September-October 1996 OPEN LINE The Technology Policy Newsletter of the World Institute on Disability Open Line, the newsletter of the World Institute on Disability's Technology Policy Division, is published six times a year to inform recipients of significant developments regarding accessibility for disabled people to telecommunications and information technologies. Information, comments and suggestions from the readership are most welcome. World Institute on Disability 510 16th Street, Suite 100 Oakland, CA 94612 Betsy Bayha, Editor Phone (510) 763-4100 Fax (510) 763-4109 TTY (510) 208-9496 ---------- " 'Report Card' on Telecom Accessibility Gives Good Marks, Identifies New Issues" "People with disabilities, their advocates, government and industry have indeed built a framework for more complete access to telecommunications and information technology than has ever been achieved so early in an industry's development." This is the conclusion of the 25-page "Report Card on Telecommunications Accessibility" recently released by the World Institute on Disability's Blue Ribbon Panel Project. The evaluation of progress made since the Project's publication of its 1994 report, "Building the Framework," goes on to say: "This effort represents a huge step forward in allowing people with disabilities to participate fully in all aspects of society, and all participants can be proud of their roles in making it happen. "At the same time, they must continue their work, to prevent new barriers from arising, and to cement the achievements they have made together so far." The Panel's 1994 report proposed the application of universal design principles to product development and marketing, and it recommended legislative and regulatory changes to assure accessibility in a rapidly-changing environment. Its recommendations formed the backbone of public policy changes that today are promoting broad accessibility to technologies that only a few years ago were barely recognized by most U.S. consumers. The newly issued Report Card singles out passage of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 as "a monumental victory for disability rights," noting that for the first time in history, "access for people with disabilities was written into legislation governing activity in a major sector of the national (and international) economy." The communications and information sector amounts to about $713 billion, or roughly 11 percent of the U.S. gross domestic product. (For WID's role, see OL Mar.-Apr. '96.) A score of other notable areas of progress are mentioned in the report, including these: * The encouragement of universal design among designers, developers and fabricators of telecommunications products. * The creation in 1995 of the Federal Communications Commission's Disabilities Issues Task Force by FCC Chairman Reed Hundt. (OL Aug. '95.) * Calling attention to and encouraging efforts by industry to resolve problems of hearing aid compatibility with the new generation of digital cellular telephones. (OL Mar.-May '96) * FCC's commitment to continue making ordinary telephone service more accessible. * The Telecommunications Act mandate for the FCC to set rules on the use of closed-captioning and audio description in TV and film. The report says the impact of the 1994 "Building the Framework" report was extensive, both on public and private initiatives regarding disability access. "Since its publication," says the Report Card, "the use of telecommunications to transmit information in various digital forms -- voice, text, graphics, audiovisual -- has exploded in the marketplace. Many people with disabilities are participating in this technological explosion. And technology is still creating new opportunities for various isolated groups to participate more easily -- including people with disabilities, but also people who speak non-English languages, people with low literacy, and many others." Looking ahead, the Report Card presents a formidable agenda of issues, some old some new, where disability rights advocates must direct attention: * Development of detailed information on the market potential for access features in new products and services -- including not only persons with physical or mental impairments, but also others that could benefit from the same features. Demonstrating a broad segment of people with interest would, it is hope, make such a feature available at a reasonable price. * Resolution of how new technologies can become economically accessible to people with disabilities -- at present a "Catch 22" situation from both the marketing and rehabilitation perspective. * The development of pricing structures that ensure access to basic telecommunications services without penalizing the disabled customer. For more information on the "Report Card on Telecommunications Accessibility," get in touch with the WID Technology Policy Division. Cartoon: "Rhymes with Orange", Hilary B. Price 2 frames: first--a drawing of a microchip with heading "Silicon Chip" second-a drawing of a bowl of dip, with microchips around the bowl, heading says "Silicon Dip" copyright 1996 Hilary B. Price. Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc. ---------- "Clinton Voices Support for Universal Design at InfoRamps '96 Conference" Photo: John Lancaster, Esther Dyson and Tom Wheeler discuss "Creating a New Paradigm of Universal Design Within Industry" By Betsy Bayha What could be more promising than words of welcome from President Clinton to launch the InfoRamps '96 conference? The President's remarks were read to an audience of some 150 attendees gathered in Washington, D.C. July 11-12 for two days of plenary sessions, technology demonstrations and workshops to learn the latest on universal design of information systems. President Clinton summed it up best by noting that, "Universal design of our National Information Infrastructure will give us the technology we want with the flexibility we need. Not only will it make information technology work better for us all, but also it will make it easier for people with disabilities to access and use the powerful new information tools of the future." In addition to garnering a strong endorsement from the White House, InfoRamps '96 also featured participation from a number of industry leaders who see universal design as a key to expanding their markets and creating more user-friendly products. Speakers from industry included John Gage, chief scientist from Sun Microsystems, Tom Wheeler, CEO of the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association, Carol Cody, community affairs director of Pacific Telesis, Karin Krueger of the Motion Picture Association of America and Esther Dyson, president of EDventure Holdings. The first day of the conference featured plenary discussions on creating a new paradigm of universal design within the industry, and a discussion of whether markets or mandates encourage companies to pursue universal design. There were also technology demonstrations of captioned multimedia, accessible World Wide Web pages and a talking touch-screen kiosk to show attendees working examples of accessible information technologies. The second day of the conference offered participants the chance to roll up their sleeves and work together in smaller breakout sessions focusing on Policy, the Public Sector, Business and Marketing and Technical Research and Development. Sessions were kept to a small size to allow for give and take between presenters and attendees. Participants raved that these sessions offered them in-depth, concrete information that they could take back to their communities. And, thanks to the generous support of Bellcore and the technical wizardry of conference partner Jim Tobias of Inclusive Technologies, a number of folks attended InfoRamps '96 without even coming to Washington, D.C. They participated in the "virtual" conference by tuning into a real-time audio broadcast, reading uploaded transcripts on the World Wide Web and sending their questions and comments in via e-mail and fax. Sharon Huffman of Topeka said the conference was one of the best she had ever "attended" and went on to add, "The virtual conference gives me the opportunity to participate in a way that I could not otherwise do because of my disability. You have done an excellent job!" InfoRamps, '96: New Markets and Inclusive Communications was funded by the Telecommunications Funding Partnership administered by the Dole Foundation and was organized by WID, Inclusive Technologies, the CPB/WGBH National Center for Accessible Media, the Alliance for Public Technology, the Trace Research and Development Center and the Information Technology Access Advisory Group. Published proceedings will be forthcoming by year's end. Contact WID's technology division for more information. Photo: David Bolnick of Microsoft demonstrates new multimedia captioning software as Gregg Vanderheiden, Director of the Trace R & D Center (at left) and Larry Goldberg, Director of the CPB/WGBH National Center for Accessible Media look on. ---------- "A Message from the Director" As competition heats up in the telecommunications marketplace, consumers are likely to face a dizzying array of new services and products, many provided by companies with little or no track record or credibility. Consumers caught up in this onslaught would be wise to follow the age old credo, caveat emptor. The unsuspecting buyer who is not diligently wary could become the victim of expensive and unscrupulous tactics. In California, thousands of customers have been taken in by a practice known as "slamming." What is slamming? It's basically stealing. It happens when a phone company, without your permission, changes your long distance service. How does it happen? Usually through fraud and misrepresentation. Quite often, slamming occurs when a customer signs up to win a free car or vacation in a sweepstakes. What looks like a contest entry form turns out to be an authorization form allowing a third party to change your long distance company. But that part of the bargain is usually written in the small print, or, in more egregious examples, it's written in English on a Spanish language sweepstakes entry form targeting customers with little or no English ability. Usually, customers who've been taken in don't even know it until the telephone bill arrives complete with exorbitant long distance charges. Slamming is illegal under federal law, and in the state of California. Investigations are under way to stop the practice, but for now, it continues. How can consumers protect themselves? As always, information is power. Read the fine print on sweepstakes forms and unsolicited gifts. Study your phone bill carefully. And be wary of offers that sound too good to be true. In all likelihood, they are. Betsy Bayha Acting Director Division of Technology Policy ---------- "Need 'Open Line' in Another Format?" Many readers already receive Open Line in a format other than this printed newsletter. Alternatives available include: Disk, E-mail, Braille, Large Print or Audiotape. If one of these formats would make Open Line more accessible for you or someone you know, get in touch with: Amy Gup at (510) 251-4317 or ajg@wid.org. ---------- "Flash From the Future MIT Student Sees 'Wearable Webcam' as Aid to Visually Impaired" Steve Mann is easy to spot around the campus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and on the streets of Cambridge. He's a walking computer work station. From the beanie-mounted antenna, to the camera strapped to forehead, to the "Star Trek" visor, to the wraparound computer at his waist, Mann presents the image of an electronic eccentric. But there's a lot more to it. Mann is working towards his Ph.D. at MIT, in the Media Laboratory, well known for its forward-looking work in computers. With his carry-around equipment he can photograph and transmit his in-transit experiences instantly to his World Wide Web site, where anyone who is interested can see the world as Steve Mann is seeing it. Novel? Yes, but that's not the point. Mann hopes that more work with his "wearable wireless webcam" may lead him down many useful paths, including a way to help people with vision problems. The computer around his waist, which he works with a palm-sized keyboard, does more than transmit pictures to the Internet. It enables him to see the pictures on a tiny computer screen built into his visor. He can walk the hallways and the streets looking only at the computer monitor. The usefulness of such a system for people with some types of visual impairment is obvious. They would see, up close, what the camera sees within a given range. Mann would like to take it farther. He hopes some day to provide people with retinal damage with an image projected onto the working part of the retina -- a large blessing, indeed, in terms of supplementing severely limited vision. "It is very clumsy and awkward right now," says Mann, "but as technology improves, this could provide a way for people to see the world around them differently. In addition to helping the visually impaired, it can also help artists understand light and shade in new ways by allowing them to live in alternate visual worlds." Mann traces his early interest in such things to his high school days in Toronto when he scavenged computer parts and toy walkie-talkies in an effort to build a prototype. For the past year he has been studying with Professor Rosalind Picard in the Media Lab's Perceptual Computing Group. Picard says the work has a long way to go before the technology is small enough and unobtrusive enough to be widely accepted. But work is continuing. Mann recently had success with an improved antenna, this one affixed to an MIT baseball cap. Meanwhile, Mann and his colleagues in the group can content themselves with being able to cruise the Internet or read their E-mail while standing in line at the ATM. (To see Mann's images for yourself, visit: http://18.85.20.100 [for text only] or http://18.85.20.100/index_graphical.html [with images]) Photo, copyright Webb Chappell 1995 of Steve Mann in front of steps with M.I.T. sweatshirt, hat, antenna, glasses attached to wires in large waist pack. Photo of Steve's head with helmet, glasses, and antenna looking out as behind him on computer screen is same image in front of screen with same image, etc., etc. ---------- WID Blue Ribbon Panel Project Members: Lars Augustsson, TeleNova, Stockholm, Sweden Frank Bowe, PhD, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY Jackie Brand, Alliance for Technology Access (retired), San Rafael, CA Dale S. Brown, President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities, Washington, DC Judy Harkins, PhD, Gallaudet Research Institute, Gallaudet University, Washington, DC June Kailes, National Council on Independent Living, Playa del Rey, CA Oral Miller, American Council of the Blind, Washington, DC Mike Morris, Executive Director, United Cerebral Palsy Association, Washington, DC Tom Shworles, Committee on Personal Computers and the Handicapped, Evanston, IL Al Sonnenstrahl, Telecommunications for the Deaf, Inc. (retired), Silver Spring, MD Max Starkloff, Paraquad, Inc., St. Louis, MO Rocky Stone, Self-Help for Hard-of-Hearing People, Bethesda, MD Industry Supporters: Ameritech AT&T Bell Atlantic Bellcore BellSouth Electronic Industries Association GTE Interactive Services Association MCI Minitel U.S.A. NYNEX Pacific Telesis Southwestern Bell Sprint U S West WID World Institute on Disability Technology Policy Division 510 16th Street, Suite 100 Oakland, CA 94612 FIRST CLASS POSTAGE - Address Correction Requested (510)763-4100 (510)763-4109 Fax (510)208-9496 TTY E-Mail: OpenLine@wid.org Staff: Betsy Bayha Acting Director, Division of Technology Policy Shelby Jones Department Assistant