By Karen Peltz Strauss and Elizabeth Lyle

Today the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau and the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau released a Public Notice that seeks comment on some of the key provisions of the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010, which the President signed into law on October 8, 2010.

The law’s provisions are designed to ensure that individuals with disabilities have access to emerging Internet Protocol-based communication and video programming technologies in the 21st Century.

The PN seeks comment on the requirement in Section 716 of the Act that service providers of advanced communications services and manufacturers of equipment and software used with those services ensure that their equipment and services will be accessible to people with disabilities, unless not achievable.

The Commission is required to promulgate rules implementing this provision within one year of enactment.  Given the tight statutory deadline, the PN seeks to build a record as quickly as possible to aid the Commission in its rulemaking.

The PN also seeks initial comment on ways to implement new recordkeeping obligations imposed by new Section 717 on entities subject to Sections 255, 716, and 718.  In addition, this Notice seeks comment on the obligation imposed by new Section 718 on manufacturers and service providers to provide access to Internet browsers in telephones used with public mobile services by blind or visually-impaired individuals.

Comments are due November 22 and reply comments are due December 7.  One way to submit comments is via the FCC’s electronic comment filing system (ECFS).  If ECFS is not accessible to you, you may send your comments directly to dro@fcc.gov.  We urge you to help us build this record.

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.

To address the barriers that people with disabilities face in accessing technology, the National Broadband Plan (“NBP”) recommends, among other things, that the Commission establish an ongoing Accessibility and Innovation Forum (“A&I Forum” or “Forum”).  At the March 10 event rolling out the NBP’s accessibility recommendations, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski and the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau Chief Joel Gurin announced that the Commission would launch the A&I Forum in July.

The Forum will be an ongoing collaborative problem-solving effort with diverse stakeholders to promote innovative solutions to broadband and other communications technology barriers.  The Forum will allow the Commission to use new tools and tap into new sources of ideas and innovation to address accessibility problems, using ongoing online efforts, workshops, field events, and facilitated dialogues.

In July, we plan to (1) launch a clearinghouse; (2) announce guidelines for the Chairman’s Award for Accessibility and Innovation; (3) expand blog coverage of ongoing accessibility efforts in the public and private sector; and (4) announce future workshops and field events.  Over the next 12-18 months, we will expand these efforts and add new initiatives.

We will be seeking input on each of these aspects of the new A&I Forum in a series of blog posts over the next two weeks.  This post seeks input on an online clearinghouse. 

Online Clearinghouse

One problem that consumers with disabilities face is that they are unable to find accessible communications technologies and assistive technologies, even if they currently exist.  In addition, consumers often do not have the training and support they need to use these products.  We would like to create an online space where consumers could find links to accessible products and product information that have been recommended by other consumers and/or provided by companies and vendors themselves.

We would like your thoughts on the best way for us to structure this on-line space.  What guidelines should we have for inclusion of accessible products and information?  Should we design the space so consumers can comment on the products and support information? What categories of products and services should we include? How should we ensure that the information in our clearinghouse stays current? 

We welcome any suggestions or models that you may recommend. You can respond directly to this post, file a comment in docket CG10-100, or e-mail comments and suggestions to Elizabeth.Lyle@fcc.gov AND Pam.Gregory@fcc.gov.  We would appreciate feedback as soon as possible but ask that you file any comments no later than Thursday, June 10. 

You can also sign up to receive periodic e-mails about the Forum’s activities and other Commission accessibility issues by sending an e-mail to AccessInfo@fcc.gov.  We look forward to hearing from you!