What's happening
This bill requires certain New York state agency websites to provide multi-formatted service menus accessible to people with cognitive impairments.
Why it matters
Expands accessibility beyond physical or sensory disabilities. , specifically targeting people with cognitive impairments, who often face unique challenges navigating traditional state agency websites.
Mandates multiple formats—charts, graphs, interactive flowcharts, and captioned/transcribed videos—. ensuring that information is presented in ways that match a variety of learning and comprehension styles (visual, logical, auditory), rather than a single, one-size-fits-all approach.
Requires that these accessible service menus are featured directly on agency homepages,. making it easier and faster for people with cognitive disabilities (and their caregivers) to find and understand available services without extensive searching or frustration.
Assigns clear responsibility and oversight. , calling for collaboration between health and disability agencies and the state’s information technology office, which could improve the quality and consistency of accessible digital services across government.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Make State Websites Accessible
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
Assembly Member · Assembly District 111
23 Co-sponsors
- Thomas Abinanti
- Jo Anne Simon
- James Skoufis
- Walter T. Mosley
- Felix Ortiz
- Vivian Cook
- Matthew Titone
- Raymond Walter
- Michael Benedetto
- Michael Blake
- Michael Montesano
- Diana Richardson
- Phil Steck
- Albert A. Stirpe
- Michael G. Miller
- Joseph Lentol
- Addie Jenne
- Didi Barrett
- Philip Ramos
- Philip Palmesano
- David Weprin
- Ellen C. Jaffee
- Pamela J. Hunter
3 Multi-sponsors
History
- Referred to ways and means
- Reported referred to ways and means
- Referred to governmental operations
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Accessible Menus for Disabled
In Senate Committee · Finance · Sponsor Pamela Helming
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
207
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY (Prefiled)
January 4, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. SANTABARBARA, ABINANTI, SIMON, SKOUFIS, MOSLEY, ORTIZ, COOK, TITONE, WALTER, BENEDETTO, BLAKE, MONTESANO, RICHARDSON, STECK, STIRPE, M. G. MILLER, LENTOL, JENNE, BARRETT, RAMOS, PALMESANO, WEPRIN, JAFFEE, HUNTER -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. ABBATE, HYND- MAN, RAIA -- read once and referred to the Committee on Governmental Operations
AN ACT to amend the executive law and the state technology law, in relation to providing for multi-formatted services menus for the cognitively impaired on websites operated by certain state agencies
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 170-c to read as follows:
§ 170-c. Multi-formatted services menus for the cognitively impaired. The department of health, the office for people with developmental disabilities and the office of mental health shall develop, with the assistance of the office of information technology services, multi-formatted services menus for persons who suffer from a disability arising from a cognitive impairment, which shall be accessible from the home page of such website. Such services menus shall include a complete list of available services from each such agency in the following formats:
1. charts and graphs for visual learners;
2. dynamic flowcharts for visual thinkers. Such flowcharts shall:
(a) match the website visitor to the areas most closely related to such website visitor's inquiry by asking the website visitor individual questions and then producing responses in logical sequence; and
(b) allow website visitors to revise their answers at any point in order to be prompted to the next menu; and
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05254-01-7
A. 207 2
3. videos for auditory learners. Such videos shall include closed captions and a full transcript of such videos for review of references or information mentioned in such videos.
§ 2. Subdivisions 20 and 21 of section 103 of the state technology law are renumbered subdivisions 21 and 22, and a new subdivision 20 is added to read as follows:
20. To advise and assist the department of health, the office for people with developmental disabilities and the office of mental health in developing multi-formatted services menus for persons who suffer from a disability arising from a cognitive impairment pursuant to section one hundred seventy-c of the executive law.
§ 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it shall have become a law.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.