. This document can be accessed on line at:
HTML version: http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/housing/jointstatement_ra.htm
PDF version: http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/housing/joint_statement_ra_5 17 04.pdf
Virginia Travel Guide
The Virginia Travel Guide for Persons with Disabilities includes listings for lodging, restaurants, outdoor recreation, and travel resources such as accessible vehicle rentals, equipment rental and repair, oxygen sources, dialysis centers, veterinarians, airports, and rail and bus stations. The Guide was developed by The Opening Door, Inc., which also works with other states and localities to develop accessibility guides. Find the Virginia guide on-line at http://www.travelguides.org/vaguide.html or call 1-800-742-3935 (V/Relay).
TSA: Tips for Air Travelers
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has updated guidance on security screening procedures for air travelers with disabilities. The guidance offers tips for people with various types of disabilities, and discusses traveling with various assistive and mobility devices, medical implants, medications and supplies, oxygen, and service animals. Find the information on-line at TSA’s web site at http://www.tsa.gov/public/display?theme=156
Access Board Publishes New ADAAG
The U. S. Access Board recently published its revised accessibility guidelines for facilities covered under both the ADA and the Architectural Barriers Act (ABA).
The guidelines, reorganized and presented in a new format, include several significant revisions, and are more consistent with industry standards and model building codes, such as the International Building Code (IBC).
The guidelines will not be enforceable under the ADA until adopted by the regulatory agencies, the Departments of Justice and Transportation.
EEOC: Fact Sheet on Epilepsy
“Questions and Answers about Epilepsy in the Workplace and the ADA” can be found on the web site of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission: http://www.eeoc.gov/facts/epilepsy.html
No Internet Access?
If you are not able to obtain online publications,
call the ADA & IT Information Center,
1-800-949-4232 V/TTY.
We will be happy to assist you!
Web Sites
www.cfv.org The Captioned Media Program (CMP), funded by the U.S. Department of Education and administered by the National Association of the Deaf, provides a free-loan program of over 4,000 open-captioned titles (videos, CD-ROMs, and DVDs) of both educational and entertainment media, including many in Spanish. Deaf and hard of hearing people, teachers, parents, and others may borrow materials. There are no rental, registration, or postage fees. Several hundred titles are also streamed on the CMP web site. The web site can be accessed in either English or Spanish.
www.disabilityresources.org Disability Resources Monthly’s Guide to Disability Resources on the Internet includes information and links to organizations and resources related to a vast array of topics, from advocacy, art, and architectural access, to web design, wheelchairs, and women with disabilities.
www.nimh.nih.gov The National Institute of Mental Health offers information on signs and symptoms, treatment options and clinical trials, research, and how to find help for conditions such as anxiety disorders, autism, ADHD, depression, schizophrenia, and eating disorders.
www.add.org The Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA) provides information, resources and networking opportunities to help adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD).
ADA & IT In Focus is intended for use by individuals, state and local governments, businesses, legal entities, and others interested in developments in the Americans with Disabilities Act. This publication is intended solely as an informal guidance and should not be construed as legally binding. ADA & IT In Focus does not serve as determination of the legal rights or responsibilities under the ADA for any individual, business or entity.
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