IRS Creates Accessible Tax Forms

The following article is forwarded to you by the Great Lakes ADA and Accessible IT Center for your information:

IRS Web site plans to add talk feature
Copyright 2003 The Times-Picayune Publishing Company
The Times-Picayune (New Orleans)
February 9, 2003

The Internal Revenue Service has good news for people with visual impairments to help them retrieve information and file their taxes online next year. The IRS Web site will be accessible for people who use special assistive technology. The IRS employs 1,100 individuals who are blind or have low vision.

A new software has been developed that will let the standard talking text services, used by people with low vision, read forms stored in a personal document format, or .pdf. Someone with the screen-reading software could click on the "talking" version of the 1040 EZ tax form on the IRS Web site, and the software will begin to read the first line of the form in electronic monotone. The individual then has the option to fill in the form by voice or by typing in the answer.

Although not available for this tax season, the IRS hopes to have 50 of the most common forms in "talking" format for next tax season.

Special assistance is available for people with all types of disabilities. If you are unable to complete your return because of a physical disability, you can obtain assistance from an IRS office or the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program sponsored by the IRS.

Telephone assistance for the hearing impaired is available for individuals with TTY equipment. The toll-free number for this service is (800) 829-4059 and is available 24 hours a day. People without this equipment may be able to obtain access through the federal or state relay services (888) 699-6869.

Braille materials for the visually impaired are available at any of the 142 regional libraries in conjunction with the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. To locate the nearest library in your area, write to the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress at 1291 Taylor St., Northwest, Washington, D.C. 20542.