Wireless RERC Weighs in on Accessible Mobile Phone Options - September 2010

The Wireless RERC filed reply comments in Public Notice [CG 10-145] seeking comment on Accessible Mobile Phone Options for People who are Blind, Deaf-blind, or Have Low Vision. In the initial comment period, the FCC sought input on six questions that addressed the technical feasibility of accessibility solutions, features currently on the market place that are not accessible, cost of implementation, cost as an obstacle, and guidance on technical and policy solutions that would reduce barriers to mobile phone technology, service and information. The Wireless RERC replied to comments filed by CTIA – The Wireless Association, the American Foundation for the Blind, AT&T, and a consumer who identified himself as being blind. The comments, among other things, supported stakeholder involvement and awareness campaigns on accessible mobile phone options, recommended that information on accessible phone models be placed on the home page of companies’ websites, and addressed the impact that inaccessible cell phone features could have on the accessibility of the forthcoming Commercial Mobile Alert System. They also recommended that the software that provides voice control, speech-to-text, and text-to-speech/screenreader functionality become part of the standard (out-of-the-box) suite of capabilities of all wireless communication devices.