[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 188 (Tuesday, September 29, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51891-51892]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-25986]
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ARCHITECTURAL AND TRANSPORTATION BARRIERS COMPLIANCE BOARD
Electronic and Information Technology Access Advisory Committee;
Meeting
AGENCY: Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board.
ACTION: Notice of appointment of advisory committee members and date of
first meeting.
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SUMMARY: The Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board
(Access Board) has decided to establish an advisory committee to assist
it in developing a proposed rule on accessibility standards for
electronic and information technology covered by the Rehabilitation Act
Amendments of 1998. The Electronic and Information Technology Access
Advisory Committee (Committee) includes organizations which represent
the interests affected by the accessibility standards for electronic
and information technology. This notice also announces the time and
place of the first Committee meeting, which will be open to the public.
DATES: The first meeting of the Committee is scheduled for Thursday,
October 15, 1998 through Friday, October 16, 1998 beginning at 9:30
a.m. each day. Decisions with respect to future meetings will be made
at the first meeting and from time to time thereafter. Notices of
future meetings will be published in the Federal Register.
ADDRESSES: The first meeting of the Committee will be held at 1331 F
Street, NW., Washington, DC in the third floor training room.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Doug Wakefield, Office of Technical
and Information Services, Architectural and Transportation Barriers
Compliance Board, 1331 F Street, NW., suite 1000,
[[Page 51892]]
Washington, DC 20004-1111. Telephone number (202) 272-5434 extension 39
(Voice); (202) 272-5449 (TTY).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Availability of Copies and Electronic Access
Single copies of this publication may be obtained at no cost by
calling the Access Board's automated publications order line (202) 272-
5434, by pressing 1 on the telephone keypad, then 1 again, and
requesting publication N-02 (Electronic and Information Technology
Access Advisory Committee notice). Persons using a TTY should call
(202) 272-5449. Please record a name, address, telephone number and
request publication N-02. This document is available in alternate
formats upon request. Persons who want a copy in an alternate format
should specify the type of format (cassette tape, Braille, large print,
or computer disk). This document is also available on the Board's
Internet site (http://www.access-board.gov/notices/eitaac.htm).
Background
On August 24, 1998, the Architectural and Transportation Barriers
Compliance Board (Access Board) published a notice of intent to
establish an advisory committee to provide recommendations for a
proposed rule addressing accessibility standards for electronic and
information technology covered by the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of
1998. 63 FR 45041 (August 24, 1998). The notice identified the
interests that are likely to be significantly affected by the
accessibility standards: Federal agencies and Federal contractors; the
electronic and information technology industry; organizations
representing the access needs of individuals with disabilities; and
other persons affected by accessibility standards for electronic and
information technology.
Approximately 50 nominations were submitted. About 10 nominations
were received from individual members of the public who have
disabilities (or have family members who have disabilities). Nineteen
nominations were received from organizations representing persons with
disabilities. Three nominations were received from access consultants
with experience in accessibility issues. The remaining nominations
primarily consisted of organizations representing the electronic and
information technology industry which includes some Federal, State, and
local government entities.
For the reasons stated in the notice of intent, the Access Board
has determined that establishing the Electronic and Information
Technology Access Advisory Committee (Committee) is necessary and in
the public interest. The Access Board has appointed 23 members to the
Committee from the following organizations:
American Council of the Blind
American Foundation for the Blind
Arkenstone, Inc.
Association of Access Engineering Specialists
Association of Tech Act Projects
Easter Seals
Electronic Industries Alliance
FutureForms
Georgia Institute of Technology
IBM Special Needs Center
Meeting the Challenge, Inc.
Microsoft Corporation
NCR Corporation
National Association of the Deaf
National Federation of the Blind
National Industries for the Blind
National Science Foundation
Self Help for Hard of Hearing People, Inc.
Trace Research and Development Center
United Cerebral Palsy Associations
WGBH National Center for Accessible Media
WebABLE! Solutions
World Wide Web Consortium, Web Accessibility Initiative
The Board plans to involve other Federal agencies through a less
formal, but certainly no less important, ad hoc committee comprised of
those Federal agencies identified in section 508 (a)(2)(A) and public
members of the Board. This committee will assist the Board's staff in
preparing proposed and final standards. The Access Board regrets being
unable to accommodate all requests for membership on the Committee. In
order to keep the Committee to a size that can be effective, it was
necessary to limit membership. It is also desirable to have balance
among members of the Committee representing different clusters of
interest, such as disability organizations and the electronic and
information technology industry. The Committee membership identified
above provides representation for each interest affected by issues to
be discussed.
Committee meetings will be open to the public and interested
persons can attend the meetings and communicate their views. Members of
the public will have an opportunity to address the Committee on issues
of interest to them and the Committee. Members of groups or individuals
who are not members of the Committee may also have the opportunity to
participate with subcommittees of the Committee. The Access Board
believes that participation of this kind can be very valuable for the
advisory committee process. Additionally, all interested persons will
have the opportunity to comment when the proposed accessibility
standards for electronic and information technology are issued in the
Federal Register by the Access Board.
The meeting site is accessible to individuals with disabilities.
Sign language interpreters and real-time captioning will be provided.
Decisions with respect to future meetings will be made at the first
meeting. Notices of future meetings will be published in the Federal
Register.
Lawrence W. Roffee,
Executive Director, Architectural and Transportation Barriers
Compliance Board.
[FR Doc. 98-25986 Filed 9-28-98; 8:45 am]
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