With the new Bill S 3304, blind and deaf people will be able to more easily use smart phones, the Internet and other technologies that are staples of life and work. This has been a priority of disability advocates for the millions of people who cannot see or hear.
The law sets federal guidelines that require the telecommunications industry to:
Make getting to the Internet easier by improving the user interfaces on smart phones.
Provide audible descriptions of on-screen action to help the blind more fully enjoy television.
Add captions to online TV programming to help the deaf.
Make the equipment used for Internet telephone calls compatible with hearing aids.
Add a button or other switch to television remote controls for simpler access to closed captioning on television.
In the East Room of the White House, where he was flanked on stage by lawmakers and Stevie Wonder, President Barack Obama portrayed the occasion as another step in guaranteeing equal access, opportunity and respect for all Americans.
"We've come a long way but even today, after all the progress that we've made, too many Americans with disabilities are still measured by what folks think they can't do, instead of what we know they can do.... will make it easier for people who are deaf, blind or live with a visual impairment to do what many of us take for granted, It sets new standards so that Americans with disabilities can take advantage of the technology our economy depends on, and that's especially important in today's economy when every worker needs the necessary skills to compete for the jobs of the future" President Obama said.
