Regulatory

February 2015 – The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), the technology trade association that represents the U.S. consumer electronics industry, was appointed as an inaugural member to the FCC’s Disability Advisory Committee (DAC). In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the DAC will provide policy guidance to the FCC and assist in educating the public on disability-related matters, facilitating the participation of consumers with disabilities.

On February 10, 2015, Dr. Helena Mitchell, Executive Director at Georgia Tech’s Center for Advanced Communications and Principal Investigator for the Wireless Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (Wireless RERC), was appointed to the Federal Communications Commission’s Disability Advisory Committee (DAC).

The Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center for Wireless Technologies (Wireless RERC), in collaboration with Georgia Tech’s Center for Advanced Communications Policy (CACP), submitted comments in response to the FCC’s Public Notice, Request for Updated Information And Comment On Wireless Hearing Aid Compatibility (HAC) Regulations [WT Docket Nos. 07-250 and 10-254].

February 2015 – The FCC released a notice [47 CFR Part 20] correcting errors found in their December 23rd request for updated information to assess whether current hearing aid compatibility rules for wireless handsets effectively address the needs of people who are Deaf and hard of hearing.

October 2014 – The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), a technology trade association for the consumer electronics industry, announced the publication of its Accessibility Resource Center, a resource guide that helps CEA members meet the requirements of the Twenty-first Century  Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010 (CVAA). The resource guide is a collection of CEA guides, comments, and other actions that have been consolidated into a single quick-reference resource.