CEA Publishes Accessibility Resource Center
By Christine Kern, contributing writer
The Consumer Electronics Association has announced that it has published a new Accessibility Resource Center, which is a resource guide available to members of CEA to help them understand and meet the new federal accessibility requirements, according to a press release.
The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) unites 2,000 companies within the consumer technology industry. Members tap into valuable and innovative members-only resources: unparalleled market research, networking opportunities with business advocates and leaders, up-to-date educational programs and technical training, exposure in extensive promotional programs, and representation from the voice of the industry.
CEA is the industry authority on market research and forecasts, consumer surveys, legislative and regulatory news, engineering standards, training resources and more. CEA's mission is to grow the consumer electronics industry.
The Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) is now ending the implementation phase of the Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010 (CVAA) and entering the phase of compliance deadlines, and CEA has compiled its guides, comments, and other actions into a single resource for quick reference.
The CVAA was signed into law by President Obama on October 7, 2010, and as part of its guidelines, the legislation requires certain online video programming to have closed captioning, validating the Internet as a bona fide medium for video delivery. It also introduced a new set of compliance challenges due to the fundamental differences between the Internet and traditional broadcast or cable transmissions as a video distribution channel. On July 11, 2014, new amendments to the act now cover video clips as well.
“CEA’s comprehensive compliance guide is a terrific member benefit that demonstrates our commitment to industry-driven solutions,” said Gary Shapiro, president and CEO of CEA, in the press release. “As a leading technology trade association, it is important that CEA support its members by assisting them in complying with federal regulations even as we continue to push for a pro-innovation regulatory environment.”
The release states that in the wake of the legislation, CEA has worked actively with members of the accessibility community and the FCC to ensure that innovative technologies and services are accessible to consumers with disabilities, publishing several compliance guides for its member companies in that time.
The Accessibility Resource Center is available online for CEA members and can be found here.