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Cynthia Waddell Juris Doctor
cynthia.waddell@icdri.org
Cynthia Waddell is a well-known advocate for fair and equal
treatment of people with disabilities under the law. She has spoken in many
places on the subject of the Internet and the fair and accessible presentation
of information for everyone.
Internationally recognized as an expert in the accessible design
of electronic and information technology as well as employment and construction,
Cynthia Waddell is Executive Director of ICDRI.
Below is a collection of selected papers, presentations and legal resources
on the subject of access to electronic and information technology. Of particular interest is the seminal paper "The Growing Digital Divide in
Access for People with Disabilities: Overcoming Barriers to Participation" which was commissioned by the U.S. government for the first national
conference on the impact of the digital economy in May 1999.
In addition, our collection of selected presentations include those given at
the request of U.S. State and Federal officials, private sector interests and the international community. Significant legal resource links include
the Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education, Letters of Resolution as well as the 1996 U.S. Department of Justice Policy Ruling that
the ADA "effective communication" requirement applies equally to web sites of covered
businesses and governmental entities.
Lastly, in addition to providing links to legal resources, relevant legal developments in this field are tracked on this
page, such as the Section 508 rulemaking by the U.S. Access Board.
Blog for the United Nations
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The above links are to files in .doc format they are also available
in PDF format under Document #5 at
http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/study_groups/SGP_2006-2010/events/2007/Workshops/documents.html.
"Critical Issues from a Disability Perspective: Accessibility" presented at
United Nations in New York for the Ad Hoc Committee Charged with the Development
of a New International Treaty on Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Posted at the United Nations at:
http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/rights/panelcwaddell.htm.
"Design by All - The Need for Legislation" in Brussels, Belgium at
the invitation of the European Commission and the European Disability Forum
celebrating European Day of Disabled People 3 December 2001
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A thoughtful response to an article in E-Access about the
Southwest Airlines accessible web case.
A new paper by the National Council on Disability, released on
June 21, cites the work of Cynthia Waddell....
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Published 2007 in ATHEN E-Journal (Access Technologists Higher Education
Network)
Paper presented at the March 2004 CSUN Conference in Los Angeles, CA
Presented by Cynthia D. Waddell at 2003 UN Meeting Developing Treaty on
Rights of People with Disabilities
Published in the Disability Compliance Bulletin® and National
Disability Law Reporter® Volume 24, Issue 8, October 31, 2002.
This membership briefing paper was co-authored by Michael Burks and Cynthia
Waddell in August 2001 at the request of The Internet Society. It was written as
a two page introductory paper on the evolution of accessible web design as a
best practice. Topical headings include definition, background, technical
issues, implications and ISOC position and resources. http://www.isoc.org/briefings/002/
This paper was requested by the American Bar Association for their national
summit on disability rights for the development of a blueprint for the new
century. Written June 1998. Since its publication, the paper has been cited
frequently both in the U.S. and abroad. For example, please see the June 2001
National Council on Disability report entitled "The Accessible Future"
at http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/01publications.html.
Chinese Version
This paper was commissioned by the US government for the
first national conference on the impact of the digital economy. It is the sole
paper on the impact for people with disabilities and was selected for
re-publication for the World Economic Development Congress and World Bank/IMF
Summit 9/99. Written 5/99.
This paper was requested by and published in iMP: The
Magazine for Information Impacts, a publication of the Center for
Information Strategy and Policy, an affiliated organization of the Association
of Computer Machinery Digital Library. It is a short update on the previous
paper and has information on international impacts. Written 12/99.
Published in Human Rights, Volume 27, Number 1, Winter
2000, an American Bar Association Magazine for the Section of Individual Rights
and Responsibilities. Written 12/99.
Although access to textbooks for students who
are blind or who have other print disabilities is a civil right in the U.S., the
availability of accessible electronic textbooks continues to be a challenge in
both traditional learning environments and in long-distance learning.
Will the National Federation of the Blind Renew Their ADA
Web Complaint Against AOL?
Published on page 9 of Disability Compliance Bulletin and
National Disability Law Reporter Volume 18, Issue 5, August
24, 2000
Will the National Federation of the Blind Renew Their ADA
Web Complaint Against AOL? published in the Human Rights magazine above.
Written 12/99.
Suit Targets Cyberspace for ADA Compliance
Published in the National Disability Law Reporter, Highlights,
Volume 16, Issue 5, December 16, 1999.
published in the Internet Lawyer,
Issue 4.11, November 1998
Electronic Curbcuts for Government Web Sites: Making Your Web Site
Accessible
published in ADA Update, a quarterly publication of the ADA Training
Project for State and Local Governments, National League of Cities. Written Fall
1997.
co-authored by Leslie M. Campbell and Cynthia D. Waddell, CAPED Communiqué,
California Association of Post-Secondary Education on Disability, Spring
1997. . Presented at Sixth International World Wide Web Conference in
April 1997 (launch of the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative) http://decweb.ethz.ch/WWW6/Access/ACC238.html
and at the International Leadership Forum For Women with Disabilities in June
1997 http://www.prodworks.com/ilf/w5bcw.htm
Treble Damages & Attorney's Fees in California:
Remedies for Access Under the Unruh Civil Rights Act and the Americans with
Disabilities Act
Written for the 34th Annual Convention of the Consumer Attorneys
of California, November 1995.
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Intersection of Open Standards, Development and Public Policy - November 12,
2007
Technology
and Persons with Disabilities, California State University, Northridge
March 21-24, 2001
Presentation made at the request of the Governor's Office of Innovation for State Chief Information Officers, senior technical managers, legal and
legislative staff at the Sacramento State Capitol, Governor's Council Room on May 2, 2000.
Technology
and Persons with Disabilities, California State University, Northridge
March 20-25,
2000
The Association
for Women in Computing National Capital Chapter & the D.C.
Association of Internet Professionals
February 16, 2000
InterLab 99, Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, Stanford
University
November 3 - 5,
1999
Keynote presentation for the State government of Washington: "Why
Develop Technologies that Everyone Can Access" at Achieving Website Accessibility in State Government conference in Tumwater, Washington, on
June 7, 1999. See http://aware.hwg.org/learning/wa_1999-06-07.html
for announcement. State of Washington website accessibility resources is found at:
http://www.aasa.dshs.wa.gov/access/
June 7, 1999
Afternoon legal presentation for the State government of Washington:
"Information Technology Changes, Civil Rights Do Not" at Achieving Website
Accessibility in State Government conference in Tumwater, Washington, on
June 7, 1999.
Presentation of U.S. commissioned law and policy paper, "The Growing
Digital Divide in Access for People with Disabilities: Overcoming Barriers to Participation," at the Understanding the Digitial Economy: Data, Tools
and Research conference on May 25 and 26, 1999 at the U.S. Department of Commerce; see
http://www.digitaleconomy.gov
This was the first national conference on the impact of the digital economy. The purpose of the
conference was to review recent research and examine the agenda for future research, including the need for and possible sources of new data,
indicators, and tools.
May 25 and 26, 1999
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CA Community Colleges Chancellor's Office, Legal Opinion M 01-17, Dated June
11, 2001 from Ralph Black, General Counsel
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"On March 31, 2000, the Access Board published proposed
standards for electronic and information technology that are available for
public comment for 60 days." Quoted from Web Site
"The purpose of this Federal/State Issues Alert on accessibility is to direct attention to recent legislation that may affect a small but significant part of the workforce whose needs are often ignored (people with disabilities). The series of Federal/State Issue Alerts are intended to assist busy managers who need to know about emerging and hot topics in the dynamic field of intergovernmental management."
Quoted from the web page.
This is the first self-evaluation report on the degree of accessibility of current federal electronic and information technology under the 1998
amendment to Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. The scope of the report includes federal Web sites, telecommunications, software, hardware,
printers, fax machines, copiers, and information kiosks. In August 2001 and every two years thereafter, the U.S. Attorney General is required to provide
updated reports on the state of accessibility and will also report on the resolution of section 508 complaints filed against federal agencies.
April 18, 2000
"WASHINGTON, D.C.-- Today, Attorney General Janet Reno announced the release
of the Department of Justice's first report under section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, "Information Technology and People with Disabilities:
The Current State of Federal Accessibility." The Attorney General made this announcement at FOSE, an exposition of information technology aimed at
federal agencies, at which she presented a keynote address. Ms. Reno addressed the federal government's efforts to make its information
technology accessible to people with disabilities. " Quoted from the
press release
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Activists for the disabled want Web sites to be easier to access. The
Americans With Disabilities Act may prove a useful weapon.
By Aaron Pressman
The Industry Standard
May 1, 2000
"Wheelchair ramps, curb cuts and Braille instructions have sprouted
across the United States, thanks in large measure to the 1990 Americans With
Disabilities Act." Quoted from article at: http://www.thestandard.com/article/display/0,1151,14544,00.html
IT can help disabled users escape technology's constraints
By David Raths
Infoworld
October 26, 1998 (Vol. 20, Issue 43
"When Harry Stathos, chief financial officer at Northwest Permanente, in
Portland, Ore., suffered a stroke that left him temporarily unable to read, his
employer paid $4,000 for a scanner and two pieces of software that read
documents and his e-mail to him." Quoted from article at:
http://archive.infoworld.com/cgi-bin/displayArchive.pl?/98/43/z02-43.103.htm
By Matt Beer
Examiner.com
Nov 12, 1998
' "Like a knife stuck in my head." Randy Tamez still winces when he
recalls the pain from a tumor that left him legally blind 12 years ago. '
' It's a disability that has now put Tamez at the edge of the World Wide
Web's next frontier: government-mandated cyberspace access for disabled.'
citizens. Quoted from article at: http://www.examiner.com/981112/1112blindscreen.shtml
By Katherine Thornberry
Bizjournals.com/sanjose
Week of October 27, 1997
"Two years ago, Cynthia Waddell couldn't define terms like "PDF
file," "HTML," or "links." And to her, surfing was
something people did in Santa Cruz. "
" Today, she's versed in World Wide Web and Internet lingo, and surfs
the Web as easily as she changes stations on her TV set. " Quoted
from article at:
http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/1997/10/27/focus3.html
"Willing and Able: Online Learning and Students with Disabilities."
Canadian Article on Distance Learning in French and English
quoting Cynthia Waddell and Dr. Norm Coombs.
http://laurence.canlearn.ca/Francais/cafe/aucourant/issue_1/index.cfm
-French
http://laurence.canlearn.ca/english/cafe/insider/issue_1/index.cfm
- English
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http://www.resna.org/taproject/policy/initiatives/508/508Stateactions.htm
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This link leads to legal and policy initiatives on a worldwide
scale.
Below are links to Global Initiatives citing Cynthia Waddell's
works.
Australia
The Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission in Australia has cited
Cynthia in "Working paper for e-commerce reference: web accessibility." This paper is the result of the
reference given to the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission by the Attorney-General on access by older Australians and people with a disability
to electronic commerce and new information and service technologies. They cite directly out of
her Digital Divide paper.
http://www.hreoc.gov.au/disability_rights/current_inquiries/ecom/Webworking_
paper.htm
Digital Divide Paper to be published by the UN.
Cynthia Waddell has given permission for the republication of my paper, "The Growing
Digital Divide in Access for People with Disabilities: Overcoming Barriers to Participation" for the upcoming United Nations Forum on Electronic
Commerce.
It will be published in the Official Business and Technology Briefings for
the "Forum on Electronic Commerce for Transition Economies in the Digital Age"; 19-20 June, 2000, Palais des Nations, Geneva - Organised by the
Committee for Trade, Industry and Enterprise Development of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe.
http://www.wmrc.com/busbriefing/BusBriefing/mediapacks/elcommp.html
Global Trends that will Impact Universal Access to Information
Resources Submitted to UNESCO on July 15th, 2000, by Christine Maxwell,
Editor, On behalf of: The Internet Society http://www.isoc.org
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