On August 6th, the Twenty-First Century Video Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010 (s.3304) passed the Senate, requiring that all video content that has been shown on television is captioned.
The purpose of the bill is to ensure that people with disabilities have full access to online media. The FCC had previously created video description rules, but those were struck down by the courts.
A press release by COAT (Coalition of Organizations for Accessible Technology), quotes Jenifer Simpson of the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD): “The U.S. Senate takes us a huge step forward for accessible technology...They have given Americans with disabilities access to smart phones, other advanced communications technology, and video programming,” she added. COAT 's website also features a section-by-section summary: "What s3304 Does for Us".
For additional details and photos of this historic ruling, visit streamingmedia.com: Twenty-First Century Video Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010 (s.3304).
