Wireless RERC - Regulatory

App Factory Releases 2014-2015 Call for Proposals

blippincott4 — Wed, 30 Apr 2014 04:00:00 +0000

Each year, the Wireless RERC’s App Factory invites experienced organizations or individual developers based in the U.S. to submit proposals for financial support to develop assistive and/or accessibility apps for mobile platforms (e.g., Android, Blackberry 10, iOS, Windows Phone).

Apps developed through this program include AccessNote by the American Foundation for the Blind, BrailleTouch by BrailleTech, LLC, and Sprint ID Accessibility Packs, Currency Identifier, and IDEAL Group Reader by Apps4Android.

Proposals for 2014-15 are due on June 30, 2014. Selection of proposals for funding will be on October 15. More information can be found in the PDF of the Call for Proposals below.

Related Files:

Attachment	Size
App Factory_RFP_2014.pdf	242.61 KB

Wireless RERC on the Record: FCC’s Section 504 Compliance

mz22 — Wed, 05 Oct 2016 16:08:51 +0000

Section 504 of Rehabilitation Act

Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

10.3.2016 – Comments of the Wireless RERC-Sec 504 Compliance

Publication Type:

Policy Filings

Georgia Tech’s Center for Advanced Communications Policy (CACP), in collaboration with the Wireless RERC, submitted comments to the Public Notice, Request for Comment on the Commission’s Policies and Practices to Ensure Compliance with Sections 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 [CG Docket No. 10-162]. Section 504 requires that federal agencies make their programs and activities accessible to people with disabilities. The FCC sought public input on their programmatic access. Wireless RERC comments asserted that baseline accessibility is consistently impacted by access to customer service and print and electronic materials furnished by industry and policy makers alike. To improve access to programs and services, we recommend addressing fundamental issues of awareness and accessible formats. The FCC’s American Sign Language (ASL) Consumer Support Line, launched to provide programmatic access to consumers who are deaf and hard of hearing whose primary language is ASL, was commended as a great step forward in providing parity of access. The support line enables the caller to make inquiries about disability-specific communications issues, as well as, obtain information that could impact any consumer, using their primary language. However, work remains to expand access to the rulemaking process. One part of the FCC’s Section 504 Handbook stipulated that the Commission will not transcribe or translate comments submitted in alternative formats. The Wireless RERC urged the Commission to reconsider this position. As it stands, the requirement that comments be filed in written English excludes people who rely on ASL from participating in the rulemaking process. Other comments addressed:

Ensuring the Accessibility Clearinghouse is prominently displayed on the website and its contents are reflective of consumer expectations and the evolution of technologies.
Adding a statement about relating to the person-first and using person-first language in written and verbal communications to the Section 504 Handbook’s Basic Principles of Access section.
Providing more detailed guidance on accessible print and electronic documents to improve FCC personnel’s awareness about and capability to deliver, accessible formats.

Wireless RERC on the Record: Advancing Access to Emergency Alerting

mz22 — Thu, 04 Aug 2016 18:52:35 +0000

Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA)

Emergency Alert System (EAS)

Wireless RERC Comments_June 8, 2016

Publication Type:

Policy Filings

Georgia Tech’s Center for Advanced Communications Policy (CACP), in collaboration with the Wireless RERC, submitted comments to the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) In the Matter of Amendment of Part 11 of the Commission’s Rules Regarding the Emergency Alert System [15-94]; Wireless Emergency Alerts [PS Docket No. 15-91]. The proposed changes in the NPRM are intended to strengthen the emergency alerting systems and to increase their effectiveness at prompting the public to take the appropriate protective actions. The major areas of change included improving alerting organization at the state level, bringing alerting tools up to date with advancements in technology, and developing community-based accessible public safety exercises. Wireless RERC comments contended that all communications received on digital devices should be accessible and concur that the proposed advancements for both WEA and EAS are a promising avenue for ensuring timely response and recognition of messages to safeguard all citizens. The recommendations made are intended to facilitate the maturation and modernization of both systems, empowering all to make informed choices that result in maximizing message diffusion and ensuring the same timely and effective access to alerts and warnings for people with disabilities.

Following are a sample of recommendations included in the comments:

To ensure that all members of the population understand the messages, emergency managers and those writing the plans should also be very specific in their instructions concerning emergency actions to be taken, eliminating jargon and abbreviations. Further, protective action instructions should be part of any State EAS Plan template, and that said template contains information ensuring that the needs of people with disabilities are included.
Crowdsourcing is proving to be a valuable tool for emergency managers in gathering and dispersing information. Nonetheless, the challenge of authenticating and verifying submitted information is a growing one, and currently only solved by the manual moderation of incoming reports. Continued review of agencies that utilize crowdsourcing technologies and social media during disaster response is recommended.
To ensure the accessibility of actual and test messages, EAS accessibility rules should apply across the board. The live code test presents an opportunity to gather data and feedback from the populace on the extent to which the accessibility requirements improve readability and comprehension of the message.
User data regarding the most frequent methods by which people receive emergency alerts supports the addition of State/Local WEA Testing in state-level preparedness procedures.
Comments supported the use of EAS and WEA public service announcements (PSAs). It was recommended that the PSAs present the information about the systems in several formats including audio, text, American Sign Language (ASL), and other languages with high usage in a particular area, and the symbol set provided by the IPAWS Symbology Plan approved by DHS and the National Alliance for Public Safety GIS Foundation.
Comments supported extending WEA rules to include tablets and other mobile devices, including wearable and other nontraditional communications devices. Given that wearable technology is a growing market and both people with and without disabilities have adopted its use, wearable technology should be integrated into the WEA/IPAWS environment.

NCD Funding Opportunity: Evaluate the Impact of Section 503 Rehabilitation Act Amendments

mz22 — Wed, 04 May 2016 16:04:47 +0000

National Council on Disability (NCD)

employment

Section 503

Funding Announcement

The National Council on Disability (NCD) released a notice of funding for a cooperative agreement. Applicants are given the opportunity to propose methods for determining the impact of increasing employment opportunities for people with disabilities. The project seeks to examine the implementation and projected effectiveness of the amended Section 503 regulations that became effective in March 2014. Among other things, the resultant report is expected to develop recommendations for improving employee self-disclosure rates and discuss the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs’s role in improving contractor compliance. The award amount is $100,000 and proposals are due May 31, 2016.

Wirelesss RERC @ The Disaster Response and Mitigation Forum

mz22 — Fri, 29 Apr 2016 13:39:12 +0000

Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA)

Emergency Alert System (EAS)

American Sign Language (ASL)

Symbology

Disaster Response and Mitigation Forum

Publication Type:

Presentations

Salimah LaForce and Christina Touzet presented a poster titled, Emergency Alert System (EAS) vs. Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA), at the Disaster Response and Mitigation Forum held at the Garage @ Tech Square on Fifth on Wednesday, April 27, 2016. The research, conducted by the Wireless RERC and funded by a grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR), presented the background and results of research activities that examined the effectiveness of EAS and WEA to provide alerts to people with disabilities. Specifically, the poster included comparative analyses of the awareness of EAS and WEA messages, the accessibility of the two systems, as well as the types of protective actions taken as a result of the emergency messages.

Ed Price demonstrated the Wireless RERC's prototype of a WEA Video Platform that includes IPAWS approved symbology and presents the WEA message content as an American Sign Language (ASL) video.

The goal for the forum was to understand ways in which to advance science and technology to improve disaster response. The Forum featured two panels with federal, state and local agency representatives, as well as speakers from NGOs, industry, and academic researchers. The forum included a reception along with a poster session that focused on technologies and applications that impact disaster response, address cutting-edge research that is being done to meet the challenges of disaster response, cover the latest disaster response policy issues, and address technology gaps that need to be filled to help identify solutions.

Wireless RERC on the Record: Volume Control Standards for Hearing Aid Compatibility

mz22 — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 14:33:38 +0000

Hearing Aid Compatibility (HAC)

Wireless RERC HAC 2016 Comments

Publication Type:

Policy Filings

The Wireless RERC, in collaboration with Georgia Tech’s Center for Advanced Communications Policy (CACP) filed comments before the FCC in response to the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) In the Matter of Access to Telecommunications Equipment and Services by Persons with Disabilities [CG Docket No. 12-32]; Petition for Rulemaking Filed by the Telecommunication Industry Association Regarding Hearing Aid Compatibility Volume Control Requirements [CG Docket No. 13-46]; Amendment of the Commission’s Rules Governing Hearing Aid-Compatible Mobile Handsets [WT Docket No. 07-250]; Comment Sought on 2010 Review of Hearing Aid Compatibility Regulations [WT Docket No. 10-254]. The comments, in large part, were informed by analyses of data collected via the Wireless RERC’s hearing aid compatibility (HAC) survey research. The 2014 HAC survey was designed to gather data from people who use hearing aids and cochlear implants on how well their hearing technology works with their wireless handsets. Answers to the survey questions have provided insight into the effectiveness of hearing aid compatibility requirements in the United States, as well as the need for any amendments to the rules.

The Wireless RERC’s comments supported the incorporation of the proposed 2012 ANSI Wireline Volume Control Standard, and further recommended extending any technology requirements for wireline phones to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phones, as well. Regarding applying the volume control standard to wireless devices, the comments took a more modified approach. While the Wireless RERC generally agrees with the FCC’s belief “that standards and requirements for manufacturers and service providers are needed for volume control in wireless handsets as well^{^[1]}” and respondents to the Wireless RERC’s 2014 HAC Survey indicated that volume control impacted the usability of their wireless handset; ultimately the Wireless RERC supported further investigation of whether it is necessary to incorporate a volume control standard for wireless handsets, recognizing that this might take longer than voluntary compliance via industry driven solutions. Given the complexity of interactions between increasingly sophisticated and powerful wireless handsets, telecom delivery services (i.e. VoIP), hearing aids and the variability of hearing loss amongst the users, the difficulty of crafting regulations that improves access for end-users is not overlooked by the Wireless RERC/CACP. Nevertheless, people with hearing loss deserve and are entitled to parity of access to telecommunications services, wireless, or otherwise.

[1] 1996 HAC R&O, 11 FCC Rcd at 8282 ¶ 78.

WEA - Optimizing Ability of Message Receipt by People with Disabilities

mz22 — Fri, 19 Feb 2016 15:17:20 +0000

Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA)

Optimizing Ability of Message Receipt by People with Disabilities: Prototype Findings Report/Vibration Scale Final Report

February 9, 2016 - In 2014, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate funded the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), Center for Advanced Communications Policy to examine and report on how to optimize Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) message receipt by people with disabilities. The research conducted under this contract with DHS S&T builds upon research initiated via the Wireless RERC emergency communications research and development projects.

Reaching people with disabilities, including the deaf and hard of hearing, with WEA messages is critical, in part because people with disabilities utilize and depend on wireless devices, including mobile phones at more than 96 percent. Their devices become even more important during emergencies. The aim of this project was to assist in understanding and identifying ways to ensure that people with disabilities had timely and effective access to WEA messages. This report summarizes the findings.

Wireless RERC on the Record: Wireless Emergency Alerts & Accessibility

mz22 — Thu, 11 Feb 2016 18:39:34 +0000

Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA)

Read the Comments of the Wireless RERC and CACP

Publication Type:

Policy Filings

January 13, 2016 - The Wireless RERC, in collaboration with Georgia Tech’s Center for Advanced Communications Policy (CACP), added their expertise to support several of the proposed enhancements to the Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) system. In a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking released by the FCC In the Matter of Improving Wireless Emergency Alerts and Community Initiated Alerting [PS Docket 15-91], the FCC requested stakeholder input on several ways to enhance the effectiveness and content of WEA messages. Wireless RERC and CACP research on the accessibility of WEA messages for people with disabilities provided empirical data in support of their recommendations. From a regulatory review and literature review conducted under contract with the Integrated Public Alert & Warning System (IPAWS) Project Management Office (PMO), a framework was developed that identified influencing factors that, if not optimal, could negatively impact the effectiveness of WEA messages. For example, current WEA regulations limit the potential of the system. Most notably the 90 character maximum length and the geotargeting boundaries being too large (i.e., county wide). Additionally, the rules currently prohibit the use of URLs and dialable numbers. The accessibility provisions only addressed alert notification signals (i.e., vibration cadence and alert tone) but not access to the content of the message. For people with disabilities, these features would be especially useful as it would enable them to receive more information about the event in a format that is accessible to them, or made accessible via the assistive technology they have installed on their WEA capable device. Following are a few examples of the recommendations found in the comments:

Rules governing WEA should be updated to increase the character limitation. Doing so should decrease the need to rely on abbreviations and acronyms in order to stay within the character limitation.
Rules governing WEA should be updated to allow for the inclusion of URLs. This would be a step towards enabling the next-generation of WEA, as URLs can contain the additional information the public seeks, including American Sign Language (ASL) videos, emergency management websites or social media feeds, and more.
Improve the geotargeting capabilities of the WEA system. This should increase the relevance of WEA messages to the recipients and likewise, increase their trust of the message, encouraging them to take the desired protective actions.
Testing of the WEA system should extend beyond the providers’ infrastructure to the mobile devices in use by the public. This should increase public awareness of WEA, as many users learned of WEA only after receiving a WEA message for the first time. The test message could include a link to the IPAWS PMO’s frequently asked questions regarding WEA.

FCC Aims to Improve Wireless Emergency Alerts

mz22 — Fri, 18 Dec 2015 15:03:41 +0000

Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA)

NPRM on Improving WEA

In efforts to strengthen emergency communications, the FCC released a Noticed of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) In the Matter of Improving Wireless Emergency Alerts and Community Initiated Alerting [PS Docket No. 15-91]. Some of the main issues on which the NPRM is seeking stakeholder input include:

Increasing the maximum WEA character length from 90 characters to 360 characters;
Adding a fourth message type, “Emergency Governmental Information” which would allow for alerting authorities to send out information concerning shelter locations, boil water advisories and other pertinent life and property saving information that comes in the wake of an initial emergency message;
The technical feasibility of the provision of multilingual WEA messages; and
Revising the rules to require the geotargeting of WEA messages to be more precise.

Additionally, the FCC would like to know if and how these, and other proposed changes would improve the accessibility of WEA messages to people with disabilities. Once the NPRM is published in the Federal Register, stakeholders (e.g. the public, mobile phone manufactures and service providers, organizations representing the interests of people with disabilities, academics, emergency managers, etc.) will have 30 days to submit comments and 60 days to submit reply comments.

Wireless RERC Comments on Accessible Emergency Communications

mz22 — Thu, 19 Nov 2015 20:37:55 +0000

Emergency Alert System (EAS)

Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA)

Publication Type:

Policy Filings

November 19, 2015 - The Wireless RERC submitted ex parte comments to the Federal Communications Commission in open proceedings concerning the Emergency Alert System [Docket Nos. 15-94 and 04-296] and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) [Docket Nos. 15-91 and 07-287]. The document presents the background and results of research activities which were conducted to examine the effectiveness of EAS and WEA to provide alerts to people with disabilities. Specifically, the Wireless RERC conducted comparative analyses of the awareness of EAS and WEA messages, the accessibility of the two systems, as well as the types of protective actions taken as a result of the emergency messages. The survey research occurred between 2011 and 2014 and the results, analyses and recommendations were completed in 2015 and were submitted for consideration in the above-referenced rulemakings. This research is provided to government entities to supply unbiased data and evaluation to help ensure that individuals with disabilities have equal access to critical lifesaving information through digitally-based warning systems.

Related Files:

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Ex Parte _WEA_EAS_ResearchBrief_FINAL.pdf	383.24 KB