[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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