COAT advocates for accessibility and usability of technology for people with disabilities. Enacting the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (21st CVAA) was a huge step forward and we are working to implement this new law. COAT’s overall aim is to ensure accessibility, usability, and affordability of all broadband, wireless, and Internet technologies for people with disabilities.

Utah State University Study Finds 53% Use Screen Readers on Wireless Devices

The Center for Persons with Disabilities at Utah State University conducted a new study in October on screen readers, often used by people with vision disabilities to access internet documents and websites. The results reflect responses from over 600 users of screen readers. The easy-to-understand results from this WebAIM study are very interesting.

--75% are self-taught users of screen readers;

--53% reported using screen readers on mobile or wireless devices;

--49% use more than one screen reader and 23% use more than two;

--35% bought their own screen reader with ony 17% reporting their employer paid for it, with 31% of new users reporting using free or pirated screenreaders;

--CAPTCHA and Flash remain the most problematic with "links and buttons not making sense" as a third problem area;

--screen reader users are accessing social media, such as blogs, Facebook, and Twitter.

The researchers conclude that there is no typical screen reader user and that use of NVDA, Voice Over and System Access usage increased tremendously.

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Andrew Phillips, National Association of the Deaf; Eric Bridges, American Council of the Blind; Mark Richert, American Foundation for the Blind; and Jenifer Simpson, American Association of People with Disabilities, outside the FCC building, Washington DC, after meetings on pending rules under 21st CVAA.

Celebration of the bill's final passage

Rep. Ed Markey and Legislative Director Mark Bayer celebrate the bill’s final passage on September 28, 2010, in front of the Helen Keller statue, with the leaders from the Coalition of Organizations for Accessible Technology: Karen Peltz Strauss, formerly with Communication Service for the Deaf; Jenifer Simpson, American Association of People with Disabilities; Rosaline Crawford, National Association of the Deaf. Their hands symbolize clapping in sign language.

Congressman Ed Markey in photo of Congressional hearing room dais. Congressman Ed Markey (D-MA), center, introduced the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2009 (H.R. 3101) on June 26, 2009.

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President Obama signs the Accessibility Act

President Obama signed the 21^st
Century Communications & Video Accessibility Act into law on October 8, 2010, with many key advocates and lawmakers in attendance.