Access to websites, applications and online services impacts most aspects of everyday life, and the COVID-19 pandemic has made digital inclusion more important than ever. There is a need for enforcement standards that clearly state websites, applications, and online services must be accessible to people with disabilities. People who are blind, low vision, and DeafBlind face countless barriers when accessing workplace portals, educational platforms, healthcare and public health information, transportation services, shopping, and entertainment over the Internet.
ACB calls on Congress to support and pass the Websites and Software Applications Accessibility Act. In the last session of Congress, Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) introduced this legislation (S. 4998), and Rep. John Sarbanes (D-MD) along with Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX) introduced a version of the bill in the House of Representatives (H.R. 9021). We are hopeful it will quickly be reintroduced. This bill would establish clear and enforceable accessibility standards for websites and software applications. The Websites and Software Applications Accessibility Act would set clear, enforceable accessibility standards, and establish a technical assistance center and advisory committee to provide advice and guidance on accessible websites and applications. It would also authorize a study on addressing emerging technologies.
Senate offices wishing to support this bill should contact Stephanie Deluca in Sen. Duckworth’s office.
Download: 2025 The Websites and Software Applications Accessibility Act docx
Audio: 2025 The Websites and Software Applications Accessibility Act
Imperative 2: The Websites and Software Applications Accessibility Act
H.R. 5813 and S.2984
Committees:
House- Education and the Workforce; Judiciary
Senate- Health Education Labor and Pensions
House- Education and the Workforce Committee
Representative Tim Walberg (MI)
Representative Joe Wilson (SC)
Representative Virginia Foxx (NC)
Representative Glenn Thompson (PA)
Representative Glenn Grothman (WI)
Representative Elise Stefanik (NY)
Representative Rick Allen (GA)
Representative James Comer (KY)
Representative Burgess Owens (UT)
Representative Lisa McClain (MI)
Representative Mary Miller (IL)
Representative Julia Letlow (LA)
Representative Kevin Kiley (CA)
Representative Erin Houchin (IN)
Representative Michael Rulli (OH)
Representative James Moylan (GU)
Representative Robert F. Onder Jr. (MO)
Representative Ryan Mackenzie (PA)
Representative Michael Baumgartner (WA)
Representative Mark Harris (NC)
Representative Mark Messmer (IN)
Representative Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA)
Representative Raúl Grijalva (AZ)
Representative Joe Courtney (CT)
Representative Frederica S. Wilson (FL)
Representative Suzanne Bonamici (OR)
Representative Mark Takano (CA)
Representative Alma S. Adams (NC)
Representative Mark DeSaulnier (CA)
Representative Donald Norcross (NJ)
Representative Lucy McBath (GA)
Representative Jahana Hayes (CT)
Representative Ilhan Omar (MN)
Representative Haley M. Stevens (MI)
Representative Greg Casar (TX)
Representative Summer L. Lee (PA)
Representative John W. Mannion (NY)
House- Judiciary Committee
Representative Jim Jordan (OH)
Representative Darrell Issa (CA)
Representative Andy Biggs (AZ)
Representative Tom McClintock (CA)
Representative Thomas P. Tiffany (WI)
Representative Thomas Massie (KY)
Representative Chip Roy (TX)
Representative Scott Fitzgerald (WI)
Representative Ben Cline (VA)
Representative Lance Gooden (TX)
Representative Jefferson Van Drew (NJ)
Representative Troy Nehls (TX)
Representative Barry Moore (AL)
Representative Kevin Kiley (CA)
Representative Harriet Hageman (WY)
Representative Laurel Lee (FL)
Representative Wesley Hunt (TX)
Representative Russell Fry (SC)
Representative Glenn Grothman (WI)
Representative Brad Knott (NC)
Representative Mark Harris (NC)
Representative Robert Onder (MO)
Representative Derek Schmidt (KS)
Representative Brandon Gill (TX)
Representative Michael Baumgartner (WA)
Representative Jamie Raskin (MD)
Representative Jerrold Nadler (NY)
Representative Zoe Lofgren (CA)
Representative Steve Cohen (TN)
Representative Henry “Hank” Johnson (GA)
Representative Eric Swalwell (CA)
Representative Ted Lieu (CA)
Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA)
Representative J. Luis Correa (CA)
Representative Mary Gay Scanlon (PA)
Representative Joe Neguse (CO)
Representative Lucy McBath (GA)
Representative Deborah K. Ross (NC)
Representative Becca Balint (VT)
Representative Jesus “Chuy” Garcia (IL)
Representative Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA)
Representative Jared Moskowitz (FL)
Representative Daniel S. Goldman (NY)
Representative Jasmine Crockett (TX)
Senate - Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
Senator Bill Cassidy (LA)
Senator Rand Paul, M.D. (KY)
Senator Susan Collins (ME)
Senator Lisa Murkowski (AK)
Senator Markwayne Mullin (OK)
Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (KS)
Senator Tim Scott (SC)
Senator Josh Hawley (MO)
Senator Tommy Tuberville (AL)
Senator Jim Banks (IN)
Senator John Husted (OH)
Senator Ashley Moody (FL)
Senator Bernie Sanders (VT)
Senator Patty Murray (WA)
Senator Tammy Baldwin (WI)
Senator Christopher Murphy (CT)
Senator Tim Kaine (VA)
Senator Maggie Hassan (NH)
Senator John Hickenlooper (CO)
Senator Ed Markey (MA)
Senator Andy Kim (NJ)
Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester (DE)
Senator Angela Alsobrooks (MD)
Download: Legislative Imperative Committees Members
Posted on February 19th, 2025