Digital Inclusion Gains Traction in Washington, DC
It has been a busy autumn for AFB’s Public Policy & Research Institute (PPRI). In recent months, both Congress and the Biden Administration introduced changes that will impact web and software accessibility for people with disabilities.
On Sept. 28th, Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) along with Representatives Paul Sarbanes (D-MD) and Pete Sessions (R-TX) reintroduced the Websites and Software Applications Accessibility Act, which works in concert with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to ensure that employers, governments, and businesses follow best standards for producing accessible applications and online content.
AFB has been actively engaged with Congressional offices on the reintroduction of this legislation, along with other advocates from the blind and low vision community. The reintroduced legislation adds language that would make it easier for small businesses to comply with the law. AFB commends Senator Duckworth and Representatives Sarbanes and Sessions as they bring disability law into the digital age.
“Over the past several years, AFB’s research has continued to show that the digital inclusion and accessibility gap is still quite significant and has real consequences for independent living,” said Stephanie Enyart, AFB’s Chief Public Policy & Research Officer. “We’re excited that our leaders in government continue to help us gain traction toward closing this gap.”
Along with Congress, the Biden Administration has also been moving on policy changes that could impact digital accessibility. AFB has been among the leading disability rights groups reviewing and drafting comments for proposed regulatory changes by the Department of Justice that would set web accessibility guidelines for the first time under Title II of the ADA. Shortly after the ADA’s 33rd anniversary, the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) was opened for comments, which were due on October 3, 2023.
While AFB applauded the release of a proposed rule, AFB raised concerns about the proposed exceptions to the rule that could harm people with disabilities, including students. With AFB’s leadership, a sign-on comment letter was transmitted to the Department of Justice in response to the NPRM by 264 organizations representing people with disabilities.
This activity coincided with the 50th anniversary of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which was the first major piece of legislation that secured civil rights for people with disabilities. PPRI staff joined multiple events in our nation’s capital, and even had an opportunity to share chief concerns about the inclusion of people with disabilities with President Biden during a special White House event on October 2nd. AFB will continue advocating for legislative and regulatory changes that carry the ADA into the digital age.
AFB Talent Lab Cultivates Careers in Digital Accessibility
AFB is excited to announce that all four of its AFB Talent Lab apprentices who completed the program this summer have now received their Journeyman status as Program Managers through the State of Virginia, with a focus on accessibility and digital inclusion. Since completing their Talent Lab apprenticeships, two of the graduates have secured full-time employment in the accessibility field while a third has secured a contract position on digital accessibility. Each apprentice brings a unique lived experience around digital inclusion as blind and low-vision experts on digital accessibility.
With the start of fall, the AFB Talent Lab also welcomed five new interns into the program, who will learn the ins and outs of digital accessibility over the course of the coming year. They join two returning interns, who continue to gain mentorship and work alongside accessibility experts who are blind or have low vision. The experience affords them the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding around user experiences as they learn best practices for digital inclusion and accessible design.
To date, 21 participants have joined the AFB Talent Lab. Working collaboratively, they gain hands-on experience in accessible design, solving real world problems with AFB’s consulting services team.
