Karen Peltz Strauss Coalition of Organizations for Accessible Technology (COAT)

1. Accessible Communications in the 21st CenturyNARUC Committee on Consumer AffairsWinter MeetingFebruary 17, 2007 Karen Peltz Strauss Coalition of Organizations for Accessible Technology (COAT)

2. Coalition of Organizations for Accessible Technology “COAT” • Currently 175 national, regional, and community-based organizations • Dedicated to ensuring access to emerging digital and Internet-based technologies • Started in March, 2007 • Objective: Close gaps in current federal accessibility laws on communications and video programming

3. COAT Principles • Americans with Disabilities need access to emerging digital and Internet-based technologies in order to have equal opportunities to employment, educational, civic, and informational benefits, and to be independent and productive citizens of our society. • Federal laws enacted in the 1980s and 1990s safeguarding telecommunications access have not kept pace with new Internet-based and many digital technologies. • When access features are built into technologies from the start they are easily integrated into product design; when this does not occur, retrofitting products is often burdensome and expensive. • Universally accessible design benefits everyone – e.g., closed captioning on video programming, cell phones that vibrate or have audio output, talking caller ID devices, etc.

4. 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2007 http://markey.house.gov/docs/telecomm/draft_of_telecom_legislation.pdf House Discussion Draft: released December, 2007

5. 21st Century Access: Communications • Expand Section 255-type accessibility protections to Internet-enabled communications services • Add improved accountability and enforcement measures for accessibility • Clearinghouse of accessible products and services • Reporting obligations by companies • Reports to Congress by FCC • Better outreach and education

6. Communications Access (cont’d) • Relay Services • Expand relay obligations to Internet-enabled communications services • Clarify scope of Section 225 of the Communications Act to include calls using multiple forms of relay services between and among people with disabilities (in addition to calls between people with disabilities and individuals without disabilities) • Hearing Aid Compatibility • Expand hearing aid compatibility obligations to Internet-enabled communications

7. Communications Access Universal Service Reform Lifeline and Link-up Subsidies for Broadband • Current law: Lifeline and Link-up programs offer discounts for telephone (PSTN) installation and service • Proposal: Allow consumers to apply these USF subsidies to broadband fees • Would reduce costs for individuals who use video relay services, peer-to-peer video calls

8. Universal Service Reform (Broadband – cont’d) • Reliance by deaf community on American Sign Language (ASL) through IP-based video services • Functionally equivalent to voice telephone services provided over the PSTN • Conversations flow more naturally, quickly, and transparently between the parties • Low Internet penetration rate by people with disabilities, especially in rural communities (lower employment, less discretionary income) • Measure would encourage broadband use among low income persons with hearing and speech disabilities to acquire access to IP-based video communication services

9. Universal Service Reform Telecommunications Equipment for People who are Deaf-Blind • Current: Some state programs distribute free or discounted specialized customer premises equipment • Problem: Little or no equipment for people who are deaf-blind in these programs • Proposal: Allocate up to $10 million/year from the Universal Service Fund for communications equipment for people who are deaf-blind • Provide incentives to develop new equipment capable of enhancing independence and productivity of this population

10. 21st Century Access: Video Programming Closed Captioning • Expand Television Decoder Circuitry Act to all video programming devices that are designed to receive or display analog, digital, and Internet programming, including video devices of all sizes and recording and playback devices: PDAs, MP3 players, VCRs, DVRs, battery-operated TVs, etc. • Require easy access to closed captioning features (e.g., button on remote, first level menu access) • Extend FCC’s closed captioning obligations to “television-type” video programming distributed over the Internet (not user-generated content)

11. Video Programming (cont’d) Video Description • Restore FCC’s video description rules (for people who are blind or who have low vision) and extend rules to digital TV • Require non-visual access to on-screen emergency warnings and information • Ensure that the new DTV standard includes the capacity to deliver video description Accessible user interfaces • Require access by people who are blind or who have low vision to television controls (volume, channel selection, etc.) • Require access (e.g., audio output) by people who are blind or who have low vision to navigational on-screen menus

12. COAT As our nation migrates from legacy public switched-based telecommunications to more versatile and innovative IP-based and other communication technologies, it is critical to the economic wellbeing of our nation, as well as the integration and self-reliance of people with disabilities, to not leave these individuals behind. • Learn more about COAT: visit www.COATaccess.org • Questions? Write to info@coataccess.org