CVAA Ensures Digital Accessibility for Individuals with Disabilities
Author: American Association of People With Disabilities
Published: 2010/09/29 - Updated: 2025/05/31
Publication Type: Announcement
Category Topic: Films, Radio and TV - Academic Publications
Page Content: Synopsis - Introduction - Main - Insights, Updates
Synopsis: This article provides an authoritative overview of the "Twenty-first Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act," a landmark piece of U.S. legislation designed to make digital communications and video content more accessible to people with disabilities, including seniors and individuals with sensory impairments. Authored by the American Association of People with Disabilities, the article details how the law mandates closed captioning for online video, requires video descriptions for television programs to aid those with vision loss, and ensures emergency information is accessible to people who are blind or have low vision. It also highlights requirements for accessible mobile browsers, hearing aid compatibility for smartphones, and a $10 million annual allocation for communications equipment for people who are deaf-blind.
The information is particularly helpful for advocates, policymakers, and the disability community, as it explains both the legal framework and the collaborative advocacy that led to these advances, making it a valuable resource for anyone seeking to understand or influence accessible technology policy - Disabled World (DW).
Introduction
The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) commends the U.S. Congress for passage of the "Twenty-first Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act." On September 28, the bill cleared its final legislative hurdle by passing the House and is expected to go soon to President Obama for signature.
Main Content
"This legislation is a victory for civil rights in our increasingly digital world," explains Andrew Imparato, AAPD's President and CEO.
"The bill makes clear that it is not okay for people with sensory disabilities to be second class citizens in 21st century America." AAPD is the country's largest cross-disability membership association and organizes the disability community to be a powerful voice of change politically, economically, and socially.
The legislation requires captioned television programs to be captioned also when delivered over the Internet and requires video description on television for people with vision loss.
The bill also allocates $10 million per year for communications equipment used by people who are deaf-blind, ensures emergency information is accessible to individuals who are blind or have low vision, requires accessible user interfaces on mobile browsers that connect to the Internet, and requires hearing aid compatibility of 'smart phones,' among several other provisions.
The passage of the "21st Century Communications" legislation is a result of five years of cooperative work by AAPD, other non-profit groups, industry, and government.
Led in part by AAPD, the Coalition of Organizations for Accessible Technology (COAT) spearheaded the advocacy surrounding this effort.
COAT is an organization with more than 310 member affiliates that promotes full access by people with disabilities to evolving high speed broadband, wireless and other Internet Protocol (IP) technologies. COAT's other co-founding organizations include the National Association of the Deaf, American Council of the Blind, American Foundation for the Blind, and Communication Services for the Deaf.
"This is a major milestone in accessibility history," said Jenifer Simpson, AAPD's Senior Director for Government Affairs and a COAT Co-Founder and Co-Chair. "The new law will ensure more people with disabilities will not be left behind in our digital communications world."
Insights, Analysis, and Developments
Editorial Note: The enactment of the CVAA represents a pivotal step toward ensuring that individuals with disabilities are not excluded from the rapidly evolving digital landscape. By addressing accessibility in modern communications and video programming, the law acknowledges the necessity of inclusive design in technology. However, as technology continues to advance, ongoing vigilance and updates to such legislation are essential to maintain and improve accessibility standards.As digital communication becomes ever more central to daily life, this legislation marks a critical step toward ensuring that technological progress benefits everyone. By embedding accessibility requirements into law, it not only addresses longstanding barriers but also sets a precedent for future innovation that is inclusive by design. For the millions who rely on accessible media, this progress is both practical and a reaffirmation of civil rights in the digital age - Disabled World (DW).
Attribution/Source(s): This quality-reviewed publication was selected for publishing by the editors of Disabled World (DW) due to its relevance to the disability community. Originally authored by American Association of People With Disabilities and published on 2010/09/29, this content may have been edited for style, clarity, or brevity.