To allow Americans with disabilities to experience the benefits of broadband, hardware, software, services and digital content must be accessible and assistive technologies must be affordable.
Accessibility for the Disabled
Appointment of Membership for Fourth Term of Disability Advisory Committee
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai appointed members for the fourth two-year term of the Disability Advisory Committee (DAC). There will be 34 members and 4 ex officio members, a diverse mix of organizations representing individuals with disabilities, the communications and video programming industries, the public safety industry, trade associations, researchers, and other stakeholders.
Bridging the digital divide for students with disabilities
The unexpected shift to the remote workplace and classroom brought on by COVID-19 has left many families across the country with inequitable access to devices and technology infrastructure, a problem known as the digital divide. For students with disabilities, the digital divide is not only an issue of access to broadband and technological devices, but also about ensuring that the technology is
FCC Announces Tentative Agenda for November 2020 Open Meeting
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai announced that the items below are tentatively on the agenda for the November Open Commission Meeting scheduled for Wednesday, November 18, 2020:
A New Look For Familiar Themes
At our November open meeting, the Federal Communications Commission will be considering the following items:
2020 Biennial Report To Congress As Required By The Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act
The Report assesses industry compliance over the past two years with sections 255, 716, and 718 of the Communications Act of 1934. These sections require telecommunications and advanced communications services and equipment, and Internet browsers built into mobile phones (collectively, covered products and services) to be accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities. The Report also addresses accessibility barriers to new communications technologies, and the effect of the accessibility-related recordkeeping and enforcement requirements under section 717 on the development and d
FCC Announces Winners of Chairman's Accessibility Awards
The Federal Communications Commission announced the 2020 winners of the Chairman's Awards for Advancements in Accessibility (Chairman’s AAA). This FCC program, which began in 2011, is focused on improving access to telecommunications and technology for people with disabilities. The award winners for 2020 are:
FCC Announces Tentative Agenda for October 2020 Open Meeting
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai announced that the items below are tentatively on the agenda for the October Open Commission Meeting scheduled for Tuesday, October 27, 2020:
FCC To Hold Open Commission Meeting Sept 30, 2020
The Federal Communications Commission will hold an Open Meeting on the subjects listed below on Wednesday, Sept 30, 2020:
The Federal Communications Commission will recognize the 10th anniversary of the CVAA and its importance in building a more accessible telecommunications world for people with disabilities.
Disability Advisory Committee members will discuss (i) a working group report and recommendation on enhanced Electronic Newsroom Technique (ENT) and other technologies for captioning live television programming; (ii) a working group report and recommendation on best practices for creating audio description; and (iii) any other topics relevant to the DAC’s work. The meeting will be led by the DAC co-chairs: Brian Scarpelli, Senior Policy Counsel of ACT | The App Association, and Isidore Niyongabo, President and Director of Advocacy and Public Engagement of National Black Deaf Advocates.