Sponsors (2)
The bill meaningfully expands legally enforceable accessibility across video, devices, conferencing, and emerging tech—greatly improving access for people with disabilities—but does so at the cost of added compliance, administrative, and implementation burdens that could be passed to consumers, spawn litigation, and create transitional uncertainty.
People with disabilities (Deaf, DeafBlind, blind/low-vision, speech- and cognition-impaired and others) will get legally required, broader access across online video, live/prerecorded programming, user-generated content, devices, video conferencing, and emerging technologies through required captions, audio description, labeling, and assistive-technology support.
People who rely on assistive hardware and accessibility features (e.g., screen readers, refreshable braille, hearing aids) will see improved interoperability and direct support (real-time visual interpretation, braille/tactile device access, compatible audio tracks), making communications, emergency access, and health‑related interactions more usable.
Consumers who need captions, audio description, or accessible content (including seniors) will more easily find and enable those features because of required labeling, discoverability, and initial device setup prompts that encourage enabling accessibility preferences.
Small and large manufacturers, device makers, platforms, and content providers will face substantial development and compliance costs to add captions, audio description, dedicated audio tracks, device prompts, and conferencing accessibility, costs that may be passed on to consumers or divert resources.
Smaller creators and consumer‑generated media authors may be disproportionately burdened if compliance thresholds or costs are imposed before affordable tools are available, reducing participation or imposing new costs on hobbyists and small businesses.
Use of conditional standards like 'unless not achievable' or broad waiver/economic‑hardship claims could allow providers to delay, limit, or sidestep obligations, meaning some people with disabilities may continue to lack promised access.
Based on analysis of 6 sections of legislative text.
Expands accessibility definitions and requires FCC rules and industry action to make video programming, devices, and conferencing accessible (captions, audio description, sign‑language support, visual interpretation, and emerging‑tech accessibility).
Introduced April 16, 2026 by Edward John Markey · Last progress April 16, 2026
Makes broad changes to federal communications law to expand accessibility for people with disabilities across video programming, devices, and interactive video services. It updates legal definitions, requires the FCC to issue new rules and compliance timetables for captions and audio description on online and IP-delivered video, mandates accessible features and compatibility on playback devices and navigation equipment, requires video-conferencing accessibility, and directs real‑time sign‑language customer support where achievable. Also creates a recurring federal review of “emerging technology” accessibility (AI, AR/VR/XR, IoT, robotics, etc.), requires the FCC to update regulations after those reviews, and mandates periodic agency reporting on accessibility complaints and enforcement actions to Congress.