Categories: ADA, Advocacy News, Blog, COVID-19, Hearing Loss, Other

The Americans with Disabilities Act Obligations Regarding COVID-19 Related Services

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia announced on April 16 that it will be providing a Dear Colleague Letter reminding community partners that are involved in...The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia announced on April 16 that it will be providing a Dear Colleague Letter reminding community partners that are involved in the COVID-19 pandemic response that the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) applies to their services. “The COVID-19 pandemic has had a severe and distressing impact … Read More >

Categories: ADA, Advocacy News, Advocating, News, Newsroom, Rail

Justice Department Settles with Amtrak to Resolve Disability Discrimination Across its Intercity Rail System

The Justice Department announced December 2, 2020 that it reached an agreement with Amtrak, the National Railroad Passenger Corporation, to resolve the department’s findings of disability discrimination in violation of the Americans...The Justice Department announced December 2, 2020 that it reached an agreement with Amtrak, the National Railroad Passenger Corporation, to resolve the department’s findings of disability discrimination in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Under the agreement Amtrak will fix inaccessible stations and pay $2.25 million to victims hurt by its inaccessible stations. The complaint … Read More >

Categories: ADA, Advocacy News, Advocating, DOJ, HLAA, News, Newsroom

HLAA Supports Equal Access to Relay Services in Prisons

HLAA joined a coalition of accessibility organizations filed comments on November 23, 2020, which requests that the Federal Communications Commission:  Use its authority under Title IV of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to require Inmate...HLAA joined a coalition of accessibility organizations filed comments on November 23, 2020, which requests that the Federal Communications Commission:  Use its authority under Title IV of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to require Inmate Calling Service (ICS) providers to offer modern relay and accessible communications services including video relay service (VRS), Internet Protocol Captioned Telephone Service (IP CTS), Real-Time … Read More >

Categories: Accessibility, ADA, Advocacy News, ASR, Blog, Captions, FCC, News

FCC Grants Conditional Certification to Clarity Products to Provide IP CTS Using Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR)

On June 4, 2020, the FCC granted conditional certification to Clarity Products, LLC to provide Internet Protocol Captioned Telephone Service using only automatic speech recognition technology without the aid of...On June 4, 2020, the FCC granted conditional certification to Clarity Products, LLC to provide Internet Protocol Captioned Telephone Service using only automatic speech recognition technology without the aid of communications assistants.  The service will be available via the over-the-top application CaptionMate. Conditional Certification Order: URL: https://www.fcc.gov/document/clarity-certified-automatic-speech-recognition-ip-cts-provider Word: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-20-587A1.docx PDF: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-20-587A1.pdf Text: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-20-587A1.txt News Release: … Read More >

Categories: ADA, Advocacy News, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Hospital, Office for Civil Rights (OCR)

Safeguarding the Rights of Persons with Disabilities During COVID-19

OCR Resolves Complaints after State of Connecticut and Private Hospital Safeguard the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to Have Reasonable Access to Support Persons in Hospital Settings During COVID-19 On...OCR Resolves Complaints after State of Connecticut and Private Hospital Safeguard the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to Have Reasonable Access to Support Persons in Hospital Settings During COVID-19 On June 9, 2020, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that it has reached an … Read More >

Categories: Accessibility, ADA, Advocacy News, ASR, Blog, Captions, FCC, News

FCC Grants First Certification for New ASR-Only IP CTS Service

WASHINGTON, May 5, 2020—The FCC’s Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau today granted conditional certification to MachineGenius to provide Internet Protocol Captioned Telephone Service (IP CTS) using only automatic speech recognition...WASHINGTON, May 5, 2020—The FCC’s Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau today granted conditional certification to MachineGenius to provide Internet Protocol Captioned Telephone Service (IP CTS) using only automatic speech recognition (ASR) technology. This is the first such grant and provides an opportunity for advanced technology to meet the FCC’s high reliability standards in providing captioned … Read More >

Categories: ADA, Advocacy News, Coronavirus, COVID-19, EEOC, Employment, Workplace

EEOC Publication Updated – Coronavirus and the Workplace: What You Should Know

EEOC ISSUES UPDATED COVID-19 TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PUBLICATION Contains Q&A Section of Common Workplace Questions WASHINGTON – The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) posted on April 23, 2020 an updated...EEOC ISSUES UPDATED COVID-19 TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PUBLICATION Contains Q&A Section of Common Workplace Questions WASHINGTON – The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) posted on April 23, 2020 an updated and expanded technical assistance publication addressing questions arising under the Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Laws related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The publication, “What You Should … Read More >

Categories: Access Board, ADA, Advocacy News, Loop, News, Rail, Trains

U.S. Access Board Extends Comment Period for Update of Rail Vehicle Guidelines

The U.S. Access Board has extended the deadline for comments on its update of accessibility guidelines for rail cars to allow the public and interested parties more time to submit...The U.S. Access Board has extended the deadline for comments on its update of accessibility guidelines for rail cars to allow the public and interested parties more time to submit feedback. As indicated in a notice published in today’s Federal Register, an additional 60 days is being added to the comment period. In February, the … Read More >

Categories: ADA, Advocacy News, Coronavirus, News

Your ADA Rights When Required to Work From Home or Attend Classes Online

Your rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act don’t disappear in a time of emergency. Here’s important information for people now are required to work from home or attend classes...Your rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act don’t disappear in a time of emergency. Here’s important information for people now are required to work from home or attend classes online. The coronavirus pandemic is upending everyone’s daily life. Schools have been closed, people are working from home, Broadway and local theaters have shut down, … Read More >

Categories: Access Board, ADA, Advocacy News, Loop, News, Rail, Trains

Access Board Initiates Update of Accessibility Guidelines for Rail Cars

The U.S. Access Board is initiating a rulemaking to update its accessibility guidelines for rail cars covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and seeks public comment on this...The U.S. Access Board is initiating a rulemaking to update its accessibility guidelines for rail cars covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and seeks public comment on this effort. As indicated in an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking the Board plans to update provisions in the ADA Accessibility Guidelines for Transportation Vehicles that apply … Read More >