• Board Names Advisory Committee for 508 Standards Update
• Board Convenes Roundtable on Emergency Transportable Housing
• New Board Members Named by the President
• Revised Draft of Vessel Guidelines Released for Public Comment
• Board to Hold Meetings on Vehicles and Communication Access
• Board Vice Chair Testifies Before House Panel on National Parks
• Courthouse Access Advisory Committee to Meet in Boston in July

Board Names Advisory Committee for 508 Standards Update
The Board has organized a new advisory committee to assist in updating its access standards for electronic and information technologies procured by the Federal government. Issued under section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act in 2000, the standards cover computer hardware and software, websites, phone systems, fax machines, copiers, and other technologies. The Telecommunications and Electronic and Information Technology Advisory Committee will review these standards and recommend how they should be updated. The committee will also review Board guidelines for telecommunications products issued under section 255 of the Telecommunications Act. The Board plans to update these guidelines jointly with its 508 standards to ensure consistency in their coverage of telecommunications technologies.

The committee’s membership includes representatives from industry, disability groups, standard-setting bodies in the U.S. and abroad, and government agencies, among others. Members were selected from applications received in response to a Board notice published in April. The Board has structured the committee to represent a balanced cross section of interested parties and stakeholders and to help promote international coordination.

The committee will provide a forum for establishing consensus on updating the 508 standards and telecommunication guidelines. Topics the committee will explore include coverage of products and technologies, including new or convergent types, solutions to identified access barriers, the content of new or revised specifications and criteria, and their harmonization with comparable international efforts in this area. The Board will officially propose changes to the standards and guidelines for public comment based on the committee’s recommendations. The committee’s first meeting is scheduled for September 27 - 29 at the National Science Foundation, Room II-555, 4201 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, Virginia. Committee meetings are open to the public.

For further information, contact Tim Creagan at creagan@access-board.gov (e-mail), (202) 272-0016 (v), or (202) 272-0081 (TTY).

The Telecommunications and Electronic and Information Technology Advisory Committee

Adobe Systems, Inc.
American Association of People with Disabilities
American Council of the Blind
American Foundation for the Blind
Apple Computer, Inc.
Association of Technology Act Programs
Assistive Technology Industry Association
AT&T
Avaya, Inc.
Canon USA, Inc.
Cingular Wireless
Communication Service for the Deaf
CTIA - The Wireless Association
Dell, Inc.
Easter Seals
European Commission
Hearing Loss Association of America
Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (Australia)
IBM
Inclusive Technologies
Industry Canada
Information Technology Association of America
Information Technology Industry Council
Microsoft Corporation
National Association of State Chief Information Officers
National Center on Disability and Access to Education
National Federation of the Blind
National Network of Disability and Business Technical Assistance Centers
Panasonic Corporation of North America
Paralyzed Veterans of America
SRA International, Inc.
Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Telecommunications Industry Association
The Paciello Group, LLP
Trace Research and Development Center
Usability Professionals’ Association
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
U.S. Social Security Administration
WGBH National Center for Accessible Media
World Wide Web Consortium – Web Accessibility Initiative

Board Convenes Roundtable on Emergency Transportable Housing
In May the Board held a meeting to explore the accessibility of emergency transportable housing used by the government in emergencies and natural disasters. Issues concerning access to such housing arose last year in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The event brought together industry representatives and trade groups, manufacturers, disability organizations, and government agencies, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, to explore issues and to determine how access can best be achieved.

Representatives from the Board and the U.S. Department of Justice outlined potential design solutions for several different types of units based on existing access standards as a starting-off point for the dialogue. Trade association representatives and manufacturers provided input on industry standards and design constraints that can influence how access is provided. The Board will use the information gained from this meeting to determine whether the Board’s facility guidelines, which cover residential facilities, should be supplemented to specifically address transportable housing. The Board will resume deliberations on this question at its July meeting. For further information, contact Marsha Mazz at mazz@access-board.gov (e-mail), (202) 272-0020 (v), or (202) 272-0081 (TTY).

New Board Members Named by the President
President George Bush has appointed three new members to the U.S. Access Board: Joseph A. Cirillo, R.A., of Middletown, Rhode Island, Elizabeth A. Stewart of Winter Haven, Florida, and John C. Wyvill of Little Rock, Arkansas.

Cirillo served as Rhode Island’s State Building Commissioner for 28 years, a position he was appointed to in 1974. As Rhode Island’s first Building Commissioner, he was instrumental in the adoption and implementation of the State Building Code system. He oversaw the Commission’s enforcement of these codes, which apply to all facilities built on state property. He was also responsible for the adoption of the state’s accessibility code. Cirillo began his career as a registered architect with the U.S. Navy, designing facilities around the world, and later entered private practice. He is a past president of the Building Officials and Code Administrators International, Inc. and of the National Conference of States on Building Codes and Standards.

Stewart is an attorney whose practice focuses on family law. She joined the Sutton Law Firm last year after serving 20 years as the Access Board’s Deputy General Counsel. At the Board, Stewart was active in the development of accessibility guidelines for facilities, public rights-of-way, and passenger vessels under the ADA as well as standards for accessible electronic and information technology under the Rehabilitation Act. She also supervised the Board’s Compliance and Enforcement Office, served as the Board’s Ethics Officer, and was instrumental in organizing the Board’s Advisory Committee on Courthouse Accessibility. Before joining the Board in 1986, she practiced law in Bartow, Florida with a concentration in family law and civil litigation.

Wyvill is Director of the Arkansas Department of Workforce Education, a state agency that promotes and coordinates workforce training in partnership with schools and universities, business and industry, and other government agencies. Previously, he served as Commissioner of Arkansas Rehabilitation Services for six years and as assistant legal counsel to the Governor. Wyvill is a former president of the Council of State Administrators for Vocational Rehabilitation, a national organization of chief administrators of public rehabilitation agencies. Before entering state government, Wyvill worked as an attorney in private practice and handled both civil and criminal cases.

Revised Draft of Vessel Guidelines Released for Public Comment
The Board has released for public comment a revised draft of guidelines for passenger vessels it is developing under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The guidelines provide accessibility criteria for various types of vessels, including cruise and gaming ships, ferries, and excursion boats, among others. The latest version incorporates feedback received from the public in response to a previous draft released in November 2004. The Board received input from vessels operators and manufacturers, industry trade groups, disability groups, and others during an 8-month comment period and at three public hearings. The new draft, which includes revised text and a discussion of the changes, is available for comment until September 5th. A notice published in the Federal Register provides instructions for submitting comments. The draft guidelines and notice are posted on the Board’s website at www.access-board.gov/pvaac/index.htm. For more information, contact Paul Beatty at (202) 272-0012 (v), (202) 272-0082 (TTY), or pvag@access-board.gov (e-mail).

Board to Hold Meetings on Vehicles and Communication Access
On July 25th, the Board will hold public meetings on updating its ADA guidelines for transportation vehicles and on developing supplementary guidelines on communication access. These meetings will provide an opportunity for the public to provide input on the initial planning for these initiatives. The meetings, which will be open to the public, will take place during a week of ADA anniversary events, including a town hall meeting organized by the National Council on Disability (NCD) in partnership with other Federal agencies.

Update of the ADA Accessibility Guidelines for Vehicles (July 25th 9:00 – 12:00)
The Board’s accessibility guidelines for transportation vehicles, which address buses, vans, rail cars, and other modes of public transportation covered by the ADA, were first published in 1991. The Board will review and update these guidelines as necessary to cover emerging technologies, such as bus rapid transit and low floor vehicles. As part of this effort, the Board will revisit specifications applicable to existing types of vehicles as necessary. The Board seeks input on issues or considerations that should be addressed in this effort to help guide planning for this rulemaking. For further information, contact Dennis Cannon at cannon@access-board.gov (e-mail), (202) 272-0015 (v), or (202) 272-0081 (TTY).

Supplementary Guidelines on Communication Access (July 25th 1:30 – 4:30)
The Board is looking into developing supplementary guidelines for various types of elements, including point of sales and interactive transaction machines, drive-through communication devices, public address systems, and certain types of alarms, such as carbon monoxide detectors. This rulemaking would supplement existing guidelines by detailing how access should be achieved, particularly for people with sensory impairments. Participants at a public forum the Board held last summer strongly endorsed such an initiative. The upcoming meeting will focus on planning for this effort and identifying key issues. For further information, contact Marsha Mazz at mazz@access-board.gov (e-mail), (202) 272-0020 (v), or (202) 272-0081 (TTY).

NCD Town Hall Meeting and Seminar on the State of Disability (July 26th 9:00 – 1:00)
On July 26th, the 16th anniversary of the ADA, NCD will hold a town hall meeting on disability issues. The event, “A National Dialogue on the State of Disability,” will feature a presentation on findings from an NCD report on disability policy, followed by panels on different policy aspects, including equality of opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency. The event is open to the public and will take place at the National Press Club in downtown D.C. For further information, contact Mark Quigley of the NCD at ncd@ncd.gov.

Board Information Meetings
July 25th
9:00 – 12:00 Vehicle Guidelines
1:30 – 4:30 Communication Access
Crown Plaza Hotel
1001 14th St., N.W.
Washington, DC

NCD Town Hall Meeting on the State of Disability
July 26th 9:00 – 1:00
National Press Club
529 14th Street, NW
Washington, DC

Board Vice Chair Testifies Before House Panel on National Parks
On May 11th, Board Vice Chair James R. Harding, II, Ed.D. of Tallahassee, Florida testified before a House subcommittee on accessibility to national parks. Dr. Harding, along with representatives from the National Park Service (NPS) and the National Center on Accessibility, and persons with disabilities, briefed the Subcommittee on National Parks on accessibility at national parks and efforts to improve access. In his testimony, Dr. Harding provided an update on the Board’s development of accessibility guidelines for trails, picnic and camping facilities, and other outdoor environments. He noted steps the Board and NPS have taken to expedite implementation of these guidelines for use at national parks and other Federal lands. A transcript of the hearing is available on the subcommittee’s website.

Courthouse Access Advisory Committee to Meet in Boston in July
The Courthouse Access Advisory Committee, which the Board organized to promote accessible courthouse design, will hold its next quarterly meeting July 20th and 21st in Boston. At this meeting, the committee will review materials, including best practice recommendations, developed by three subcommittees and will begin work finalizing its report to the Board. The Massachusetts Division of Capital Asset Management, which oversees courthouses in the state, is hosting the meeting at the Edward Brooke Courthouse in downtown Boston. The meetings, which are open to the public, will start at 9:00 both days and end at 5:00 on the first day and at 3:00 on the second. Information on the work of the committee, including minutes from previous meetings, is available on the Board’s website at www.access-board.gov/caac/index.htm. For further information, contact Dave Yanchulis at caac@access-board.gov (e-mail), (202) 272-0026 (v), or (202) 272-0082 (TTY).

Access Currents is a free newsletter issued by the Access Board every other month by mail and e-mail. Send questions or comments to news@access-board.gov or call (800) 872-2253 ext. 0026 (voice) or (800) 993-2822 (TTY). Mailing address: 1331 F Street, N.W., Suite 1000; Washington, D.C. 20004-1111.