April 2015

Former US Senator and current Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) CEO Chris Dodd issued the House Judiciary Committee a letter imploring modernization of the Copyright Office, which is currently under review by a congressional committee. The longterm politician echoed the sentiments of separate lobbying group the Internet Association, which would also like to see the office, housed within the Library of Congress, brought into the 21st century.

“The core copyright industries -- those primarily engaged in creating, producing, distributing and exhibiting copyrighted works -- now contribute more than $1 trillion to the country’s GDP, represent 6.7 percent of the US economy, and are responsible for 5.5 million jobs,” Dodd said in laying out the fiscal importance of the issue. As a result of that sheer size owing to recent growth, Dodd sees too heavy a demand on the Copyright Office in its current state. He asked for the implementation of “better tools” as well as a “more autonomous voice” resulting from the current reassessment.

Established by the Federal Communications Commission in July 2012, the National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program, what we call iCanConnect, empowers low-income individuals who are deaf-blind to access 21st Century communications services. The program provides up to $10 million annually for communications technologies for individuals who have both significant vision loss and significant hearing loss. In addition, it provides training for these individuals to ensure they can fully utilize the equipment they receive. Although iCanConnect is transforming lives across America, it’s currently is set to expire on June 30, 2015. The National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program was authorized by the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA). The FCC established it as a pilot program that we launched in 2012. That needs to change. I’m circulating a proposal to extend the pilot program past June 30 and simultaneously move forward with rules to establish the permanent program.

To start along this road, the FCC had already issued a public notice asking for comments on how to improve the program. The proposed rules reflect ideas for improvements gathered from the public notice and lessons learned from the pilot program. More and more Americans today watch video programming provided by cable or satellite operators -- whether it be local news, a network sitcom, or public television events -- on their laptops, tablets, and smartphones. That’s why the FCC will consider a proposal at our May meeting that makes certain that these “second screens” allow emergency information displayed during television programming to be accessible to blind and visually impaired persons. At the same time, we will consider requiring manufacturers to include a simple and easy to use mechanism for cable and satellite subscribers to switch between the main and secondary audio streams in order to hear that critical information in real-time. It is my hope and expectation that these new rules will enable individuals who are blind or visually impaired to more quickly respond to time-sensitive emergency situations. Communications technology has the power to dramatically improve the lives of all Americans, but the possibilities are even more pronounced for people with disabilities. I look forward to working with my colleagues to expand access to this life-changing technology.

[Commentary] Despite all the ways that technology has transformed our lives over the last 50 years, when we need technology most we are trapped using dated infrastructure. The result is that though applications such as Uber allow you to call a car to your precise location -- reaching first responders generally requires dialing a number and having a detailed conversation where you articulate your precise location and type of emergency.

With the help of the 911 community, we developed RapidSOS One-Touch-911, a mobile application that with one-touch transmits data off of your device (including your precise location, type of emergency, contact information, and medical/demographic data) directly into 911’s existing system. The technology is universally compatible with every dispatch center across the United States. The result is a system that dramatically increases the information available to dispatchers, accelerating response times, and saving lives. The technology will ultimately work in over 135 countries globally -- putting first responders one-touch away regardless of where you travel and what language you speak. For the 60 million Americans that are non-native English speakers or the 8 million Americans that are hard of hearing -- this technology dramatically increases access to emergency services. Together, as one voice, we are going to transform emergency communication and save millions of lives annually.

[Michael Martin is a co-founder of RapidSOS and is currently completing his MBA at Harvard Business School]

In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, the Obama Administration established The White House Innovation for Disaster Response and Recovery Initiative to find effective ways to use technology to empower disaster survivors, first responders, communities, and all levels of government with critical information and collaboration resources. From 2014’s SafetyDatapaloozas to Civic Hardware Hackathons to new apps and tools being made available on data.gov, the Initiative continues to expand, strengthening our Nation’s capacity for innovative disaster response and recovery along the way. After more than 1,500 people participated in the White House Innovation for Disaster Response and Recovery Demo Day last July, the #DisasterTech community has continued to grow and answer the Administration’s call to Unleash Innovation. Building upon the tools, services, and efforts showcased at Demo Day and the launch of the Initiative’s first major online presence, disasters.data.gov, we are excited to see technology and innovation teams from the public and private sectors continuing to step up by supporting America’s PrepareAthon! and April 30th’s National Day of Action for disaster preparedness.

A host of new technology and innovation commitments being shared include efforts on new interactive mapping tools, free and open source hardware designs, improved smartphone alerts, and a series of disaster resilience technology exhibits at the upcoming National Maker Faire, during a dedicated Week of Making this June 12 - 18. From free platforms that connect more than 59,000 neighborhoods and 750 local agencies across the country, to a network of 3,000 volunteers that has made over 14 million changes and additions to OpenStreetMap data in Ebola-affected regions, the numbers show this community’s dedication and collaborative spirit.