CVAA Compliance

The Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010 (CVAA) updates federal communications law to increase the access of persons with disabilities to modern communications. It makes sure that accessibility laws enacted in the 1980s and 1990s are brought up to date with 21st-century technologies, including new digital, broadband, and mobile innovations.

The CVAA Compliance is composed of two Titles that describe new requirements for communication access and video programming.

Like many web accessibility laws, CVAA`s focus is on the end user`s ability to access the material, rather than the way in which the material is relayed. This can create some uncertainty for equipment manufacturers and content producers because there are not simple boxes to tick to ensure compliance, but it allows the CVAA to remain relevant as technology evolves.

Unlike other accessibility laws, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act or the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which are at their foundation civil rights laws, the CVAA is structured as a telecommunications law. It builds on and amends existing laws, including the Communications Act of 1934 and the Telecommunications Act of 1996, and uses the existing Federal Communications Commission (FCC) process to enforce its provisions and resolve disputes. Because of this, claims under the CVAA are first heard by the FCC, and may only later be appealed to the federal courts. The CVAA also empowers the FCC to adopt additional regulations to guarantee accessibility.

The CVAA is divided into two titles:

Title I, which covers Communication Access, increases the scope of communications services that must be made accessible to users with disabilities.

Title II, which covers Video Programming, requires that video programming, services, and equipment be made accessible to users with disabilities.