36 CFR Part 1194 - Proposed Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Standards and Guidelines NPRM - Preamble

409.1 General (Section-by-Section Analysis)

This section proposes that, where transactional outputs—such as tickets and receipts—are provided by ICT with speech output, the speech output must contain all information necessary to complete or verify a transaction. As applied to ICT with closed functionality and display screens required to be speech-output enabled under proposed 402.2, this section would require all information necessary to complete or verify a transaction, including information printed on receipts or tickets, to be provided audibly.

This proposed requirement in 409.1 would be new to the 508 Standards. ICT subject to the 255 Guidelines would be expressly exempted from the requirements of this section (by proposed C204.1 Exception) because telecommunications equipment generally does not provide transactional outputs. For ICT covered by the 508 Standards, there would be exceptions for three specific types of transactional outputs: information unrelated to the substance of particular transactions (e.g., machine location and identifier, time of transaction); information already presented audibly during the same transaction; and, lastly, itineraries, maps, and other visual images. Each of these exceptions is discussed below.

Question 24. Do the three proposed exceptions to 409.1 adequately cover the types of information that should be exempted from the requirement for audible presentation of transactional outputs? Are there other types of information typically provided on transaction outputs that should be exempted? Should the Board limit the types of transactional outputs required to be presented audibly to certain types of outputs, e.g., tickets or sales receipts?

Exception 1 to 409.1

Proposed Exception 1 would exempt information regarding the machine location, date and time of transaction, customer account number, and the machine identifier from the proposed requirement for audible transaction output. Although this information may be on printed receipts and other transactional outputs, it is not typically consulted by the user during, or immediately following, a transaction. This proposed exception is based on an exception to the requirements for speech output at Automated Teller Machines and Fare Vending Machines in the ADA and ABA Accessibility Guidelines. See 36 CFR Part 1191, Appendix D, section 707.5.2 Exception 1.

Exception 2 to 409.1

Proposed Exception 2 would exempt all information that is part of a transactional output from the proposed requirement if it has already been presented audibly at another point during the same transaction. For example, if a user purchasing stamps on a self-service U.S. Post Office machine selected a particular commemorative stamp and the selected stamp name was presented in an audible format previously in that same transaction, it need not be repeated when the machine issues the stamp.

Exception 3 to 409.1

Proposed Exception 3 would exempt itineraries, maps, or other visual images that are provided on ticketing machines from being required to be presented in an audible format. This exception is proposed in recognition of the technical challenges posed by audible presentation of visual images.

Question 25. Are there requirements in proposed Exception 3 to 409.1 sufficiently clear?