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Guest at Danbury disability commission warns telemedicine app is inaccessible to people with vision loss
Summary
At an April 8 meeting, a guest identified as Isabelle told the Commission for Persons with Disabilities that a Nuance telemedicine app and some web pages lacked screen-reader support, leaving blind and low-vision residents unable to complete telehealth visits. Commissioners agreed to circulate ADA training slides and accessibility guidance.
At its April 8, 2025 meeting, the Commission for Persons with Disabilities in Danbury City heard from a guest, Isabelle, who described being unable to use a telemedicine app because key accessibility features were disabled.
"It's useless to people who can't see," Isabelle said of the app's layout and the fact that a page‑reading feature was not available. She told commissioners the link and instructions were dense and not readable by screen readers, and that Chrome's built-in “listen to this page” option was not unlocked for the telehealth page.
The exchange underscored a wider problem for people with vision loss, commissioners said. The chair noted the commission had received ADA training materials from Don Donaldson of the ADA Coalition of Connecticut and said she would circulate slides covering Title I, Title II and reasonable accommodation guidance so members could review technical accessibility requirements.
Isabelle added that many modern screen readers rely on keyboard shortcuts and non‑menu workflows that older users find difficult to learn. "NVDA... the only training they have on it is a stream of consciousness thing," she said, describing the training’s format as hard to follow for people who learn incrementally.
Commissioners discussed the difference in advocacy and services for the blind community versus the deaf community, the latter of which historically secured relay services. The chair provided a brief history of the Americans with Disabilities Act—passed in 1990 with many provisions effective in 1992—to underline why some accessibility fixes depend on detailed technical guidance and outreach.
No formal action was taken at the meeting; the chair said she would share the ADA Coalition slides and other resources with commissioners and attendees so the commission can identify next steps for outreach or recommendations to city staff.
The commission did not have a full quorum at the start of the meeting and adjourned after routine business.
