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.

"Message to Silicon Valley" Video on Inaccessible Wireless Communications; Captioning by COAT Affiliate CCAC

September 7, 2010. "Dear Silicon Valley," is a video film recently released by videographer AnonymsByChoice. The video clip, posted on YouTube, is made by people with disabilities about (lack of) accessibility in wireless communications and information technology. Filmed at the 2010 National Summit on Disability Policy held in Washington, D.C. July 26-27, 2010, the speakers raise accessibility topics such as bigger key pad buttons, voice activation quality, emergency call access, font color adjustment, 'dialtone' and On/off indicators, touchscreen issues and interoperability.

The filmmaker captured a spontaneous decision at the Summit to 'send a message' to tech manufacturers via a letter in the form of a film. View film here.

COAT affiliate Collaborative for Communication Access via Captioning (CCAC) provided the captioning for the film.

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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.

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.

Closed Caption button on remote.

"Message to Silicon Valley" Video on Inaccessible Wireless Communications; Captioning by COAT Affiliate CCAC

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21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act

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