The charter of the Emergency Access Advisory Committee (EAAC) expired on July 14, 2013. This webpage is an archive of EAAC meeting minutes, meeting presentations, reports, and related activities. The EAAC was chartered on January 14, 2011 to determine the most effective and efficient technologies and methods by which to enable equal access to emergency services by individuals with disabilities as part of the nation's migration to Next Generation 911 (NG9-1-1), and to make recommendations to the Commission on how to achieve those effective and efficient technologies and methods. During its term, the EAAC met on a regular basis, formed subcommittees to study and report on specific topics such as text-to-911, gaps in existing public safety standards, and the TTY transition. As required under the CVAA, the EAAC conducted a nationwide survey of individuals with disabilities and released a report on that survey on July 21, 2011, as well as a number of other reports listed below on this webpage.

EAAC Reports

7-10-13 Emergency Access Advisory Committee (EAAC) Report on Gaps in NENA i3
NG 9-1-1 Specifications Related to EAAC Accessibility Reports. Word || PDF

6-14-13

  • Emergency Access Advisory Committee (EAAC): Report on procedures for calls between TTY users and NG9-1-1 PSAPs. Word || PDF
  • EAAC TTY Transition Report: Proposed procedures for the TTY as a text terminal in legacy 9-1-1 PSAPs without IP connection. Word || PDF
  • Emergency Access Advisory Committee (EAAC) Report on Recommendations on Time Alignment. Word || PDF

 

3-11-13 Emergency Access Advisory Committee (EAAC) Report on TTY Transition.
Word || PDF

3-1-13 Emergency Access Advisory Committee (EAAC) Working Group 3 Recommendations on Current 9-1-1 and NG 9-1-1 Media Communication Line Services Used to Ensure Effective Communication with Callers with Disabilities. Word || PDF

3-1-13 Report of Emergency Access Advisory Committee (EAAC) Subcommittee 1 on Interim Text Messaging to 9-1-1. Word || PDF

12-6-11 Emergency Access Advisory Committee (EAAC) Report and Recommendations. Word || PDF

7-21-11 Report On Emergency Calling For Persons With Disabilities, Survey Review And Analysis 2011, presented by the Emergency Access Advisory Committee to the Federal Communications Commission.
Report: Word || PDF

Mission

The mission of the Emergency Access Advisory Committee is to make recommendations to the FCC regarding policies and practices for the purpose of achieving equal access to emergency services by individuals with disabilities, as a part of the migration to a national Internet protocol-enabled emergency network, also known as NG911.

Letters to the Committee's Designated Federal Officer (DFO), Cheryl J. King, should be sent to Room 3-B433, Federal Communications Commission, 445 Twelfth Street, SW, Washington, DC 20554. She also can be contacted by email at EAAC@fcc.gov.

Public Law 111-260 signed by President Barack Obama on October 8, 2010.

Section of Statute that addresses EAAC.

Headlines

5-17-13 FCC Adopts Rules to Help Inform and Protect Consumers During the Transition to Text-to-911.
News Release: Word || PDF
R&O: Word || PDF

3-22-13 Emergency Access Advisory Committee Announcement of June 14, 2013 Meeting. Committee Focusing on Matters Pertaining to Next Generation 9-1-1 Access for Persons with Disabilities. DA 13-524.
Public Notice: Word || PDF || Text

1-31-13 Emergency Access Advisory Committee Announcement of March 1, 2013 Meeting. Committee Focusing on Matters Pertaining to Next Generation 9-1-1 Access for Persons with Disabilities. DA 13-127.
Public Notice: Word || PDF || Text

1-11-13 Emergency Access Advisory Committee Announcement of Charter Extension to June 14, 2013. DA 13-28.
Public Notice: Word || PDF
Erratum to Correct Date to July 14, 2013: Word || PDF

12-21-12 Emergency Access Advisory Committee Announcement of January 11, 2013 Meeting. Committee Focusing on Matters Pertaining to Next Generation 9-1-1 Access for Persons with Disabilities. DA 12-2071.
Public Notice: Word || PDF

11-20-12 Emergency Access Advisory Committee Announcement of December 14, 2012 Meeting. Committee Focusing on Matters Pertaining to Next Generation 9-1-1 Access for Persons with Disabilities. DA 12-1875.
Public Notice: Word || PDF

10-25-12 Emergency Access Advisory Committee Announcement of November 9, 2012 Meeting. Committee Focusing on Matters Pertaining to Next Generation 9-1-1 Access for Persons with Disabilities. DA 12-1721.
Public Notice: Word || PDF

10-3-12 Emergency Access Advisory Committee Announcement of October 12, 2012 Meeting. Committee Focusing on Matters Pertaining to Next Generation 9-1-1 Access for Persons with Disabilities. DA 12-1580.
Public Notice: Word || PDF

8-22-12 Emergency Access Advisory Committee Announcement of September 14, 2012 Meeting. Committee Focusing on Matters Pertaining to Next Generation 9-1-1 Access for Persons with Disabilities. DA 12-1372.
Public Notice: Word || PDF

3-26-12 The Federal Communications Commission's Emergency Access Advisory Committee Announces Exhibitors for Text-to-911 Exhibition Fair March 28 & 29, 2012.
News Release: Word || PDF

3-14-12 Emergency Access Advisory Committee Announcement of March 30, 2012 Meeting. Committee Focusing on Matters Pertaining to Next Generation 9-1-1 Access for Persons with Disabilities. DA 12-406.
Public Notice: Word || PDF

3-9-12 Further Details Provided Re: The FCC's Emergency Access Advisory Committee Sponsoring of an Exhibition Fair of "Text-to-911" Technologies and Applications that will be held on March 28 and 29, 2012. DA 12-379.
Public Notice: Word || PDF

2-23-12 The Federal Communications Commission's Emergency Access Advisory Committee to Sponsor an Exhibition Fair of "Text-to-911" Technologies and Applications March 28 and 29, 2012. DA 12-266.
Public Notice: Word || PDF

1-26-12 Emergency Access Advisory Committee Announcement of February 10, 2012 Meeting. Committee Focusing on Matters Pertaining to Next Generation 9-1-1 Access for Persons with Disabilities. DA 12-93.
Public Notice: Word || PDF

11-10-11 Emergency Access Advisory Committee Announcement of November 18, 2011 Meeting. Committee to Focus on Matters Pertaining to Next Generation 911 Access for Persons with Disabilities. DA 11-1880.
Public Notice: Word || PDF

10-31-11 Notice Concerning Ex Parte Status of Presentations Made to the Emergency Access Advisory Committee. DA 11-1818.
Public Notice: Word || PDF

9-26-11 Emergency Access Advisory Committee Announcement of October 14, 2011 Meeting. Committee to Focus on Matters Pertaining to Next Generation 911 Access for Persons with Disabilities. DA 11-1599.
Public Notice: Word || PDF

8-30-11 Emergency Access Advisory Committee Announcement of September 9, 2011 Meeting. Committee to Focus on Matters Pertaining to Next Generation 911 Access for Persons with Disabilities. DA 11-1473.
Public Notice: Word || PDF

7-22-11 Two Reports of Advisory Committees on Disabilities Issues Released. Reports Are on Closed Captioning of Video Programming Delivered Using Internet Protocol and Emergency Calling for Persons With Disabilities: Survey Review And Analysis.
News Release: Word || PDF

7-21-11 Emergency Access Advisory Committee Announcement of August 12, 2011 Meeting. Committee to Focus on Matters Pertaining to Next Generation 911 Access for Persons with Disabilities. DA 11-1221.
Public Notice: Word || PDF

6-22-11 Emergency Access Advisory Committee Announcement of July 8, 2011 Meeting. Committee to Focus on Matters Pertaining to Next Generation 911 Access for Persons with Disabilities. DA 11-1092.
Public Notice: Word || PDF

5-17-11 Emergency Access Advisory Committee Announcement of June 10, 2011 Meeting. Committee to Focus on Matters Pertaining to Next Generation 911 Access for Persons with Disabilities. DA 11-882.
Public Notice: Word || PDF

4-13-11 Emergency Access Advisory Committee Announcement of May 6, 2011 Meeting. Committee to Focus on Matters Pertaining to Next Generation 911 Access for Persons with Disabilities. DA 11-677.
Public Notice: Word || PDF

3-25-11 Emergency Access Advisory Committee Announcement of April 8, 2011 Meeting. Committee to Focus on Matters Pertaining to Next Generation 911 Access for Persons with Disabilities. DA 11-553.
Public Notice: Word || PDF

3-16-11 Emergency Access Advisory Committee Releases National Survey to Learn About Emergency Calling by Individuals with Disabilities.
News Release: Word || PDF

2-18-11 Emergency Access Advisory Committee Announcement of March 11, 2011 Meeting. Committee to Focus on Matters Pertaining to Next Generation 911 Access for Persons with Disabilities. DA 11-329.
Public Notice: Word || PDF

1-24-11 Emergency Access Advisory Committee Announcement of February 11, 2011 Meeting. Committee to Focus on Matters Pertaining to Next Generation 911 Access for Persons with Disabilities.
Public Notice: Word || PDF

12-21-10 FCC Takes First Step to Help Revolutionize America's 9-1-1 Services for Consumers, First Responders.
News Release: Word || PDF NOI: Word || PDF Fact Sheet: Word || PDF Genachowski Statement: Word || PDF Copps Statement: Word || PDF McDowell Statement: Word || PDF Clyburn Statement: Word || PDF Baker Statement: Word || PDF

12-7-10 Membership in Two Disability-Focused Advisory Committees Announced; Transcript of November 30 Presentation on Implementation of Accessibility Act Available Online.
News Release: Word || PDF

12-7-10 Emergency Access Advisory Committee Announcement of Members and Co-Chairpersons.
Public Notice: Word || PDF || Erratum Released 1-11-11: Word || PDF

10-19-10 The FCC Requests Nominations for Membership on Emergency Access Advisory Committee (EAAC) in Accordance with the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act. DA 10-2001.
Public Notice: Word || PDF | News Release: Word || PDF

10-8-10 Statements on the Enactment of the Equal Access to 21st Century Communications Act.
Chairman Julius Genachowski: Word || PDF | Commissioner Mignon L. Clyburn: Word || PDF

Structure of the EAAC

Meeting Materials

1-14-11 Meeting

2-11-11 Meeting

3-11-11 Meeting

4-8-11 Meeting

5-6-11 Meeting

6-10-11 Meeting

7-8-11 Meeting

8-12-11 Meeting

9-9-11 Meeting

10-14-11 Meeting

11-18-11 Meeting

2-10-12 Meeting

3-30-12 Meeting

9-14-12 Meeting

10-12-12 Meeting

11-9-12 Meeting

12-14-12 Meeting

1-11-13 Meeting

3-1-13 Meeting

6-14-13 Meeting

Related Websites

http://www.broadband.gov/issues/public-safety.html. The nation's 9-1-1 emergency call system and the emergency alert systems are critical to ensure that people can reach emergency responders and receive important information concerning emergencies. Accordingly, it is vital that Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG911) and Next Generation Emergency Alerting (NG Alerting) technologies are deployed in the near future. Providing sufficient funding to support deployment of NG911 and removing regulatory barriers to its deployment should ensure that NG911 is made available across the country. Further, by exploring how to best enable NG911 and NG Alerting technologies, the FCC can ensure that the benefits of these technologies are available more quickly and efficiently.

http://www.know911.org/. The Nation's current 9-1-1 system is designed around telephone technology and cannot handle the text, data, images and video that are increasingly common in personal communications and critical to future transportation safety and mobility advances. The Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) Initiative has established the foundation for public emergency communications services in a wireless mobile society.

http://www.nena.org/?NG911_Project. In the past 15 years, advancements in modern communications technology have created the need for a more advanced system to access emergency care. While the existing 9-1-1 system has been a success story for more than 30 years, it has been stretched to its limit as technology advances. New wireless and IP-based communications devices are being developed at a rapid rate, offering capabilities such as text and video messaging. Unfortunately, the current 9-1-1 system was never intended to receive calls and data from these new and emerging technologies. As a result, through cumbersome adaptations, E9-1-1 is being asked to perform functions it was not designed to handle. In short, the nation's 9-1-1 systems are in need of a significant overhaul. NENA identified this need in 2000, published the Future Path Plan in 2001, and began development activities toward this end in 2003.

Updated:
Monday, September 29, 2014