Legal Issues in Information Technology Access

1
Legal Issues in Information Technology Access

• Curtis D. Edmonds, J.D., Education and Technology
  Specialist
• Southeast Disability and Business Technical
  Assistance Center
• Center for Assistive Technology and Environmental
  Access
• Georgia Institute of Technology

2
Disability and Business Technical Assistance
Centers (DBTACs)

• Funded by NIDRR
• Funded since 1991
• Responsible for promoting ADA compliance
• Responsible for promoting access to IT in
  education

3
Disability and Business Technical Assistance
Centers (DBTACs)

• Ten Regional Centers on the ADA and Accessible IT
  in Education
• [phone]

4
Disability and Business Technical Assistance
Centers (DBTACs)

• Mid-Atlantic DBTAC
• Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia
• http//www.adainfo.org/

5
Disability and Business Technical Assistance
Centers (DBTACs)

• Southeast DBTAC
• Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi,
  North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky
• http//www.sedbtac.org/

6
Disability and Business Technical Assistance
Centers (DBTACs)

• Disability Law Resource Project (formerly
  Southwest DBTAC)
• Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas
• http//www.dlrp.org/

7
Sources of Law on Information Technology Access

• The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA)
• 1998 Amendments to Section 508 of the
  Rehabilitation Act of 1973
• State Laws

8
The Americans with Disabilities Act

• Title II of the ADA applies to public entities,
  including public schools, colleges and
  universities.
• General nondiscrimination requirement
• Effective communication requirement
• Department of Justice memo http//www.usdoj.gov/
  crt/foia/tal712.txt

9
The Americans with Disabilities Act

• ADA Cases
• Martin v. Metro Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority,
  225 F.Supp. 2d 1362 (N.D. Ga. 2002)
• Access Now v. Southwest Airlines Co., 227 F.
  Supp. 2d 1312 (S.D. Fla. 2002)

10
Section 508

• Section 508 requires
• Procurement of accessible IT by the federal
  government
• Accessibility in federal agency websites
• General Services Administration
• http//www.section508.gov/
• U.S Access Board
• http//www.access-board.gov/508.htm

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State Laws

• States have adopted three different approaches to
  the issue of IT accessibility
• 1. State laws
• 2. State regulations
• 3. Policy statements

12
State Laws

• For more information on state laws, visit
• http//www.ittatc.org/laws/stateLawAtGlance.cfm

13
Any Questions?

• Contact your regional DBTAC at [phone]
• http//www.adainfo.org/
• http//www.sedbtac.org/
• http//www.dlrp.org/