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Tyler Fergusson was a Perkins Coie summer associate in 2020, where he drafted substantive briefs on data privacy, charitable tax exemptions, state subscription laws, and contract enforceability.

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are an international standard used to assess the accessibility of web content for people with disabilities. WCAG 2.1, which was adopted on June 5, 2018, has been the prevailing version of the guidelines relied on by courts, regulators, and industry professionals. On October 5, 2023, the nonprofit standards organization that publishes WCAG released WCAG 2.2, which will likely be seen as the presumptive version of choice in the coming months and years.

Continue Reading New Version of Web Content Accessibility Guidelines Released

After sharing its initial proposals on videoconferencing platform accessibility (described in our previous blog post), on June 8, 2023, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to require videoconferencing platforms to comply with accessibility requirements under the Communications Act and agency rules governing interoperable videoconferencing services (IVCS). The corresponding Report and Order (R&O) was released on June 12, 2023, as well as a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that seeks, among other things, to amend the FCC’s rules to better define the steps necessary to make an IVCS accessible to those with disabilities. The FCC also issued a separate Order granting telecommunications relay services (TRS) providers a limited waiver of the video relay services (VRS) privacy screen rule, which limits when VRS users can turn off their video when not actively participating in a video conference.

Continue Reading FCC Requires That Videoconferencing Platforms Comply with Accessibility Requirements

On May 16, 2023, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel announced that she shared proposals with her fellow commissioners that would, for the first time, require videoconferencing platforms to comply with accessibility requirements under the Communications Act and agency rules governing interoperable videoconferencing services.

Among other things, Chairwoman Rosenworcel’s proposals would (1) treat “interoperable

On March 27, 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court granted certiorari in a case concerning a plaintiff’s standing to bring an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) suit against a hotel where the plaintiff lacked any intention of ever visiting the hotel. This case could have major implications for the continued viability of “tester” standing in ADA cases and therefore greatly affect the number of ADA claims brought every year against hotels and other businesses offering goods and services to the public.

Continue Reading Supreme Court Grants Certiorari To Determine Viability of ADA Tester Standing