Representatives of the U.S. Access Board will participate in the European Conference on Communication and IT Access. The European Commission, the Access Board, and other organizations will hold an international workshop on accessible information and communication technologies October 19 - 21, 2004 in Brussels, Belgium. The conference will focus on harmonizing accessibility and requirements for use in public procurement of information technology and communication products and services. Briefings will be given on approaches taken and policies implemented in European Union member nations, the U.S. Canada, and Japan. The board plans to provide information on its standards for electronic and information technology and its guidelines for telecommunication products.

The Justice Department has signed its one-hundredth agreement under Project Civic Access. The purpose of this initiative is to bring localities into full compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). As a result of these agreements, people with disabilities will be able to participate fully in fundamental aspects of American life, including attending town hall meetings, viewing government websites, accessing emergency services, and voting at their local polling places. Project Civic Access was initiated to ensure that people with disabilities have an equal opportunity to participate in civic life. As part of the Project, Departmental investigators, attorneys, and architects survey state and local government facilities and programs across the country for the purpose of identifying modifications needed to comply with ADA requirements. Depending on the circumstances in each community, the agreements address specific areas where access can be improved. Most recently, the Department entered into 24 agreements with communities across the country.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) publishes quarterly status reports that cover selected ADA activities of the Department. Through lawsuits and settlement agreements, the Department of Justice (DOJ) enforces the provisions of the ADA. The DOJ may file lawsuits in federal court to enforce the ADA, and courts may order compensatory damages and back pay to remedy discrimination if the Department prevails. The latest report covers their enforcement activities for the period of January-March 2004.

Disability Rights Online News is a monthly update about the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division’s activities in the area of disability rights. The Division enforces laws prohibiting discrimination based on disability in employment, housing, access to businesses serving the public, access to government programs and services including voting and public transportation, and unconstitutional conditions in institutions of confinement.

The EEOC web site features statistics on the number of complaints filed alleging discrimination under federal laws that they enforce. Included in these statistics are charges of discrimination filed under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

The Department of Transportation (DOT) Office of Aviation Enforcement investigated America West's compliance with the Air Carriers Access Act (ACAA) after receiving complaints from passengers with disabilities alleging inadequate assistance in boarding and exiting aircraft and in making connections. The Enforcement Office also reviewed complaints America West received directly from passengers with disabilities that alleged failures in these areas. The investigation revealed a number of ACAA violations, including failure to provide wheelchair assistance entirely, prolonged delays in obtaining wheelchair assistance, and stranding individuals alone in wheelchairs in the terminal or on board an aircraft for extended periods of time. In addition, the office found that America West failed in a number of instances to comply with the requirements for providing a proper written response to a complaint and failed to provide its complaint resolution officials - staff who respond to complaints by disabled passengers - with sufficient training on the DOT disability rules. According to the terms of the settlement, of the $850,000 civil penalty, America West may use $775,000 toward specified activities to improve the carrier's services to persons with disabilities beyond the requirements of the ACAA rules.