Welcome to our Disability Rights Office home page. It is a very high priority with us that people with disabilities--such as a hearing, visual, speech, or other types of disability--get the same opportunities as everyone else to telecommunicate. This website features information and resources on:

DISABILITY-RELATED HEADLINES
This page contains the latest notices, public notices, orders, and news releases at a glance.

ACCESSIBILITY AND INNOVATION INITIATIVE
The mission of the Accessibility and Innovation Initiative is to promote collaborative problem-solving among stakeholders to ensure that people with disabilities reap the full benefits of communications technology. Through workshops, field events, facilitated dialogues, and online tools, the Initiative will foster affordable technology solutions.

TRS
The FCC implements Title IV of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) which covers Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS). TRS enables a person with a hearing or speech disability to access the telephone system and communicate with persons without such a disability.

TEN-DIGIT NUMBERS REQUIRED FOR VRS AND IP RELAY USERS
After November 12, 2009, any VRS and IP Relay call - other than 911 calls - will not be completed unless the user has registered with a provider to obtain a ten-digit number.

SECTION 255
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has rules requiring telecommunications manufacturers and service providers to make their products and services accessible to people with disabilities, if readily achievable. Our rules implement Section 255 of the Communications Act.

CLOSED CAPTIONING (47 CFR § 79.1)
The FCC implements the Closed Captioning requirements of the Telecommunications Act, found in Section 713, to make sure that more and more television is made accessible for people who are hard of hearing or deaf. Closed captioning is a technology that provides visual text to describe dialogue, background noise, and sound effects on television programming.

ACCESS TO EMERGENCY INFORMATION ON TELEVISION (47 CFR § 79.2)
The FCC implements rules that require broadcasters, cable operators, and other multichannel video programming distributors to make emergency information (e.g., pertaining to storms, school closings, and other emergencies) that they provide to their viewers accessible to persons with hearing and vision disabilities.

SECTION 504/HANDBOOK
The FCC Section 504 Programs & Activities Accessibility Handbook (Section 504 Handbook) is a collection of guidelines, information, and procedures to ensure that the Commission is accessible to individuals with disabilities. The content of this handbook is designed to assist Commission personnel in their efforts to provide such accessibility.

VoIP
Voice Over Internet Protocol.

HAC
Hearing Aid Compatibility.

DISABILITY INDEX . . . .

JOIN THE AccessInfo EMAIL LIST
A mailing list providing information about how to get regular email updates on accessibility-related FCC actions.

MANAGERS
Cheryl King, Deputy Chief
Susan Kimmel, Deputy Chief