About
POLODA AI

Mr. Nowicki has a strong personal interest in the 21st-Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA) and other accessibility laws. Even well before joining Marashlian & Donahue, Mr. Nowicki helped the National Federation of the Blind convince the FCC to deny Amazon’s petition for a permanent exemption from CVAA accessibility requirements for e-book readers. He has also worked closely with Comcast and DirecTV to ensure that both companies comply with FCC regulations requiring audio description for blind and low vision customers. Finally, Mr. Nowicki recently responded to the FCC’s request for public comments on how audio description rules have been implemented, hoping that the FCC will expand the requirements to cover video-on-demand programming and television broadcasts delivered over the Internet.

Mr. Nowicki closely monitors changes to the CVAA and other disability access laws affecting every sector of the telecommunications and information technology industries, including:

• Access to advanced communications services and the equipment used to provide such services by persons with sensory, physical, learning, and psychological disabilities.
• Closed captioning of television broadcasts and online video programming;
• Audio description, access to emergency information conveyed in live video programming, and the accessibility of set-top boxes and other video playback equipment;
• The National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program;
• Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS) for persons with hearing and speech impairments; and
• Updates to information and Communication technology accessibility generally, including enhancements to the World Wide Web Consortium’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines and procurement requirement developments under Section 508 of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

Mr. Nowicki proudly exhibits his love for disability inclusion alongside other accessibility experts through various speaking engagements. In 2020, he co-hosted a unique webinar highlighting the wide range of business opportunities arising from making digital products and services accessible to customers with disabilities, presenting alongside the Chief of the FCC Disability Rights Office and the top product designer at Poly: the maker of various communication devices. More recently, he provided a highly interactive, in-depth overview of audio description requirements under the CVAA, Americans with Disabilities Act, and Sections 504 and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act at the 2021 Jacobus tenBroek Disability Law Symposium; shared his experiences with online conferencing platforms at an American Bar Association sponsored webinar on disability access to virtual courts; and delivered an informative presentation on the current state of U.S. video accessibility laws.

Mr. Nowicki is also interested in, and has significant practical experience with, transactional work. Mr. Nowicki prepares and reviews various types of contracts, including data services, non-disclosure, resale, and joint venture agreements. Additionally, in law school, he took two contract drafting courses in which he drafted a promissory note, security agreement, personal guarantee, and an asset purchase agreement. Mr. Nowicki also reviewed complex software purchase, licensing, and maintenance agreements between Fortune 500 companies for Axiom Global Inc., a legal consulting company, and he reviewed the University of Illinois Foundation’s templates for gift agreements.

Mr. Nowicki also occasionally supports the firm’s Dispute Resolution and Litigation practice. Mr. Nowicki advises clients at all stages of litigation on a wide array of topics ranging from Telecommunications and VoIP to breach-of-contract, data privacy, and other commercial claims.

VOLUNTEER WORK

Mr. Nowicki is a proud leader in the National Federation of the Blind of Illinois (NFBI), with which he has been involved for over a decade. Since November 2020, he has served as the organization’s elected treasurer: preparing its annual budget, strategically allocating grants to attract future donations, and managing tax obligations, among other responsibilities. Mr. Nowicki also co-chairs two important NFBI committees, which help blind Illinoisans live productive and independent lives, and shape official NFBI policies on a wide range of blindness issues.