Regulatory

January 3, 2013—The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Wireless Telecommunications Bureau extended the comment filing deadline regarding the 2010 Review of the Hearing Aid Compatibility (HAC) Regulations. The call for comments was originally made on November 27, 2012 in which the Bureau sought public input on the effectiveness of FCC rules on HAC of wireless handsets, with specific regards to how technological advances have affected HAC.

December 2012 - At the end of December, several disability organizations, referred to collectively as the “Consumer Groups,” filed an informal complaint with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) alleging that Amazon.com, Inc. (Amazon) repeatedly violated the FCC Internet Protocol (IP) closed captioning rules, 47 C.F.R. § 79.4. Under the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA) enacted in 2010, television shows and videos available online are required to provide captions and increase accessibility for all individuals, including those with disabilities.

The Wireless RERC filed comments with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in response to their Notice of Proposed Rulemaking In the Matter of Accessible Emergency Information, and Apparatus Requirements for Emergency Information and Video Description:  Implementation of the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010.  The comments highlighted research findings of the Wireless RERC concerning the accessibility of emergency alerts, including that people with vision loss consistently encounter challenges in accessing the content of emergenc

The Wireless RERC filed comments with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in response to their Public Notice In the Matter of Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau Seeks Comment on the Legal and Statutory Framework for Next Generation 9-1-1 Services Pursuant to the Next Generation 9-1-1 Advancement Act of 2012.  The comments recommended state level coordination of the transition to NG9-1-1, noting such coordination would aid in outreach efforts once NG9-1-1 services are implemented, for example in streamlining the resources needed to create materials in alterna

December 12, 2012 — The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking [FCC 12-149] that proposed rules requiring all wireless carriers and providers of Internet-based text messaging applications to enable customers to send text messages to 911 centers (text-to-911).