Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT)
Date: October 2009
Name of Product: ipTTY™
Manufacturer: Tenacity Operating LLC
Address: 2020 West Pinhook Road, Suite 101, Lafayette, LA 70508, USA
Phone: 1-866-756-0321
TTY: 1-337-233-8329
Email: support@accessaphone.com
This document compares the attributes of ipTTY™ with the Standard for Electronic and Information Technology as issued by the U.S. Access Board in reference to Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act.
Subpart B – Technical Standards
* Software Applications and Operating Systems (1194.21)
* Telecommunications Products (1194.23)
Subpart C – Functional Performance Criteria (1194.31)
Subpart D – Information, Documentation, and Support (1194.41)
Section 1194.21 Software Applications and Operating Systems
| Criteria | ipTTY | Remarks and Explanations |
| (a) When software is designed to run on a system that has a keyboard, product functions shall be executable from a keyboard where the function itself or the result of performing a function can be discerned textually. | Fully Supports |
All features and functions of ipTTY™ have text equivalents and can be executed from a keyboard. ipTTY™ uses standard Windows® access keys and utilizes both single keystrokes and keystroke combinations. |
| (b) Applications shall not disrupt or disable activated features of other products that are identified as accessibility features, where those features are developed and documented according to industry standards. Applications also shall not disrupt or disable activated features of any operating system that are identified as accessibility features where the application programming interface for those accessibility features has been documented by the manufacturer of the operating system and is available to the product developer. | Fully Supports | ipTTY™ does not disrupt or disable accessibility features provided through the operating system of the end user’s computer. ipTTY™ does not disrupt or disable activated features of other products that are identified as accessibility features, including features provided by screen reader programs and screen magnification programs. |
| (c) A well-defined on-screen indication of the current focus shall be provided that moves among interactive interface elements as the input focus changes. The focus shall be programmatically exposed so that Assistive Technology can track focus and focus changes. | Fully Supports | All ipTTY™ interactive elements have a well defined on-screen indication of the current focus, and this indication changes with focus changes. All changes in ipTTY™ interactive elements can be tracked by Assistive Technology. |
| (d) Sufficient information about a user interface element including the identity, operation and state of the element shall be available to Assistive Technology. When an image represents a program element, the information conveyed by the image must also be available in text. | Fully Supports | ipTTY™ interface elements including all features, functions, and forms are described with text. |
| (e) When bitmap images are used to identify controls, status indicators, or other programmatic elements, the meaning assigned to those images shall be consistent throughout an application’s performance. | Fully Supports | Each image used within ipTTY™ is used to represent only one feature or function. |
| (f) Textual information shall be provided through operating system functions for displaying text. The minimum information that shall be made available is text content, text input caret location, and text attributes. | Fully Supports | ipTTY™ uses the standard protocol of the user’s operating system and all textual information entered into ipTTY™ can be interpreted by the user’s operating system. |
| (g) Applications shall not override user selected contrast and color selections and other individual display attributes. | Fully Supports | ipTTY™ does not override or prevent user selected contrasts, colors, or other display options. |
| (h) When animation is displayed, the information shall be displayable in at least one non-animated presentation mode at the option of the user. | Fully Supports | ipTTY™ does not use animation. |
| (i) Color coding shall not be used as the only means of conveying information, indicating an action, prompting a response, or distinguishing a visual element. | Fully Supports | ipTTY™ does not color code, but it uses color to provide a highlighting affect of the current focus on certain important visual elements. In all cases, text labels are combined with the highlighting affect and are not hidden by the highlighting affect. |
| (j) When a product permits a user to adjust color and contrast settings, a variety of color selections capable of producing a range of colors shall be provided. | Fully Supports | ipTTY™ in its real time text module permits the user to adjust the contrast level of both incoming text and outgoing text. The contrast is determined by the combination of text color and background color. A broad range of color selections is provided. |
| (k) Software shall not use flashing or blinking text, objects, or other elements having a flash or blink frequency greater than 2 Hz and lower than 55 Hz. | Fully Supports | ipTTY™ itself does not provide nor require flashing or blinking text, objects, or other elements. |
| (l) When electronic forms are used, the form shall allow people using Assistive Technology to access the information, field elements, and functionality required for completion and submission of the form, including all directions and cues. | Fully Supports | All ipTTY™ electronic forms and fields can be accessed and information entered via keyboard navigation and typing, specifically by using single keystrokes – the tab key, enter key, and directional arrow keys. All electronic forms have text labels in close proximity to the field that is to be completed. |
Section 1194.23 Telecommunications Products
| Criteria | ipTTY | Remarks and Explanations |
| (a) Telecommunications products or systems which provide a function allowing voice communication and which do not themselves provide a TTY functionality shall provide a standard non-acoustic connection point for TTY’s. Microphones shall be capable of being turned on and off to allow the user to intermix speech with TTY use. | Fully Supports | ipTTY™ provides TTY functionality. It also allows the user to intermix speech with TTY use. While ipTTY™ is in use, the user may turn the microphone on and off. ipTTY™ supports 45 Baud and 50 Baud tones. |
| (b) Telecommunications products which include voice communication functionality shall support all commonly used cross-manufacturer non-proprietary standard TTY signals. | Fully Supports | ipTTY™ allows voice communication and supports TTY functionality at standard 45 Baud and 50 Baud. ipTTY™ allows for voice and TTY communication through the internet protocol of Session Initiation Protocol or SIP. |
| (c) Voice mail, auto-attendant, and interactive voice response telecommunications systems shall be usable by TTY users with their TTY’s. | Not Applicable | ipTTY™ as a telephony end point device does not provide its own voice mail, auto-attendant, or interactive voice response telecommunications system. It does not interfere with these systems when they are provided by the user’s telephone, digital-analog adapter, and/or by the user’s telephone system. |
| (d) Voice mail, messaging, auto-attendant, and interactive voice response telecommunications systems that require a response from a user within a time interval, shall give an alert when the time interval is about to run out, and shall provide sufficient time for the user to indicate more time is required. | Fully Supports | ipTTY™ as a telephony end point device does not provide its own voice mail, auto-attendant, or interactive voice response telecommunications system. It does not interfere with the timeouts of these systems when they are provided by the user’s telephone, digital-analog adapter, and/or by the user’s telephone system. |
| (e) Where provided, caller identification and similar telecommunications functions shall also be available for users of TTY’s and for users who cannot see displays. | Fully Supports | ipTTY™ monitors for and communicates information from caller ID and similar telecommunications functions textually. This information is provided in an audible format through a separate screen reader program. |
| (f) For transmitted voice signals, telecommunications products shall provide a gain adjustable up to a minimum of 20 dB. For incremental volume control, at least one intermediate step of 12 dB of gain shall be provided. | Fully Supports | ipTTY™ is a software based telephony endpoint that does not control receiver volume. Receiver volume is supported through the choice of the end user’s PC based hardware. ipTTY™ does not interfere with the volume control or settings provided by the PC based hardware. |
| (g) If the telecommunications product allows a user to adjust the receive volume, a function shall be provided to automatically reset the volume to the default level after every use. | Fully Supports | ipTTY™ is a software based telephony endpoint that does not control receiver volume. Receiver volume is supported through the end user’s choice of PC based hardware. ipTTY™ does not interfere with the volume control or settings provided by the PC based hardware. |
| (h) Where a telecommunications product delivers output by an audio transducer which is normally held up to the ear, a means for effective magnetic wireless coupling to hearing technologies shall be provided. | Fully Supports | ipTTY™ does not deliver output by an audio transducer which is held up to the ear. |
| (i) Interference to hearing technologies (including hearing aids, cochlear implants, and assistive listening devices) shall be reduced to the lowest possible level that allows a user of hearing technologies to utilize the telecommunications product. | Fully Supports | ipTTY™ is a software based telephony endpoint that does not directly interface with hearing technologies and assistive listening devices. ipTTY™ does not interfere with the usage of this technology by the user. |
| (j) Products that transmit or conduct information or communication, shall pass through cross-manufacturer, non-proprietary, industry-standard codes, translation protocols, formats or other information necessary to provide the information or communication in a usable format. Technologies which use encoding, signal compression, format transformation, or similar techniques shall not remove information needed for access or shall restore it upon delivery. | Fully Supports | ipTTY™ does not use or support any non-standard protocols or methods, nor does it alter information or communication at any time. |
| (k) (1) Products which have mechanically operated controls or keys shall comply with the following: Controls and keys shall be tactilely discernable without activating the controls or keys. | Not Applicable | ipTTY™ is software, not hardware, and as such it does not provide a dedicated input device. But ipTTY™ can be operated by using various input devices obtained and employed independently by the user. |
| (k) (2) Products which have mechanically operated controls or keys shall comply with the following: Controls and keys shall be operable with one hand and shall not require tight grasping, pinching, twisting of the wrist. The force required to activate controls and keys shall be 5lbs. (22.2N) maximum. | Not Applicable | ipTTY™ is software, not hardware, and as such it does not provide a dedicated input device. |
| (k) (3) Products which have mechanically operated controls or keys shall comply with the following: If key repeat is supported, the delay before repeat shall be adjustable to at least 2 seconds. Key repeat rate shall be adjustable to 2 seconds per character. | Not Applicable | ipTTY™ is software, not hardware, and as such it does not provide a dedicated input device. |
| (k) (4) Products which have mechanically operated controls or keys shall comply with the following: The status of all locking or toggle controls or keys shall be visually discernable, and discernible either through touch or sound. | Not Applicable | ipTTY™ is software, not hardware, and as such it does not provide a dedicated input device. |
Section 1194.31 – Functional Performance Criteria
| Criteria | ipTTY | Remarks and Explanations |
| (a) At least one mode of operation and information retrieval that does not require user vision shall be provided, or support for assistive technology used by people who are blind or visually impaired shall be provided. | Fully Supports |
ipTTY™ can be operated by and information can be retrieved from it in two specific ways that do not have the requirement of user sight, those being keyboard only control and speech command control. Both methods require the usage of third party assistive technology such as screen readers and speech recognition engines in conjunction with ipTTY™. ipTTY™ is a SIP based telephony end point or telephony device that maps telephony functionality and information directly to its software interface. Through the software interface the user has the choice of using two communications modes during a telephone conversation – voice mode, video mode, or real time text mode - either independently or simultaneously. The software interface fully supports the technical criteria in Section 1194.21 - Software Applications and Operating Systems and as such the telephony experience provided for the user can be enhanced when the product is used in conjunction with third party screen readers, screen magnifiers, speech recognition engines, Braille displays, and other third party assistive technology. |
| (b) At least one mode of operation and information retrieval that does not require visual acuity greater than 20/70 shall be provided in audio and enlarged print output working together or independently, or support for assistive technology used by people who are visually impaired shall be provided. | Fully Supports | As a software product, ipTTY™ software can be operated without minimum user visual acuity requirements, through the use of provided or supported tools such as keyboard only control and voice activation control. Complete information output is provided in both audio format and through adjustable text that is low vision accessible. ipTTY™ also supports other Assistive Technology such as screen readers and screen magnifiers. |
| (c) At least one mode of operation and information retrieval that does not require user hearing shall be provided, or support for assistive technology used by people who are deaf or hard of hearing shall be provided. | Fully Supports |
ipTTY™ provides two communications modes that do not require user hearing – a video mode and a text mode. These two modes can be operated independently of each other or they can be used simultaneously during a telephone conversation, and in a relay setting if preferred by the user. The product also provides a module for voice communication which can be used independently or simultaneously with one or both of the other communications modes. The volume of the speech mode may be amplified by making volume adjustments on the user’s PC computer speakers or microphone headset. |
| (d) Where audio information is important for the use of a product, at least one mode of operation and information retrieval shall be provided in an enhanced auditory fashion, or support for assistive hearing devices shall be provided. | Fully Supports |
ipTTY™ provides two communications modes that can provide an enhanced auditory experience – a voice mode and a text mode. These two modes can be operated independently of each other or they can be used simultaneously during a telephone conversation. Audio information generated by ipTTY™ while in voice mode can be enhanced by making volume adjustments within the user’s PC computer speakers or microphone headset. In addition, the product supports assistive technology such as hearing devices as required by the technical criteria of Section 1194.23 – Telecommunications Products. |
| (e) At least one mode of operation and information retrieval that does not require user speech shall be provided, or support for assistive technology used by people with disabilities shall be provided. | Fully Supports |
ipTTY™ is a multi-function telephony end point device that furnishes a SIP based real time text mode of communication that does not require user speech. The real time text mode of communication can be operated independently or it can be used simultaneously with the other communications mode provided by ipTTY™ - voice mode. ipTTY™ supports assistive technology used by people with disabilities as required by the technical criteria of Section 1194.21 – Software Applications and Operating Systems. |
| (f) At least one mode of operation and information retrieval that does not require fine motor control or simultaneous actions and that is operable with limited reach and strength shall be provided. | Fully Supports | ipTTY™ usage does not require high levels of end user mobility, reach, or strength mainly because it is not a dedicated physical device. It is a software prorgram that the end user can control and interact with by using available assistive technology and means such as third party specialty keyboards and mouse pointers, speech command programs, and assistive technology provided by the user’s operating system, as specified in Section 1194.21 – Software Applications and Operating Systems, which ipTTY™ fully supports. |
Section 1194.41- Information, Documentation, and Support
| Criteria | ipTTY | Remarks and Explanations |
| (a) Product support documentation provided to end-users shall be made available in alternate formats upon request, at no additional charge. | Fully Supports |
ipTTY™ product support documentation is available upon request at no additional charge in text or Braille formats. |
| (b) End users shall have access to a description of the accessibility and compatibility features of products in alternate formats or alternate methods upon request, at no additional charge. | Fully Supports | Information on ipTTY™ accessibility and compatibility is available upon request at no additional charge in text or Braille formats. Specific questions concerning compatibility will be answered upon request. |
| (c) Support services for products shall accommodate the communication needs of end-users with disabilities. | Fully Supports |
Users with disabilities have several available communication avenues for obtaining product support – via telephone (voice and TTY), email and website, all in accessible formats. |
All contents are Copyright © 2009 -2010 Tenacity Operating, L.L.C. All rights reserved.
This information is true and correct to the best of our knowledge as of the Last Updated date printed below; is supplied for market research purposes only; and is subject to change without notice. The contents of this document do not constitute either legal advice, representation, warranty or guarantee regarding a person's ability to comply with applicable accessibility requirements. Such a determination is the sole responsibility of the purchaser. For more information please contact support@accessaphone.com. Version 2.1 | Last Updated: August 27, 2010