FCC Chair's Awards for Advancement in Accessibility

Innovation is one of the core drivers for advancement in accessibility for people with disabilities. The FCC Chair's Awards for Advancement in Accessibility (FCC Chair's AAA) is an FCC program recognizing people, products, services, standards, and other innovative developments that improve the experience of people with disabilities using telecommunications and technology.

To coincide with the FCC's celebration of the 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the 15th anniversary of the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA), we are seeking nominations for the eleventh Chair's AAA to honor individuals who have made lasting and impactful contributions to the advancement of accessible communications technologies and services in the fields of policy, advocacy, research, and design.

  • Nominations open: Thursday, May 22, 2025
  • Nominations close: Friday, June 13, 2025

This year's awards will recognize the contributions made by those committed to making rapid, efficient nationwide communication service available to everyone. The FCC is specifically seeking nominations for individuals in the following categories:

  • Consumer Advocate
  • Industry Leader
  • Educator or Researcher
  • Next Generation Leader

The 2025 Chair's AAA is open to any individual who has worked in the public or private sector. Each nomination should include:

  • The nominated individual's name, current contact information and organization (if appropriate).
  • The category for which the individual is being nominated.
  • The name and contact information of the person submitting the nomination or a notation that the submission is a self-nomination.
  • An explanation of why the individual qualifies for the Chair's AAA.
  • A description of the nominee's work in support of accessibility in telecommunications and/or broadcast media, such as products, policies, or materials.
  • Any documentation supporting this work, such as media reports and published materials, that will help support the nomination.

Please send all nominations to: FCCAAA@fcc.gov by 11:59 p.m. EDT on Friday, June 13, 2025.

Award winners will be recognized at a ceremony that will be held in July 2025. Details about the ceremony's date, time, and location will be posted on this web page.

The Chair's AAA was first introduced in 2010 at the FCC's celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Since the first award ceremony in 2011, the Chair's AAA has played a key role in the FCC efforts to recognize technical advances that have made communications tools more accessible to people with disabilities. The Chair's AAA has been awarded on ten occasions to recognize outstanding private and public-sector innovations designed to advance accessibility for people with disabilities.

Past Winners

Past winners received a plaque from the FCC and are commemorated on a permanent plaque on display at FCC Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Bureau/Office:
Consumer and Governmental Affairs
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Updated:
Wednesday, May 21, 2025