Individuals with Disabilities

On July 24, 2024, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration published the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Competitive Grant Program. The Competitive Grant Program is the third (and final) set of funds available from the

July marks the 34^th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act and serves as a reminder of the importance of inclusivity and accessibility in every aspect of our society, especially in the digital realm. Individuals with disabilities often experience barriers to digital equity, such as obtaining affordable assistive technologies, encountering inaccessible websites and digital content, and struggling to access reliable Internet service.

We are proud to celebrate Disability Pride Month and reaffirm our commitment to closing the disability divide through technology and policy. At Microsoft, we believe disability is a strength, and that empowering people with disabilities is essential for creating a more inclusive and accessible world. We are committed to closing the disability divide, which is the gap between the opportunities and outcomes of people with and without disabilities, particularly in the areas of education, employment, and civic participation.

On July 24, the U.S.

When people with disabilities interact with technologies, there is a risk that they will face discriminatory impacts in several important and high-stakes contexts. Disability rights and disability justice activists have a long history of fighting against discrimination that impacts disabled people.

As required by the Digital Equity Act, the $1.25 billion Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program will be established soon, making hundreds of millions of dollars available in the first Notice of Funding Opportunity to implement digital inclusion projects. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act mandates that funding be directed towards programs designed to empower those impacted by the digital divide, known as Covered Populations.

As we celebrate Disability Pride Month and the 34th anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), it’s crucial to recognize the achievements, contributions, and resilience of individuals with disabilities. The digital divide disproportionately affects people with disabilities, making it challenging for them to access the same opportunities and resources as their non-disabled peers.

The Federal Communications Commission adopted a Third Report and Order furthering its efforts to enable individuals with disabilities to access video programming through closed captioning. The Order adopts a “readily accessible” requirement for closed captioning display settings. The Commission previously adopted requirements that users must be able to customize caption displays by changing the font, size, color, and other caption features, but many consumers have had difficulty accessing these caption display settings.

People with disabilities regularly face accessibility challenges while using government websites. Solving these challenges has become more urgent, for two reasons. First, COVID-19 pushed more of life online, and it is often easier now to do business digitally than in person. Second, the U.S.

On July 3, Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel spoke at the National Association of the Deaf Conference in Chicago (IL) about the ways "digital technologies can improve the lives of people with disabilities," and about some of the work the FCC has done to improve accessibility for people with disabilities. "Two weeks from now, the FCC will vote on a new proposal to improve video programming accessibility for individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing.