Oct
08
2015

Disability Advisory Committee Meeting

9:00 am - 3:30 pm EDT
Room TW-C305 (Commission Meeting Room) 445 12th Street, S.W., Washington, DC 20554

The Disability Advisory Committee met on Thursday, October 8, 2015, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time, at the FCC's headquarters, Room TW-C305 (Commission Meeting Room), 445 12th Street, S.W., Washington, DC 20554. The meeting was open to the public and webcast live with open captioning at www.fcc.gov/live.

The Disability Advisory Committee was established in December 2014 to make recommendations on a wide array of disability matters within the jurisdiction of the Commission, and to facilitate the participation of people with disabilities in proceedings before the Commission. The Committee has established subcommittees to consider the following four issues:

  • Communications Subcommittee: Access to communications services and equipment (including advanced communications, telecommunications, and hearing aid compatibility)
  • Emergency Communications Subcommittee: Next Generation 911 and emergency alerting (Emergency Alerting System (EAS) and Wireless Alert (WEA))
  • Relay/Equipment Distribution Subcommittee: Telecommunications relay services and the National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program
  • Video Programming Subcommittee: Video programming access, including closed captioning, video description, access to video programming apparatus, and access to televised emergency information).

At its October 8, 2015 meeting, the Committee received reports and recommendations from its subcommittees, as follows:

  • A recommendation from its Communications Subcommittee regarding ways to address the needs of people with disabilities in new and emerging technologies.
  • A report on the activities of its Emergency Communications Subcommittee.
  • Proposed comments from its Relay/Equipment Distribution Subcommittee for the DAC to file in FCC Docket GN 13-5 regarding the transition of communication networks to Internet protocol.
  • A report on the activities of its Video Programming Subcommittee.
  • Recommendations from its Real Time Text (RTT) Ad Hoc Subcommittee regarding the FCC Public Notice about AT&T's Petition for Waiver and Petition for Rulemaking.

Additionally, the Committee celebrated the fifth anniversary of the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act, discussed new issues to be taken under consideration and addressed comments and inquiries from the public.

For further information contact: Elaine Gardner, DAC Designated Federal Officer, Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau, Disability Rights Office, (202) 418-0581 (voice); or Suzy Rosen Singleton, Alternate DAC Designated Federal Officer, Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau, Disability Rights Office, (202) 510-9446 (VP/voice). Both parties can also be reached by email at DAC@fcc.gov.

Meeting minutes will be available for public inspection on the Committee's website at http://www.fcc.gov/disability-advisory-committee.

Meeting Minutes