View Daily Data Tracking History
View Bill Text
View Statement of Purpose / Fiscal Impact
HCR056.........................................................by EDUCATION
BLIND/VISUALLY IMPAIRED - TECHNOLOGY - Stating findings of the Legislature
and urging state agencies to take certain action to ensure the blind and
visually impaired with nonvisual information technology access.
02/19 House intro - 1st rdg - to printing
02/20 Rpt prt - to Educ
02/27 Rpt out - rec d/p - to 2nd rdg
02/28 2nd rdg - to 3rd rdg
03/04 3rd rdg - ADOPTED - voice vote - to Senate
03/05 Senate intro - 1st rdg - to St Aff
03/11 Rpt out - rec d/p - to 10th Ord
03/12 10th ord - ADOPTED - voice vote
Title apvd - to House
03/12 To enrol
03/13 Rpt enrol - Sp signed
Pres signed
03/14 To Secretary of State
|||| LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO ||||
Fifty-sixth Legislature Second Regular Session - 2002
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 56
BY EDUCATION COMMITTEE
1 A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
2 STATING FINDINGS OF THE LEGISLATURE AND URGING STATE AGENCIES TO TAKE CERTAIN
3 ACTION TO ENSURE THAT THE BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED HAVE NONVISUAL
4 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ACCESS.
5 Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:
6 WHEREAS, technology has become an essential part of our daily life, creat-
7 ing a need for all members of our society to become technologically literate;
8 and
9 WHEREAS, blind and visually impaired individuals, as members of society,
10 must have information technology access; and
11 WHEREAS, on the federal level, Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, as
12 amended in 1998, requires federal agencies and departments to ensure that
13 their electronic and information technology is accessible to individuals with
14 disabilities, including blind and visually impaired persons; and
15 WHEREAS, a number of states have enacted similar laws focusing on
16 nonvisual access for blind and visually impaired persons; and
17 WHEREAS, the state of Idaho, through its various agencies, should also
18 move forward with the consideration and implementation of nonvisual access to
19 information in purchasing and deploying information technology; and
20 WHEREAS, the essential restriction of information technology to a visual
21 format is a barrier to equal opportunity and participation in society and
22 imposes limitations on educational and employment opportunities for blind and
23 visually impaired individuals.
24 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the members of the Second Regular Ses-
25 sion of the Fifty-sixth Idaho Legislature, the House of Representatives and
26 the Senate concurring therein, that all state agencies, under the leadership
27 of the Department of Administration, are urged:
28 (1) To develop standards to ensure that blind and visually impaired indi-
29 viduals have nonvisual access to information that is equivalent to that pro-
30 vided and afforded to sighted persons;
31 (2) To provide all information in formats for both visual and nonvisual
32 use;
33 (3) To purchase technology for the creation, storage, retrieval, or dis-
34 semination of information, intended for use by employees, program partici-
35 pants, and members of the general public, that is accessible for use by the
36 blind and visually impaired; and
37 (4) To purchase technology under contracts which include technology
38 access clauses, requiring compliance with established nonvisual access stan-
39 dards.
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
RS 12094
This legislation is intended to bring visually impaired
individuals recognition and access to information technology by
amending Chapter 54, Title 67 of the Idaho Code by the addition
of several new sections.
Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1998, as amended,
requires federal agencies and departments to ensure that their
electronic and information technology is accessible to
individuals with disabilities. Non-visual access has been
virtually ignored in deploying information technology.
RS 12094 is designed as a resolution to raise awareness of and
set direction to ensure that visually impaired individuals have
access to information that is equivalent to sighted persons,
provide information in formats for both visual and non-visual
use, and set direction for state agencies to establish non-visual
access standards. Similar legislation has been enacted in 9 other
states.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact. This is enabling legislation for
technology. This legislation will provide direction to address
visually impaired technology needs.
Contact
Name: Rep. Gary Young
Phone: 208-332-1000
Name: Larry Streeter
Phone: 208-331-2998/208-332-6914
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE/FISCAL NOTE HCR 56