1708 Linden Street 
South Jacksonville, Illinois 62650-3210
June 25, 1998 

Office of the Secretary
Federal Communications Commission 
Washington, D. C. 20554 
 
Re: FCC Proceeding 96-198: 
Section 255 of the 1996 Telecommunications Act 
ACCESS to Telecommunications Services, Equipment, & 
Customer Premise Equipment 

Dear Mr. Secretary: 

I am hard of hearing and full telecommunication service continues to be
inaccessible. I have covered several points that concern me about the
document as proposed by FCC. 

1) Please urge your FCC staff to adopt the Access Board guidelines 
for BOTH manufacturers and service providers. Precise wording must be
written so industry will understand their ACCESS responsibilities and
obligations in their design of new telecommunication equipment. I can't use
my cellular phone with my telephone switch in my hearing aid. The sales
people don't understand and the industry's responsibilities and obligations
seem to be missing. The cellular phone is INACCESSIBLE. 

2) When Congress wrote the Telecommunications Act, it adopted the 
term "readily achievable" from the Americans with Disabilities Act. FCC
wants to use "cost recovery". The cost recovery concept  will 
UNDERMINE the concept of accessibility in our society. Again, telecoils
were not mandated for cellular telephones and they don't  work with
telecoils for hearing aid users like me. 

3) There is an uncomfortable feeling about the "complaint process". I do
support the proposal not to require filing fees directed at manufacturers or
service providers. Please support the waiving of such fees for formal
complaints against common carriers. Also it seems that FCC could
automatically deny my day in court. I support the right of an individual to
file complaints. 

4) The proposed rules omit "enhanced services" from coverage under 
Section 255. These services are INACCESSIBLE to me, ie. automated
voice response systems and voice mail. I find it difficult to complete critical
calls that are part of these services. Please address this as a critical access
issue under Section 255 and if you leave this out, such services severely
limits my educational and employment opportunities and would interfere
with my full participation in today's society. 

Please make everything accessible for the hard of hearing. Thank you. 


Sincerely, 


Theodore G. Huber, Consumer who is hard of hearing