DISABILITY PERSPECTIVE:

SOME PRINCIPLES OF COMMUNICATIONS ACCESS WITH REGARD TO THE
ELECTRONIC INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS INFRASTRUCTURE

NONDISCRIMINATION
People with functional differences in vision, hearing, motor,
speech, cognitive and multiple disability across the age spectrum
must have access equivalent to that provided to people without
disabilities.

COMPREHENSIVENESS
Communications accessibility means making all expression,
transmission and reception of electronic communications
accessible to persons with disabilities, and recognizes that
every individual is capable of communicating, and knows best how
to convey his or her thoughts to others.

APPROPRIATENESS
Communications accessibility means extending the same basic
common courtesies of interacting with people with disabilities
that are extended to others in receiving the goods, services,
facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations offered by
an entity providing a service or product via the electronic
information infrastructure.

EQUITY
Universal access to the electronic communications infrastructure
means that individuals with functional differences in vision,
hearing, motor, speech, and cognitive disability across the age
spectrum will not be subject to unusual policies, practices and
procedures in accessing the networks and services.

EFFICIENCY
Individuals with disabilities must be provided telecommunications
services that are functionally equivalent to those that an
individual without disabilities would experience in attempting to
reach another party or access services through the network (s).

AFFORDABILITY
Individuals with disabilities shall pay rates no greater than the
rates paid for functionally equivalent services with respect to
such factors as the duration of the call, time of day and
geographic distance of the call.