[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 70 (Tuesday, April 13, 2010)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 18781-18782]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-8309]
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ARCHITECTURAL AND TRANSPORTATION BARRIERS COMPLIANCE BOARD
36 CFR Parts 1191, 1193, and 1194
[Docket No. 2010-1]
RIN 3014-AA37
Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) Accessibility Guidelines
for Buildings and Facilities; Telecommunications Act Accessibility
Guidelines; Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility
Standards
AGENCY: Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board.
ACTION: Notice of hearing.
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SUMMARY: The Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board
(Access Board) will hold a public hearing on its refresh of
accessibility criteria for information and communication technologies
covered by the Rehabilitation Act (section 508) and the
Telecommunications Act (section 255). The hearing will focus on a draft
of updated standards and guidelines made available for public comment
on March 22. As part of this rulemaking, the Board proposes to
supplement its Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines
to address access to self-service machines such as point-of-sales
machines and ticketing kiosks.
DATES: The hearing will be on May 12, 2010 from 9 a.m. until 12 p.m.
ADDRESSES: The hearing will be held at the Embassy Suites, DC
Convention Center, 900 10th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20001.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tim Creagan, Office of Technical and
Information Services, Architectural and Transportation Barriers
Compliance Board, 1331 F Street, NW., suite 1000, Washington, DC 20004-
1111. Telephone number: 202-272-0016 (voice); 202-272-0082 (TTY).
Electronic mail address: board.gov">creagan@access-board.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On March 22, 2010, the Access Board
published an advance notice of proposed rulemaking in the Federal
Register to begin the process of updating its standards for electronic
and information technology covered by section 508 of the Rehabilitation
Act Amendments of 1998 and its guidelines for telecommunications
equipment covered by Section 255 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996.
At part of this rulemaking, the Board is proposing to revise its
Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines to address
access to self-service machines used for ticketing, check-in or check-
out, seat selection, boarding passes, or ordering food in restaurants
and cafeterias. 75 FR 13457 (March 22, 2010). The Board has released
for public comment a draft of updated standards and guidelines which is
available on the Board's Web site (http://www.access-board.gov/508.htm).
The Board is responsible for developing and keeping up to date
standards for electronic and information technology covered by section
508 of the Rehabilitation Act. Section 508 requires access to
electronic and information technology developed, procured, maintained,
or used by Federal agencies and departments to the extent that it does
not impose an undue burden. The Board's section 508 standards, which
were originally published in 2000 and are part of the Federal
government's procurement regulations, provide technical and functional
performance criteria for technologies covered by the law. Section 508
requires the Board to periodically review and amend the standards to
reflect technological advances or changes in electronic and information
technology.
The Board is updating its Telecommunications Act Accessibility
Guidelines jointly with its refresh of the section 508 standards to
harmonize both documents and to facilitate compliance. Section 255 of
the Telecommunications Act requires telecommunications equipment and
customer premises equipment to be accessible to and usable by
individuals with disabilities when it is readily achievable to do so.
[[Page 18782]]
The Board is responsible for developing and periodically updating
accessibility guidelines for telecommunications equipment and customer
premises equipment covered by section 255 in conjunction with the
Federal Communications Commission. The Board first issued its
guidelines under section 255 in 1998.
The Board is also proposing to amend the Americans with
Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) to address access to
self-service machines used for ticketing, check-in or check-out, seat
selection, boarding passes, or ordering food in restaurants and
cafeterias.
The draft standards and guidelines are available for public comment
until June 21, 2010. The Board will hold a hearing in Washington, DC
that will provide the public an opportunity to comment on the draft
rule. This hearing will take place during the Access Board's regularly
scheduled Board meeting on May 12, 2010 from 9 a.m. until 12 p.m. at
the Embassy Suites, DC Convention Center, 900 10th Street, NW.,
Washington, DC 20001. The Board previously held a hearing on the draft
rule in San Diego, CA on March 25, 2010 in conjunction with the 25th
Annual International Technology and Persons with Disabilities
Conference.
The hearing location is accessible to individuals with
disabilities. Sign language interpreters and real-time captioning will
be provided. For the comfort of other participants, persons attending
the hearing are requested to refrain from using perfume, cologne, and
other fragrances. To pre-register to testify, please contact Kathy
Johnson at (202) 272-0041, (202) 272-0082 (TTY), or board.gov">johnson@access-board.gov.
David M. Capozzi,
Executive Director.
[FR Doc. 2010-8309 Filed 4-12-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8150-01-P