The US Access Board has recently released a revised draft for public comments. From this public meeting, many people have requested a finalized draft soon. The main delays, besides bureaucratic issues, seem to be the US Access Board trying to predict future technologies. If we analyze how far we’ve advanced technology wise since 2002, it seems like an overwhelming feat to predict the next decade. Also, some companies are using these delays as a convenient excuse to only be accessible with the older standards.
As of now, the draft proposes that federal computer hardware and software, websites, cell phones, documents, and other IT-related items, are accessible to people with disabilities; the public appreciates these services. However, as the public wants a finished draft quickly, their main requests includes requirements for self-service machines and kiosks, touch screens, digital biometric identification devices, and language translation tools.
It seems the best course of action for the Access Board would be to include as much of the public requests as possible, and finish the draft within an agreeable amount of time. They can then send the finished draft to Congress, and the companies will be required to abide by the new regulations. For the betterment of Internet accessibility let us hope that the draft will be able to meet all the necessary requirements of today’s technology, and if possible be put into effect in 2012.
