Disability Access to Communications and the FCC

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
The access to communications starts at the FCC and flows down to several of its departments beginning with the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau (CGB); then to the Disability Rights Office. The FCC is responsible for making sure that people with different types of communication disabilities and needs have the necessary types of communication modes implemented through the many different technologies available.

CGB Offices
The Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau (CGB) develops and implements the Commission’s consumer policies, including disability access. We serve as the public face of the Commission through outreach and education, as well as through our Consumer Center, which is responsible for responding to consumer inquiries and complaints. CGB also maintains collaborative partnerships with state, local, and tribal governments in such critical areas as emergency preparedness and implementation of new technologies.

The Disability Rights Office
The Disability Rights Office (DRO) addresses disability-related telecommunications matters, including telecommunications relay service (TRS) (Section 225), access to telecommunications equipment and services by persons with disabilities (Section 255), access to emergency information, and closed captioning. DRO also provides expert advice and assistance, as required, to other Bureaus and Offices, consumers, industry, and others on issues relevant to persons with disabilities. DRO initiates rulemakings, where appropriate, for the development of disability policy; reviews relevant agenda items and other documents and coordinates with Bureaus and Offices to develop recommendations and propose policies to ensure that communications are accessible to persons with disabilities, in conformance with existing disability laws and policies, and that they support the Commission's goal of increasing accessibility of communications services and technologies for persons with disabilities.

http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/dro/

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.

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.

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
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
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.

DRO MANAGERS
Thomas Chandler, Chief
Cheryl King, Deputy Chief
Susan Kimmel, Deputy Chief

http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/cgb_offices.html#CGB
www.fcc.gov/cgb

E-mail: fccinfo@fcc.gov

http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/dro/
http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/dro/links.html
http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/dro/headlines.html