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Home  Accessibility amp Communications Technology
Accessibility and Communications Technology
As we discussed in prior messages, assistive technologies play a critical role in ensuring that people with disabilities can access communication and information technologies. Although a great deal of communication is moving online, the telephone remains an important way for people with disabilities to obtain information. There are a variety of assistive devices that help people with disabilities, particularly blind or visually impaired, and deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals, to access telecommunications services.
Many librarians are familiar with Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD, formerly known as a Teletypewriter or TTY) services, which is a valuable resource for people with hearing disabilities. A TDD/TTY is a special device that lets people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or speech- impaired use the telephone to communicate by transmitting typed messages over the traditional telephone lines. Librarians may wish to have a TDD/TTY present in the library to allow for patrons to contact the libraries using external TDDs. Additionally, librarians may wish to make a TDD/TTY available to patrons for their use in the library. Even without a TDD/TTY, it is possible for telephone users to contact a TDD/TTY user through the use of a relay service. Each state has a telephone relay service set up that allows a telephone user to dial in and communicate directly to a TDD/TTY user through an operator, and vice versa. It is also important to note that an organization known as TDI publishes an annual directory of TDD/TTY numbers.
Another useful assistive technology of which librarians should be aware is non-visual access phones. As phones, particularly cellular phones, become more digitized and are more frequently operated through touch-screen menus, it is more difficult for users with visual impairments to access phone options and menus in order to fully utilize these telephones. Consequently, accessible phones provide those who are blind or who have visual impairments with non- visual access to all of the menu options on the phones. In most cases, traditional phones do not give rise to accessibility issues for blind and low vision users, but librarians may wish to consider purchasing large button phones for those users who may be unable to read traditional telephone buttons in order to maximize accessibility in the library facilities.
Internet applications, particularly instant messaging software, have also given people with hearing disabilities the ability to communicate in real-time without additional assistive technology. For that reason, librarians should consider making these applications available on library terminals and giving library patrons the option of communicating with the library through both instant messaging and email, instead of just by telephone.
Further information:
TDIOnline:
http://www.tdi-online.org
Telecommunications Act Accessibility Guidelines:
http://www.access-board.gov/telecomm/html/telfinal.htm
TIA Access:
http://www.tiaonline.org/access/
Telecommunications Relay Services Directory:
http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/dro/trsphonebk.html
Section 255 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996
http://www.fcc.gov/telecom.html
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