[Nfbf-l] Implementation rules for the new telecommunications Law

[Kirk]

Hello friends, am passing  this along to all interested party's. Patricia, I 
am sure you have already received this information several times, so please 
disregard this email! Your friend in the cause, Kirk Harmon
On March 3, 2011, the Federal Communications Commission issued three Notices 
of Proposed Rulemaking to make communications and video
programming accessible by people with disabilities:  (1) Advanced 
Communications; (2) Video Description and (3) contributions to the
telecommunications relay service (TRS) Fund.  Each of the proposed rules are 
part of the FCC's implementation of the 21st Century
Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010, a law designed to ensure 
that 54 million individuals with disabilities in the
United States have full access to new and emerging communication services, 
equipment and networks.



The first NPRM approved by the Commission asks questions about how best to 
ensure that Americans with disabilities have access to
advanced communications equipment and services, including electronic 
messaging (e-mail, instant messaging, etc.), video
communications, and voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) communications 
services.  It also, seeks comments on how to make ensure that
Internet browsers built into mobile telephones are accessible by people who 
are blind or visually impaired.  Finally, it asks about
new recordkeeping obligations for companies covered by these new 
obligations, as well as ways to make it easier for consumers to
file complaints when they do not get the access that they need.



http://www.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2011/db0303/FCC-11-37A1.doc

http://www.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2011/db0303/FCC-11-37A1.pdf

http://www.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2011/db0303/FCC-11-37A1.txt



The second NPRM reinstates the FCC's video description rules, which had been 
overturned by a federal court in 2002.  Video
description is the insertion of audio narrated descriptions of a television 
program's key visual elements into natural pauses in the
program's dialogue.  Video description is designed to make video programming 
more accessible to individuals who are blind or
visually impaired.



On February 16, 2011, the Enforcement Bureau Commission issued the attached 
advisory reminding providers of their obligations to
comply with Commission rules governing the provision of VRS and IP Relay 
regardless of the technology used to make a call.  In
particular, VRS providers must comply with the Commissions emergency call 
handling rules.  The emergency call handling rules for IP
Relay and VRS providers include, among other things, the following 
requirements:



·         IP Relay and VRS providers must transmit all 911 calls -- as well 
as automatic number identification (ANI, generally the
caller's 10-digit number), the caller's registered location, the name of the 
Internet-based TRS provider, and the communications
assistant's (CA's) identification number for each call -- to the public 
safety answering point (PSAP), or other appropriate local
emergency authority that serves the caller's registered location;

·         IP Relay and VRS providers must answer incoming emergency calls 
before any non-emergency call, i.e., prioritize the
emergency calls and move them to the top of the queue;

·         IP Relay and VRS providers must route all 911 calls through the 
use of ANI, and, if necessary, pseudo-ANI, via the
dedicated wireline E911 network to the PSAP, or appropriate local emergency 
authority that serves the caller's registered location;

·         If the Internet-based TRS is capable of being used from more than 
one location, the IP Relay and VRS provider must offer
the consumer one or more methods of updating his or her registered location 
at will and in a timely manner.  At least one of those
methods must allow the user to update his or her registered location from 
the equipment he or she uses to access the Internet-based
TRS;

·         In the event that one or both legs of the emergency call (i.e., 
either between the TRS user and the CA or between the CA
and the PSAP/other emergency authority) is disconnected, the IP Relay or VRS 
provider must immediately re-establish contact with the
TRS user and/or the appropriate PSAP or other emergency authority.



The following are links to the FCC Enforcement Advisory:

http://www.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2011/db0216/DA-11-304A1.doc

http://www.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2011/db0216/DA-11-304A1.pdf

http://www.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2011/db0216/DA-11-304A1.txt










Kirk Harmon
President & CEO
Florida Disabled Citizens
for Progress
P.O.Box 61794
Jacksonville, FL 32236
PH(904) 783-9896
Cell: (407) 473-2176
DAV/BVA
Life Member

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