Disability inclusion in the workplace is about more than hiring people with disabilities. An inclusive workplace values all employees for their strengths. It offers employees with disabilities an equal opportunity to succeed, to learn, to be compensated fairly, and to advance. True inclusion is about embracing difference. Organizations with inclusive cultures are twice as likely…
Read MoreThough automatic speech recognition (ASR) technology has improved in recent years, it still doesn’t match the quality of captions provided by human captioners and speech-to-text professionals − and individuals who are deaf are paying the price. That was among the takeaways from a webinar hosted by the National Deaf Center on Postsecondary Outcomes (NDC) that…
Read MoreFCC Expands Audio Description The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has adopted an order expanding its audio description requirements to an additional 40 designated market areas (DMAs) over the next four years. The FCC currently requires certain broadcast stations in the top 60 DMAs to provide access to audio described programming. The new requirements will phase…
Read MoreWelcome to the latest edition of “ADA in the News,” featuring recent news, updates, events, and rulings regarding the Americans with Disabilities Act. Business Services Company to Pay $77,500 to Settle Disability Discrimination Lawsuit Conduent Business Services, LLC, a technology-based business services company, will pay $77,500 to settle a disability discrimination suit over claims that…
Read MoreThe month of October means the start of sweater weather as a slight chill begins to fill the air, fall leaves are in full color, and everything – and we mean, everything – is flavored with pumpkin. It also means that you can’t flip through the channels on your TV without finding some ghost-hunting or…
Read MoreThe Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will hold its Disability Advisory Committee (DAC) meeting tomorrow (Wednesday), October 14, at 1:30 p.m. ET. The meeting will be held remotely, with video and audio coverage at www.fcc.gov/live. The meeting is expected to discuss, among other topics: A report and recommendation on enhanced Electronic Newsroom Technique (ENT) and other…
Read MoreThe 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA) turns 10 years old this week. Signed into law by President Barack Obama on October 8, 2010, the CVAA updated federal communications regulations to increase access to modern communications for people with disabilities. The CVAA made sure that accessibility laws enacted in the 1980s and 1990s…
Read MoreWelcome to the latest edition of “ADA in the News,” featuring recent news, updates, events, and rulings regarding the Americans with Disabilities Act. Appeals Court Rules on Accommodations Claim A federal appeals court overturned a lower court decision this month, and reinstated a disability discrimination claim that argued Union Pacific Railroad failed to reasonably accommodate…
Read MoreThough it may look and sound a little different than what we’re used to, football is back. The college and pro seasons are underway, and VITAC will be right there to make sure every touchdown, turnover, and tackle is captioned and accessible. Captioning live sporting events can be a challenge for captioners and production teams…
Read MoreSeptember is Deaf Awareness Month in the United States − a celebration dedicated to increasing public awareness of deaf culture and deaf issues as well as recognizing the heritage and language unique to the deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHOH) community. The month encourages everyone to, among other things: Learn about inclusion and accessibility, including the importance…
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