Maximum Accessibility: Making Your Web Site More Usable for Everyone

The Telecommunications Act

In 1996, Congress amended Section 255 and Section 251(a)(2) of the Communications Act of 1934 with the passage of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. This legislation requires manufacturers of telecommunications equipment and providers of telecommunications services to ensure that such equipment and services are accessible to and usable by persons with disabilities. These amendments ensure that people with disabilities will have access to a broad range of products and services such as telephones, cell phones, pagers, call-waiting, and operator services that were often inaccessible to many users with disabilities.

The law provides exceptions for situations that cause “undue burden” or where businesses or other entities ...