Domain-Specific and Government Procurement Laws

Digital communication has become a central part of how people work, learn, access services, and participate in civic life. Smartphones, video platforms, messaging tools, and online media now serve as primary gateways to information and connection.

However, when these technologies are inaccessible, individuals with disabilities are effectively excluded from essential aspects of modern society. Domain-specific laws, including the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA), address this reality by extending accessibility requirements to contemporary communications and video technologies, ensuring equal access in an increasingly digital world.

Below, we’ll explore key aspects of the CVAA as well as additional domain-specific laws.

What is the CVAA?

Signed into law on October 8, 2010, the CVAA was designed to update accessibility laws from the 1980s and 90s, laws that were written before smartphones, streaming services, and social media existed. The law requires modern communications and video technologies to be accessible to people with disabilities, particularly as communication shifts from traditional systems to digital and internet-based platforms.

The CVAA has two main titles:

• Title I: Telecommunications Access

• Title II: Video Programming

Together, they ensure that modern communications technology is accessible to people with disabilities.

Who Does the CVAA Apply To?

The CVAA applies to organizations that:

• Develop web-based videos with captions for TV.

• Provide Advanced Communications Services (ACS, like instant messaging or email) to the general public.

• Create devices with audiovisual interfaces.

An important note: the CVAA does not apply to individual video content creators on platforms like YouTube, but it does apply to platforms themselves.

What are the Requirements for the CVAA?

The CVAA requires manufacturers, service providers, and content distributors to make advanced communications services and video programming accessible. 

For accessible interfaces, the CVAA requires:

• Services must work without vision through text-to-speech.

• User interfaces must be compatible with assistive technologies.

• Text must be resizable.

• Devices with screens smaller than 13 inches must be able to display captions.

• Services shouldn't rely solely on audio output.

• Text input options must be available for people who can't use speech.

• Avoid flashing content that could trigger seizures.

For video content, the CVAA requires that:

• Live television must provide captions within 12 hours of publication online. 

• Pre-recorded TV content with captions includes captions online within 8 hours.

• Visual content is described for people with visual impairments.

• Captions accurately capture the complete spoken dialogue.

Together, these requirements ensure that people who are deaf, blind, have motor disabilities, or cognitive disabilities can access modern communications technologies on an equal basis.

What is the Air Carrier Access Act?

The Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA), enforced by the U.S. Department of Transportation, prohibits discrimination against disabled passengers in air travel. It applies to all U.S. airlines and all flights to, from, and within the United States.

Four Pillars of the ACAA

There are four pillars of the ACAA:

1. Prohibition of Discriminatory Practices

Airlines cannot:

• Refuse transportation based on disability.

• Limit the number of disabled passengers on a flight.

• Require someone to sit in a specific seat or area because of their disability (except for exit row safety requirements).

2. Accessibility of Facilities

New aircraft must include:

• Storage space for wheelchairs (aircraft with 100+ seats).

• Accessible lavatories (twin-aisle aircraft).

• Adjustable aisle armrests on at least half of aisle seats (aircraft with 30+ seats).

3. Services and Accommodations

Airlines must:

• Assist with boarding, deplaning, and making connections.

• Allow assistive devices to be stored in the cabin without counting against carry-on limits.

• Give wheelchairs and assistive devices priority in storage over other passenger items.

4. Administrative Provisions

Airlines must:

• Train all public-facing personnel on disability issues.

• Have specially trained staff available to respond to passenger complaints.

The 2017 Amendments: Closing the Gaps

Even after the ACAA became law in 1986, travelers with disabilities still faced frequent barriers: damaged wheelchairs, delayed assistance, lack of seating accommodations, and poor communication with airline personnel.

The 2017 Air Carrier Access Amendment Act addressed these ongoing issues via the following measures:

• General services: Airlines must provide timely, effective assistance from trained personnel for boarding, connections, and related needs.

• Ticketing and seating: Airlines must accommodate passengers with disabilities in ticketing and seat assignments, allow bulkhead seating regardless of ticket type, and permit storage of assistive devices and medical supplies at no extra cost.

• Service animals: Airlines cannot request medical documentation for service animals, including psychiatric service animals and emotional support animals.

Government Procurement: Buying Accessible

Now that you understand how accessibility requirements apply to communications and air travel, lets look at how governments can drive accessibility through their purchasing power. When public agencies require accessible products and services, they create real market incentives for accessibility, shaping what gets built, sold, and supported.

Below, you’ll learn how government procurement policies help ensure accessibility is built into the products and services organizations provide. 

Europe: EN 301 549

In the European Union, accessibility requirements are driven by EN 301 549, the European standard for accessibility in information and communications technology (ICT). This standard ensures that public organizations in EU member states comply with the European Union's Web Accessibility Directive, making digital services accessible by design. EN 301 549 incorporates WCAG 2.1 Level AA requirements, creating consistency across the EU.

What Does EN 301 549 Cover?

• Government websites

• Electronic devices

• Mobile applications

• Software

• Printers

• Automated teller machines (ATMs)

Who Must Comply with EN 301 549?

• Government agencies

• Agencies receiving government funding

• Third-party vendors selling to the above

United States: Section 508

Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, amended in 1998 and revised in 2017, requires federal agencies and their vendors to produce, purchase, use, and sell ICT products that are accessible to people with disabilities.

The 2017 update aligned Section 508 with WCAG 2.0 Level AA, bringing U.S. federal accessibility requirements in line with international accessibility standards.

Who Must Comply with Section 508?

• All federal agencies

• State and local agencies receiving federal funding

• Vendors doing business with federal agencies

Why Domain-Specific Laws Matter

These domain-specific laws, the CVAA, ACAA, EN 301 549, and Section 508, highlight that general accessibility laws aren't always enough. Different technologies and services require specific standards and enforcement mechanisms.

By targeting particular domains (telecommunications, air travel, government procurement), these laws can address unique accessibility challenges that broader legislation can miss. The result? More consistent access across the devices and services people rely on every day.

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