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June 16, 2006
NCD Position Paper on Access to Airline Self-Service Kiosk Systems
The National Council on Disability has released a position paper examining the accessibility of self-service kiosk systems at airports.
The kiosks are designed to enable a passenger to check in for a flight through the use of an automated electronic kiosk. The problem is that although it would be quite simple to make these kiosks accessible for passengers with disabilities, the airlines have so far declined to do so.
As the article points out, the airline industry has been resistant to the concept of accessibility, even though the airport terminals are covered under Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
"Although no airline-kiosk vendor serving the U.S. market has included accessibility among its product features, vendors confirm that they foresee no significant technical obstacles to development and deployment--using existing access technology--of fully accessible kiosk systems. A leading authority on accessibility technology estimates that the costs of access hardware and software modifications for a fully accessible system would not exceed one to two percent of the overall cost. However, the airline industry has yet to acknowledge the need for such a product."
To read the paper in its entirety, use the following link:
http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/2006/kiosk.htm
Posted by Nancy at June 16, 2006 09:10 AM