Sens. Markey, Luján, Reps. Dingell, Fitzpatrick Reintroduce Bill to Ensure Communication and Video Technologies Are Accessible to People with Disabilities

Bill Text (PDF) | One-Pager (PDF)

Washington (April 16, 2026) - Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), member of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee and author of the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA), Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Representative Debbie Dingell (MI-06), and Representative Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01) today reintroduced the bipartisan, bicameral Communications, Video, and Technology Accessibility (CVTA) Act. This bill would update and strengthen the CVAA to ensure that people with disabilities have access to innovative communication and video technologies to ensure they can participate equally in employment, education, and other social and civic activities.

"In a world of ever-changing technologies, too often, people with disabilities have been left behind," said Senator Markey. "If you cannot join the video conferencing meeting, follow the streaming show, or communicate with 9-1-1 emergency services, you are being shut out of modern American life. The Communications, Video, and Technology Accessibility Act would modernize our digital accessibility rules to ensure that the technologies Americans use to work, learn, get health care, and stay safe are equally accessible to everyone. I'm proud to partner with Representatives Dingell and Fitzpatrick and Senator Luján on this important legislation."

"As technology evolves and more of our lives move online, we must ensure people with disabilities have equal access to the tools and services it provides. Technology has advanced rapidly, but accessibility standards have not kept pace, leaving too many folks behind," said Senator Luján. "That is why I am joining Senator Markey in introducing the Communications, Video, and Accessibility Technology Act. This legislation will update accessibility standards to help all Americans access the technologies they need to succeed."

"This legislation is about making sure our laws finally catch up with how people actually live and work today. As technology evolves, accessibility cannot be treated as an afterthought, and every American deserves equal access to the tools that power our economy, education, and everyday life. I am grateful for Senator Markey's partnership in this effort to close critical gaps so people with disabilities are not left behind in our increasingly digital world," said Congresswoman Dingell.

"Innovation and accessibility can and must move together. As communications technology evolves, our responsibility is to ensure those advances expand opportunity rather than create new barriers. This legislation brings our accessibility laws into the modern era across the digital platforms and services Americans now depend on every day-with clearer standards, stronger accountability, and a forward-looking framework that ensures access is built in from the start, not treated as an afterthought," said Congressman Fitzpatrick.

Specifically, the CVTA would:

1. Improve and expand closed captioning and audio description standards for television programming and online video streaming programming to ensure people with disabilities have equitable access to the wide range of programming available to the general public;
2. Update current requirements to ensure viewers can easily activate and select preferred settings for closed captions and audio description on their video programming devices, such as televisions, smartphones, laptops, and tablets;
3. Improve access to video conferencing platforms for people with disabilities;
4. Ensure people with disabilities have equitable access to 9-1-1 emergency services; and
5. Empower the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to ensure accessibility regulations keep pace with emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence and virtual reality platforms.

"Just as technology has advanced over the fifteen years since the CVAA first passed in 2010, it's important that our accessibility laws keep up with the pace of change-especially in broadcast and streaming media. There has been incredible progress in making audio description more widely available, giving viewers who are blind or have low vision access to critical information that allows them to fully enjoy and understand video content, and the reintroduction of the CVTA will guarantee expanded access to program content and video technology. Perkins applauds Senator Markey for his long-standing leadership in sponsoring legislation that ensures people with disabilities can access critical communication products and services that are necessary for them to participate equally in professional, educational, and recreational pursuits," said David Barth, President and CEO of Perkins School for the Blind.

"Technological developments since the 2010 passage of the 21st Century Communication and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA) warrant the need for updated laws to provide equal access for everyone in this country. The CVTA bill accomplishes this goal on many levels, including through expanded captioning access as well as adding for the first time visual access to sign language on television and other video formats. By passing this bill now, Congress ensures true equality for all in accessing new technologies," said Howard A. Rosenblum, CEO of Deaf Equality.

"The American Foundation for the Blind applauds Senators Markey and Luján and Representatives Dingell and Fitzpatrick for reintroducing the Communications, Video, and Technology Accessibility Act (CVTA). Even though there has been incredible progress in technology accessibility, transformative new communications technologies continue to lack a full range of accessible features, and blind people continue to be unable to enjoy entertainment that most Americans can watch without any extra effort. We are pleased that the CVTA promises to bring media and communications accessibility law into the present moment while laying the foundation for the accessibility of emerging technologies," said Eric Bridges, President and CEO of American Foundation for the Blind (AFB).

"The Communications, Video, and Technology Accessibility Act is a critical step in strengthening digital access and ensuring that people with disabilities can fully participate in how we live, work, learn, and connect today. As technology evolves, federal protections must keep pace so accessibility is built in-not bolted on. This legislation advances that commitment and reinforces the essential principle that equal access is a right, not an afterthought. TDIforAccess (TDI) is proud to support this effort to secure a more equitable and inclusive communications landscape for everyone," said AnnMarie Killian, President & CEO of TDIforAccess (TDI).

"Communication Service for the Deaf, the largest non-profit organization in the U.S. devoted to serving deaf communities, stands fully behind these amendments to the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA). The CVAA has gone a long way toward achieving communication equality, but must be made contemporaneous if its intended spirit is to be fully realized. The race to introduce new technologies often happens without the disability community's participation, negatively impacting the quality-of-life for this population. The Communications, Video, and Technology Accessibility Act will ensure that no one is left behind, effectively close critical gaps in communication and video programming technologies that have occurred over the past 15 years, and enable all Americans with disabilities to benefit equally as new innovations are developed," said Christopher Soukup, CEO of Communication Service for the Deaf.

"The Communications, Video, and Technology Accessibility Act (CVTA) takes the next critical step in the historic efforts by people with disabilities to achieve effective access to communication and video programming technologies. Building upon the decades of federal accessibility legislation that came before it, the CVTA will ensure that our laws keep pace with these ever-changing technologies that are already shaping our future. History shows that when technology is designed to be inclusive and everyone can participate, all of our lives are enriched." said Karen Peltz Strauss, National Disability Advocate, Historian, and Former Deputy Bureau Chief of the Federal Communications Commission's Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau.

"Providing access for people who are blind, low vision and Deafblind through accessible information and communications technology is the moral imperative of the 21st Century; equally as important as providing physical access for people with disabilities in the 20th Century. The Communication Video, Technology Accessibility Act reiterates our nation's commitment to accessible media and video content, regardless of how or where it is viewed by consumers," said Scott Thornhill, Executive Director with the American Council of the Blind (ACB).

"The Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) is grateful to Sen. Edward Markey, D-MA, and Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-MI, for their leadership in introducing the Communications, Video, and Technology Accessibility Act (CVTA). Technology has changed dramatically since the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act became law in 2010. To continue building a world where people with hearing loss are fully included in the media and tools that permeate their lives, we welcome the CVTA's proposed updates to accessibility requirements," said Barbara Kelley, Executive Director of the Hearing Loss Association for America (HLAA).

"The CVTA represents the next step in ensuring full and equitable communication access for deaf and hard of hearing Americans. Technology has evolved rapidly since the CVAA, and our laws must keep pace. This bill strengthens captioning, expands access to sign language visibility, and reaffirms that accessibility is a fundamental right and a foundational requirement-not an afterthought. The National Association of the Deaf urges swift passage so that no one is left behind as innovation continues," said Bobbie Beth Scoggins, Interim Chief Executive Officer at the National Association of the Deaf.

Senator Markey is the author of the CVAA, which mandated accessibility of devices and services for the millions of Americans with disabilities and enables the use of a wide range of devices and services needed in the digital era. In November 2022, Senator Markey and then-Representative Anna G. Eshoo first introduced the CVTA, which updates and amends the CVAA to keep pace with the proliferation of emerging technologies that have come online since Senator Markey's 2010 bill was passed with bipartisan support.

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