Access Board News

On December 6, 2024, President Joe Biden appointed a new member to the U.S. Access Board: Betty R. Siegel, of Virginia. Betty as a newly appointed member brings a diverse range of knowledge and experiences—spanning the arts and culture, emerging assistive technology, inclusive customer service, and disability rights. Betty Siegel is Director of the Office of Accessibility and VSA at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. A recognized leader and expert in disability and accessibility practices within the arts and culture sectors . . .

With great sadness, the U.S. Access Board mourns the passing of former President James Earl “Jimmy” Carter Jr., who served as the 39th President of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A native Georgian, President Carter began his public career in the Georgia State Senate, where he served for two terms from 1963 to 1967. He would later go on to be elected the 76th Governor of Georgia, where he served from 1971 to 1975 . . .

All are welcome to attend the next meeting of the U.S. Access Board, which will be open to the public and take place virtually on January 29 from 1:30 – 3:00 p.m. (ET). The agenda for the meeting includes brief reports from standing and ad hoc Board committees, federal agency updates, and a report by Executive Director Sachin Pavithran . . .

On December 18, the Department of Transportation (DOT) issued a final rule adopting the Access Board’s Public Right-of-Way Accessibility Guidelines (PROWAG) as part of its Americans with Disability Act (ADA) standards for new construction and alterations of transit stops in the public right-of-way. The ADA directs the Access Board to issue technical guidelines for accessible design that serve as the basis of DOT and the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) enforceable ADA Accessibility Standards . . .

As part of the Developing Artificial Intelligence (AI) Equity, Access & Inclusion for All Series, the Access Board will present its preliminary findings on the risks and benefits of AI for people with disabilities. The findings are based on the outcomes of three recent AI hearings held in August 2024, independent research and engagements, as well as comments received from the public. The presentation will take place virtually . . .

With great sadness, the U.S. Access Board mourns the passing of former staff member and lifelong disability advocate, Dennis Cannon. Cannon served as the Transportation Accessibility Specialist for the Access board from 1981-2010. As a long-time advocate for accessible transportation, his remarkable legacy of disability advocacy was evident in his service to the Access Board. Cannon serviced on the Passenger Vessels Access Advisory Committee, where he supported efforts for accessible guidance and inclusive design for passenger vessels . . .

This year’s annual Interagency Accessibility Forum (IAAF) will be held virtually on November 13 and 14. IAAF will feature a mix of presenters and speakers, workshops, and discussions led by accessibility professionals in the federal, private, academic, and other sectors. Presentation topics include best practices in managing and implementing digital accessibility imperatives including Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act . . .

The U.S. Access Board is the sole Federal agency responsible for enforcing the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 (ABA), which it accomplishes by investigating complaints filed by the public. The ABA requires buildings or facilities designed, built, altered, or leased by the Federal Government, as well as certain nongovernment buildings constructed with funds from a federal grant or loan . . .

The WCAG2ICT Group Note has been a key resource for including WCAG in ICT accessibility regulation, legislation, and other standards around the world. The updated WCAG2ICT now facilitates further adoption of WCAG 2.1 and WCAG 2.2 in non-web contexts.

On September 30, 2024, the ICT Testing Baseline Portfolio site published the new ICT Testing Baseline for Documents. This baseline establishes the minimum tests and evaluation guidance to determine if an electronic document meets Section 508 requirements. Federal agencies are encouraged to adopt this baseline when developing Section 508 conformance test processes for non-web electronic documents . . .