Bill > H2818

This bill mandates that all divisions and agencies of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts must ensure their electronic information technology is accessible to persons with disabilities, specifically focusing on individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, or blind. Key provisions include activating TTY (Teletypewriter) messaging for all active mailboxes, or at least one per office and administrative unit, to allow communication for those who cannot use voice calls. Additionally, any work group employing individuals with visual impairments must install helper applications that enable blind or visually impaired individuals to perform job functions that rely on visually presented information on a telephone. Furthermore, agencies using Interactive Voice Response (IVR) self-service applications, which are automated phone systems that guide users through options, must include prompts that allow TTY users to access these services.