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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.

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COAT International Friend RNIB Instrumental in Creation of First Accessible Set Top Box

February 1, 2010: COAT is delighted to learn that International Friend Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) in U.K. was instrumental in developing the first accessible set-top box. A collaborative effort by British firm Ocean Blue Software, ST Microelectronics, TW Electronics and RNIB has led to development of the world’s first ‘talking’ digital set-top  box, called the Chatterbox.

Of great  benefit to people with vision and other disabilities, the Chatterbox has Text-to-Speech (TTS) capacity for some features. There are voice outputs when a channel is changed, when the title of the new program is turned on, announcement of the program's duration, and whether it has captions or audio description. The Chatterbox is expected to go on sale in the UK soon. Ocean Blue is currently looking for a partner to bring it to the US market.

A demonstration video -- not captioned, unfortunately -- is available for viewing on the Ocean Blue website (requires registration to view).

COAT is pleased with this demonstration of the feasibility of a provision found in Section 201 of H.R. 3101 and wonders what companies in the U.S. will step up to the plate and follow suit?

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COAT leaders at the FCC

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.

21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act

President Obama signs the Accessibility Act

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

Senator Mark Pryor (AR)

Senator Mark Pryor (AR) received AAPD’s Justice For All Award July 26, 2011 for his leadership with Senate passage of the 21st CVAA.

Key FCC Staff working on 21st CVAA

Key FCC staff working on 21st CVAA: Karen Peltz Strauss, Rosaline Crawford, Eliot Greenwald

Sesame Street video with captioning and description. Sesame Street video with captioning and description.

Closed Caption button on remote. Closed Caption button on remote.