Techshare

Structured Negotiations - Techshare 2007 presentation

Summary: Techshare 2007 presentation

• Structured Negotiations: Successful Advocacy for Accessible Pedestrian Signals, Talking ATM’s, Websites etc
• Objectives of presentation
• Outcomes for audience

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Structured Negotiations: Successful Advocacy for Accessible Pedestrian Signals, Talking ATM’s, Websites etc

Lainey Feingold, Law Office of Elaine B. Feingold (private disability rights lawyer representing the blind community)
Paul Schroeder, American Foundation for the Blind

This session will explore how individuals with disabilities and advocacy organizations in the United States have successfully used a strategy known as Structured Negotiations to significantly increase access to information and technology. Is it a method that could have international application? Have the results already spread across borders? How can advocates for accessible technology in various countries benefit from each other’s successes, and how can we learn from each other?

Structured Negotiations has been used in the U.S. to obtain more than 25 legal agreements requiring tens of thousands of Talking ATMs; accessible websites; Braille information; accessible pedestrian signals; and tactile point of sale devices. These agreements have spread access internationally. Major ATM manufacturers such as NCR and Diebold offer Talking ATMs around the globe. Walmart purchased its tactile point of sale devices from a French Company that now offers the product in global markets. The braille vendor for several United States financial institutions is Canadian-based. Bank America, whose website boasts its “global reach” was one of the first banks to sign a comprehensive accessible banking agreement on Talking ATMs.

Technology is increasingly global. Accessibility and its advocacy efforts need to be also.

Structured Negotiations is a method of resolving disputes that encourages collaboration between industry, government, service providers, and technology experts and technology users with disabilities. Because of the core foundation of cooperation, the process allows for testing of accessibility features, values end user feedback, and recognizes the importance of issues such as training, outreach and maintenance.

Objectives of presentation

• To share advocacy strategies that have been successful in increasing the accessibility of information and technology.
• To learn more about successful advocacy strategies for Talking ATM’s, accessible pedestrian signals, tactile point of sale. devices, braille financial and other information, and websites
• To explore how advocacy successes in one country can lead to increased accessibility in other countries.

Outcomes for audience

• Increased knowledge of international accessibility efforts.
• Increased knowledge of the availability of accessible technology on the international market for products such as ATM’s, pedestrian signals, and flat screen point of sales devices (kiosks).

Contains advanced technical content: No

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Content author: techshare@rnib.org.uk

Last updated: 20/11/2008 11:13