by: Jordan Usdan and Kevin Almasy, Public-Private Initiatives

July 23rd, 2012

We know today’s job market is more competitive than ever, but trying to find a job without knowing how to use the Internet is becoming nearly impossible.  Over 80% of Fortune 500 companies, from Target to Wal-Mart, require online job applications.  In the next decade, it is estimated that nearly 80% of jobs will require digital skills. From call center workers, to retail employees, to receptionists, to even manufacturers and construction workers, the jobs of today and tomorrow require digital skills. 

The fact that 66 million Americans are without basic digital literacy skills, the skillset needed to use a computer and the Internet, is troubling both for job seekers and employers alike. In fact, 52% of American employers are experiencing difficulty filling mission-critical positions, up from 14% in 2010, due to the nationwide skills gap.

As the costs of digital exclusion rises, what’s at stake is not only the competitiveness of the American workforce, but also the vitality of our country in the 21^st century.  The good news is the private sector, government, and philanthropy are working together, through the Connect2Compete (C2C) coalition, to help close the digital divide and the skills gap.

Last week, Chairman Genachowski and Secretary of Labor Solis announced a nationwide digital literacy partnership between the 2,800 American Job Centers and C2C, extending the digital literacy training coalition to thousands of communities across the country. 

The announcement is part of C2C’s effort to help narrow the digital divide by making high-speed Internet access, computers, educational and jobs content, and digital literacy training more accessible for millions of Americans without home connectivity. C2C, a public-private partnership, is comprised of more than 40 non-profit and private sector partners, such as Best Buy, Discovery, LULAC, the National Urban League, and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

The Job Centers will join C2C’s existing digital literacy coalition of libraries, non-profits, and community centers as a computing and digital literacy provider. In addition, all participating American Job Centers will promote C2C’s broadband adoption offerings, which include discounted Internet service and refurbished laptop computers. 

C2C also announced that it will launch a database to help Americans find their nearest digital literacy training center, including American Job Centers, non-profit providers, and public libraries. A website and toll-free number will direct users to thousands of free training providers. The initiative will be promoted by a nationwide Ad Council campaign on digital literacy, beginning in early 2013.

Everyone is always talking about some new app, and I simply can’t keep up!

Recently, I ran across something called the “iPhone App Directory.” The British magazine, now in its sixth issue, reviews, rates and lists download costs for apps.  I was curious to see how many of the 947 reviewed apps had potential for assisting with most disabilities, and I ended up very pleased and surprised.

Dare I say we might have reached the tipping point in technological universal design?  It seemed there were many apps that could be beneficial to people with cognitive disabilities, although interestingly, some of those were not user friendly and therefore not recommended.

It was refreshing to see the number of new educational apps that may help persons with learning disabilities.  Knowing that this magazine couldn’t cover all the new apps, I launched a search for similar magazines and found a good site that listed endless publications that also rate and compare new apps.

Here are some apps that I thought were particularly interesting.

• D2u Transcriber provides dictation and transcription on a mobile phone.
• SendStuffNow offers cloud-based storage.
• Conf provides help for conference attendees by tracking each session, list speakers, lists panels/discussions, and even provides GPS to show how far away you are from each event (Note to self: Download for CSUN conference!).
• ClearRecord Premium is an audio recording app that is able to suppress background noise.
• Wallet Advanced manages your website logins, credit card info and other private information.  It has strong encryption so that this information is safe. 
• Similarly, there is Password Keeper, which is a simple tool that stores your password and is also secure.
• Flashcards App, teaches new vocabulary, then tests you, and even checks your daily progress.
• Voice Cards are Not Flashcards!! allows you to create voice flash cards with an autoplay and shake option.
• WordWarp (which I actually have) is a game where you create as many words as possible from a selection of letters.  If you’re stuck, just press the “warp” button and it will help you out. Also, a very useful game for persons with head injuries.
• Pill Time reminds you to take your medications, and breaks up your medications by medication type, ailment concerned, dosage, frequency and the specific time of day.  It also provides a medication countdown, which counts what medicines you have taken, and what you have left to take in a day.
• Living Well with Arthritis provides helpful tips to manage your arthritis.  This app was rated superior for usability.  It has many features, including routines, basic understanding of your type of arthritis and how it affects your body, and teaches how you can deal with your arthritis better.
• iCanBass offers a guitar interface and allows you to pull strings.  This app made me think of Paul Schroeder of the American Foundation for the Blind, who is an avid guitar player.
• Music For Users provides ambient music to affect your brainwaves.  This app has is programmed with certain tasks, which act as an “alarm” for project management.
• LocateMeNow provides you with your location, and is user friendly and fast. If I had only had this when I first moved to DC!
• MobileRSS gathers and manages your selected feeds and presents them in one place for easy monitoring.
• Breaking News with Push delivers breaking news.  This reminds me of a story Al Sonnenstrahl, a life-long Deaf telecommunications advocate, told me of how, despite being in a car pool and working all morning  with colleagues, when RFK was shot after midnight in 1968, he had no idea. His deafness had pushed him out of the information loop..
• PhotoDiary enables you to track your day with photographs, and allows you to add captions to the photos, and date and time-stamp the photo.  I would love to see user testing on how people with cognitive disabilities who need help with their daily routine could use this app!
• PhotoMashup has great potential for people who are Deaf and to other visual learners by allowing you to arrange your photos, make montages, rotate, enlarge and move photos, and even provides the ability to include drop shadow and customize border colors.
• iStuff is a highly visual method of managing tasks by providing 12 categories that are named based on time and function. It provides simple calendar views, an in-box for new tasks, tags to work on several tasks together, and overdue tasks, which require you to pay attention.  This task-management app is rich in features, and rated high on usability.  Another project management tool that is also highly rated is SideTacts, which integrates phone, e-mail and SMS into a single app.  It also provides audio, text and video notes, while continually synching with the basic apps on every off-the-shelf iPhone.
• Easy Group Text allows you to group your contacts and text everyone in that group at the same time.  There is a similar app, GroupSMS!, which does the same for SMS.  Another app is FogHorn, which is a simple and user-friendly app that allows you to enter phone numbers for multiple people, and hold text chats where everyone sees all the messages.  FogHorn also allows you to store your chats, archive your chats online, and add extra information about the participants.
• Today Screen can simplify your day by taking all of your appointments in the iPhone calendar, and putting them into a user-friendly view.  It even color codes past, present and future events;
• 15,000 Useful Phrases is perfect for those whose English is a second language. It can provide assistance in the much needed gap between ESL and real English conversations--a great social skills app.
• Lonely Planet San Francisco Guide is a one-stop resource for visiting a city. It is said to be even more helpful than a travel book and received rave reviews.  It includes detailed maps (online and offline). I personally love the Lonely Planet guides, and the San Francisco guide is just one of many cities offered.  Maptual allows you to view various points of interest on a map using the Open Street Map interface. Like Lonely Planet, Maptual provides information about cities all around the world.
• Find A Pharmacy  will locate a pharmacy for you based on your geographic location, indicate how far the pharmacy is, and provides a Google Map to direct you to the pharmacy.
• QuickPaste ranks very high on usability and allows you copy multiple records (the iPhone app limits you to one record at a time) for pasting into other apps. A good tool for everyone, especially for those with hand dexterity issues.
• Pic-Z Tag is great for conference or meeting attendees, especially people with speech disabilities. It lets you design a name tag (templates provided).  When you meet someone new, you can just flash your iPhone to introduce yourself.
• Ring Finger is a great speed dialing program that you can program time and automated calling.  For example, if you needed to call in to your job coach each day at 1:30 p.m., it will automatically connect you with your job coach at 1:30.

If you have used any of these apps and have found them to provide access, I would love to hear from you.  Also, I would love to hear from you about accessible apps that weren’t listed—it would be great to have one ongoing list of apps that have disability implications.

Are there any groups that are studying new apps for accessibility? If you’re an app developer, let me know if you are designing to include the 54 million Americans with disabilities.  My next step is to remember my password so I can download some new apps! Happy apping!

(Cross posted on the Official FCC Blog.)

 If you’re like many Americans, you may be wondering whether you should keep the Internet service you have in your home. If you have more than one broadband provider in your area, you may be getting a barrage of advertising encouraging you to switch from your current provider to another one. Should you switch – and if so, why?

At the FCC, we’ve done a representative national survey to find out how satisfied consumers are with their Internet service and what goes into the decision to switch or stick with an ISP. We’re releasing the results of that survey today. It shows that Americans are largely pleased with their Internet service, but have some cause for dissatisfaction – and face obstacles that make it hard for them to switch ISPs.

Our survey found that 38 percent of Internet users have changed service providers in the last three years, more than half of them for a reason other than changing residences. The majority of Internet users seem to be satisfied with their service; most people who haven’t switched say they haven’t even considered it seriously. Still, 38 percent is a significant number, and one that deserves further exploration.

What makes people want to change providers? Two things: Price and performance. Nearly a quarter of home Internet users are dissatisfied with the price they pay for service, and 47 percent of those who switched ISPs said price was a major reason. Even more – 49 percent – said that a major reason they switched was to get a faster or higher performance Internet connection.

Moreover, the survey showed that a sizeable number of people would consider switching ISPs if it was easier to do. They’re deterred not only by the hassle, but by financial considerations – the need to put down a new deposit, pay a set-up or installation fee, or pay an early termination fee. Early termination fees are currently less common for ISPs than for cell-phone service, but they’re still a factor.

This survey, together with earlier data we’ve reported, underscores how much consumers need clear information to help them make smart choices about Internet service. Speed is a major factor that leads people to switch ISPs – but how many of us really understand what speed we’re getting? We previously reported that 80 percent of Americans don’t know their broadband speed, and today’s survey found that most say their monthly bills aren’t clear about speed either. If ISPs are going to compete on speed – which will be good for consumers and good for the country’s broadband infrastructure – then consumers need better information on what speed they need and what speeds they’re getting.

The same is true of price and fees. We’ve found previously that many cell-phone customers don’t know the early termination fees that they’re subject to. As some ISPs start instituting these fees as well, they need to ensure that consumers are fully informed and can factor these fees into their decisions.

Competition among ISPs, like competition in other markets, is good for consumers and good for service providers. And clear information will help consumers make the smart choices that allow competition to work.

We’re interested in your own experience: Have you switched ISPs, or thought about doing so? Post a comment to let us know your views.

(This is cross-posted on the Official FCC Blog.)

As you may have heard, the Federal Communications Commission had a blow-out celebration of the Americans with Disabilities Act 20th Anniversary.  We partnered with the White House and the U.S. Department of Commerce and held a big, I mean B-I-G event on July 19th.  To learn more about those events, please read this blog post.  The FCC also made two videos.  The first video is of the FCC’s own George Krebs touring the Technology Expo.  You can see from the video how crowded the Expo was, and during their tour, they stopped at several booths and asked questions about the various technologies.  The video is open captioned, and captures the fun and positive energy in the room.  When you watch it you will feel like you attended this in person!

The second video was titled “Celebrating Progress: ADA 20th Anniversary” and was shown at the program in the Department of Commerce’s auditorium.  It is twenty minutes of film clips interviewing twenty-two leaders in the disability community on their stories, before the ADA, with the ADA, and what they hope for the future.  It was amazing that so many VIPs were able to give up their time for the interview, and even more generous, opened their hearts telling compelling stories about disability access (or sometimes lack of access).  We all felt uplifted by their stories, and left on a high of what truly is possible when barriers are broken and minds are opened.  The video will be posted on our Internet site in its entirety this fall, with full footage of the leaders. 

When you get a chance, take a look at both videos—they will make you laugh and inspire you!
 

On Friday, I participated in an Apps4Access event on Capitol Hill, hosted by the Committee on Disability Power and Pride, that focused on the wide array of wireless and other applications that can benefit people with disabilities.   Participants included representatives from the disability community, industry, and government, as well as apps developers.

At the event, I asked what industry can do to ensure that consumers are aware of the great number of accessibility apps that are available now and may become available in the future.

In response, CTIA - the Wireless Association volunteered to work with consumers and the FCC to figure out the best way to make this information available to consumers.  Among other things, this may include updating and expanding the wireless association's accessibility website, so that it would be a first stop for consumers searching for information about accessible wireless devices, services, and apps.  CTIA's acceptance of this challenge was conditioned on the agreement of consumers, the FCC, and other stakeholders to collaborate with industry representatives on this project.   We and all of the consumer groups in attendance at the event readily agreed to work together and committed to moving the project forward in a coordinated effort with CTIA.

This is exactly the kind of industry initiative and collaborative problem solving that we think will drive the Accessibility and Innovation Initiative that the Chairman launched last Monday, during our celebration of the 20th anniversary of the ADA.  We applaud the wireless industry's leadership and look forward to working with all stakeholders to make its commitment a reality for consumers.

Monday’s celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act was a momentous occasion – and we plan on building from that momentum over the coming weeks and months.

The White House, the FCC and the Department of Commerce teamed together to sponsor an all-day event that started at the White House with accessibility-related technology announcements from all over the Federal government.

In the afternoon, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski launched the Accessibility and Innovation Initiative, which will bring together consumer, industry, government, technology, and academic stakeholders in collaborative efforts to explore accessibility solutions to access barriers. The Chairman also announced the start of the Initiative’s website, the establishment of the Chairman’s Awards for Advancements in Accessibility, and other disability-related challenges and events in which the Commission will be participating.

Commissioner Copps was also actively engaged in the day’s activities, and gave remarks during a morning panel at the White House and the afternoon program at the Department of Commerce. Both Chairman Genachowski and Commissioner Copps toured some of the 40-plus accessibility and technology exhibits arranged by the FCC and on display at the Department of Commerce.

The afternoon included a moving program with musical and dance acts by the Wild Zappers (a deaf dance troupe) and Gallaudet University students, and an FCC original video chronicling personal stories about the impact of technology on people with disabilities. Watch for this video, which will soon be posted on the FCC’s website.

On Monday, the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau (CGB) also released a Public Notice seeking comment on the accessibility of the Commission’s activities and programs (to fulfill its Section 504 obligations) and CGB and the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau jointly released a Public Notice seeking comment on accessible mobile phone options for people who are blind, deaf-blind, or have low vision.

The day ended with a brainstorming discussion by technology developers and persons with disabilities to identify and prioritize technology barriers to people with disabilities and to explore possible solutions to those barriers.

Today, the FCC participated in Apps4Access, an event being hosted by the Committee on Disability Power and Pride that is focused on giving consumers an opportunity to become better acquainted with wireless and other applications that are accessible to people with disabilities. Stay tuned for more about this event, as well as future blog posts on other exciting disability-related announcements and events involving the FCC.

By Joel Gurin and John Horrigan, Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau.

The FCC receives thousands of complaints a year about cell-phone bill shock – what happens when consumers get sudden, unexpected increases in their bills from one month to the next. In May, we released a national survey, done with two major research firms, showing that 17 percent of Americans – 30 million people – have experienced this problem. Click here for the whitepaper on the FCC survey.  

Now, rather than focusing on ways to address consumers’ concerns, the wireless trade association (CTIA – The Wireless Association) has been hard at work finding unfounded ways to criticize the FCC’s data.   The association’s latest attack on the FCC’s study is based on an astounding misstatement: that as many as 70 percent of the people we interviewed were teenagers. This is simply untrue -- in fact, we made it clear that we interviewed only adults.

Ironically enough, this whopper of an error stemmed from CTIA’s misunderstanding of how research organizations interview cell-phone users, who are an increasingly important part of any survey sample. Click here for a more detailed rebuttal of this and other errors in CTIA’s argument.

It’s unfortunate that CTIA, which represents one of the country’s most innovative and productive industries, has decided that ignoring or distorting the facts is a better strategy than simply addressing wireless customers’ concerns. This trade association apparently believes there’s nothing to worry about if 30 million Americans have gotten sudden increases on their cell-phone bills.

At the FCC, where we handle thousands of complaints a year on exactly this subject, we do believe that it’s a problem, and one that consumers shouldn’t have to experience. Moving forward, we hope that CTIA can work with us on simple solutions to help their customers avoid these costly surprises.

Cross-posted to The Official FCC Blog.

En un número creciente de hogares americanos se habla español, pero más de la mitad de todos los hispanos no tienen acceso a la banda ancha donde ellos viven.

Esta comunidad de habla hispana puede beneficiarse únicamente de acceso a la banda ancha, adopción, y conectividad. Y esa misma comunidad – como todos los americanos – no se le puede permitir que se quede atrás cuando se despliega el futuro de la banda ancha. 

Para dirigirse a éstas y muchas otras cuestiones sobre la banda ancha, la Comisión Federal de Comunicaciones (FCC por sus siglas en inglés) entregó un plan nacional de banda ancha al Congreso. Titulada Creando un Estados Unidos Conectado: Plan Nacional de Banda Ancha, el plan presenta una agenda ambiciosa que proporciona recomendaciones para conectar a todos los americanos a la banda ancha. 

Hoy, este documento, titulado Creando un Estados Unidos Conectado: Plan Nacional de Banda Ancha, está disponible en un formato descargable para consumidores que hablan español.

La información en cuestiones como las barreras de costo para la adopción y utilización de banda ancha y la alfabetización digital es sumamente importante para la comunidad de habla hispana. Hoy, la FCC está orgullosa de entregar el plan directamente a la comunidad.

Si se ponen en práctica, las innovaciones de banda ancha, tendrán muchos efectos. En la asistencia médica, se reducirán los gastos poniendo instrumentos de salud digitales al alcance de los doctores y hospitales a través del país y eliminaran las barreras para el tratamiento del paciente. En la educación, la banda ancha promoverá la necesidad del alfabetismo digital para asegurar que los estudiantes completan sus estudios con éxito y continúan a hacerse miembros de un personal competitivo.

Estoy orgullosa del Plan Nacional de Banda Ancha de la Comisión Federal de Comunicaciones y los animo a todos que lo lean. 

~~~~~

A growing number of American households speak Spanish, but a full half of all Hispanics don’t connect to broadband where they live.

This Spanish-speaking community can uniquely benefit from a full broadband access, adoption, and connectivity. And that same community – like all Americans – can’t afford to be left behind as the future of broadband in America unfolds.

To address these and many other issues surrounding broadband, the Federal Communications Commission delivered the National Broadband Plan to Congress. Titled Connecting America: The National Broadband Plan, the plan lays out an ambitious agenda that provides recommendations for connecting all Americans to affordable broadband .

Today, that document is available in a downloadable format for Spanish speaking consumers.

Information on issues such as the cost barriers to adoption and utilization and digitally literacy are vitally important for the Spanish-speaking community to have. Today, the FCC is proud to deliver the plan directly to that community. 

If implemented, the broadband innovations in this plan will reach far. In health care, they will lower costs by putting digital health tools in the hands of doctors and hospitals across the country and removing barriers for patient treatment. In education, broadband will promote the digital literacy skills students need to ensure that they successfully complete their studies and go on to become members of a competitive workforce.

I am proud of the Federal Communications Commission’s National Broadband Plan and encourage everyone to read it.

Cross-posted from The Official FCC Blog.

Here at the FCC, we've been working lately on new ways to measure broadband speed and help consumers understand it. We believe that consumers deserve to know what broadband speeds they need for different applications, from email to gaming; what the advertised speeds really mean; and whether they can be sure they're getting the speeds that are advertised. To that end, the FCC is partnering with SamKnows to conduct the first scientific, hardware-based test of broadband performance in America. To help us improve broadband quality in the U.S., volunteer at TestMyISP.com to sign up for this landmark test. The video below explains how it works and how you can get involved.
 

 View Transcript

Cross-posted on The Official FCC Blog.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced in a press release last month that it will accept supplemental grant applications from state governments and other existing awardees in its State Broadband Data and Development Grant Program for additional broadband improvement and mapping activities. Act quickly: the deadline is July 1.

The NTIA noted that one of the primary purposes of the grant program is to “assist states in gathering data on the availability, speed, and location of broadband services” in furtherance of the purposes of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009  and the Broadband Data Improvement Act of 2008 (BDIA). The broadband data states compile will be used to help create the National Broadband Map that the Recovery Act requires NTIA to make publicly available by February 17, 2011. This map, which NTIA plans to update every six months, should provide consumers more precise information on available broadband services and facilitate government efforts to increase broadband availability nationwide.

In addition to mapping, this NTIA grant action can be used for other purposes, including  implementation of Recommendation 9.11 in the National Broadband Plan  that “federal support should be expanded for regional capacity-building efforts aimed at improving broadband deployment and adoption.”  Eligible initiatives cited by the NTIA include state broadband task forces or advisory boards, technical assistance programs, local or regional technology planning efforts, and programs to promote increased computer ownership and Internet usage.

This announced use of Recovery Act funds by NTIA to help launch and expand broadband planning functions in the states and territories is part of the $350 million Congress appropriated under the Recovery Act to implement the BDIA and develop and maintain a broadband inventory map. To date, NTIA has awarded more than $100 million in grants to 54 eligible entities to carry out initial broadband data collection, mapping and planning activities.

Cross-posted to The Official FCC Blog.