Telecommunications Act Accessibility Guidelines for Customer Premises Equipment and Telecommunications Equipment

ARCHITECTURAL AND TRANSPORTATION BARRIERS COMPLIANCE BOARD

Telecommunications Act Accessibility Guidelines for Customer

Premises Equipment and Telecommunications Equipment

AGENCY: Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board.

ACTION: Notice of intent to establish advisory committee.

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SUMMARY: The Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board

(Access Board) announces its intent to establish a Telecommunications

Access Advisory Committee (Committee) to develop accessibility

guidelines under the Telecommunications Act of 1996 and requests

applications from interested organizations for representatives to serve

on the Committee. The Committee will make recommendations to the Access

Board on accessibility guidelines for telecommunications equipment and

customer premises equipment.

DATES: Applications should be received by April 29, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Applications should be sent to the Office of Technical and

Information Services, Architectural and Transportation Barriers

Compliance Board, 1331 F Street, NW., suite 1000, Washington, D.C.

20004-1111. Fax number (202) 272-5447. Applications may also be sent

via electronic mail to the Access Board at the following address:

[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dennis Cannon, Office of Technical and

Information Services, Architectural and Transportation Barriers

Compliance Board, 1331 F Street, NW., suite 1000, Washington, D.C.

20004-1111. Telephone number (202) 272-5434 extension 35 (Voice); (202)

272-5449 (TTY). Electronic mail address: [email protected]. This

document is available in alternate formats (cassette tape, braille,

large print, or computer disc) upon request.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On February 8, 1996, the President signed

the Telecommunications Act of 1996. The Architectural and

Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board) is responsible

for developing accessibility guidelines in conjunction

[[Page 13814]]

with the Federal Communications Commission under section 255(e) of the

Act for telecommunications equipment and customer premises

equipment.1

\1\ The Access Board is an independent Federal agency

established by section 502 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as

amended, whose primary mission is to promote accessibility for

individuals with disabilities. The Access Board consists of 25

members. Thirteen are appointed by the President from among the

public, a majority of who are required to be individuals with

disabilities. The other twelve are heads of the following Federal

agencies or their designees whose positions are Executive Level IV

or above: The Departments of Health and Human Services, Education,

Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, Labor, Interior,

Defense, Justice, Veterans Affairs, and Commerce; General Services

Administration; and United States Postal Services.

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The term ``telecommunications equipment'' is defined as equipment,

other than customer premises equipment, used by a carrier to provide

telecommunications services, and includes software integral to such

equipment (including upgrades). Public Law 104-104, section

3(a)(2)(50). The term ``customer premises equipment'' is defined as

equipment employed on the premises of a person (other than a carrier)

to originate, route, or terminate telecommunications. Public Law 104-

104, section 3(a)(2)(38).

The Telecommunications Act requires the accessibility guidelines to

be issued within 18 months after the date of enactment. The Board is

also required to review and update the guidelines periodically. The

Board's guidelines for telecommunications equipment and customer

premises equipment are required to principally address the access needs

of individuals with disabilities affecting hearing, vision, movement,

manipulation, speech, and interpretation of information.

The Senate report to the Telecommunications Act directs the Board

to develop its guidelines by involving parties affected by the law.

``The Committee expects that manufacturers of equipment and providers

of service will be fully included in this process.'' S. Rept. 104-23,

at 53. Throughout the process of developing its guidelines, the Access

Board, in conjunction with the Federal Communications Commission,

intends to coordinate and consult with representatives of individuals

with disabilities and interested telecommunications equipment and

service providers to ensure that their concerns and interests are given

full consideration in the rulemaking process.

The Access Board will begin the process of developing the

accessibility guidelines by establishing a Telecommunications Access

Advisory Committee. The establishment of the Committee is in the public

interest and will support the agency in performing its duties and

responsibilities under the Telecommunications Act of 1996. The Access

Board believes that the Committee will facilitate the involvement of

individuals with disabilities and telecommunications equipment and

service providers in the development of the guidelines.

The Committee will make recommendations to the Access Board on

issues such as:

Types of equipment to be covered by the guidelines;

Barriers to the use of such equipment by persons with

disabilities affecting hearing, vision, movement, manipulation, speech,

and interpretation of information;

Solutions to such barriers, if known, categorized by

disability (different solutions may be needed for different

disabilities) and research on such barriers; and

Contents of the guidelines.

The Committee will be expected to present a report with its

recommendations to the Access Board within six months of the

Committee's first meeting. The Access Board requests applications from

organizations representing the following interests for membership on

the Committee:

Manufacturers of telecommunications equipment and customer

premises equipment;

Manufacturers and developers of peripheral devices or

specialized customer premises equipment commonly used by individuals

with disabilities to achieve access;

Organizations representing the access needs of individuals

with disabilities affecting hearing, vision, movement, manipulation,

speech, and interpretation of information;

Telecommunications providers and carriers;

Developers of telecommunications software; and

Other persons affected by these accessibility guidelines.

The number of Committee members will be limited to effectively

accomplish the Committee's work and will be balanced in terms of

interests represented. Organizations with similar interests are

encouraged to nominate a single organization to represent their

interest. Although the Committee will be limited in size, there will be

opportunities for the public to present written information to the

Committee, participate through the Internet and to comment at Committee

meetings.

Applications should be sent to the Access Board at the address

listed at the beginning of this notice. The application should include

a statement of the organization's interests and the name, title,

address and telephone number of the person who would represent the

organization on the Committee. The application should also describe the

person's qualifications, including any experience the person has had

with making telecommunications equipment and customer premises

equipment accessible to individuals with disabilities.

Committee members will not be compensated for their service. The

Access Board may pay travel expenses for a limited number of persons

who would otherwise be unable to participate on the Committee.

Committee members will serve as representatives of their organizations,

not as individuals. They will not be considered special government

employees and will not be required to file confidential financial

disclosure reports.

After the applications have been reviewed, the Access Board will

publish a notice in the Federal Register announcing the appointment of

Committee members and the first meeting of the Committee. The first

meeting of the Committee is tentatively scheduled for June 10-12, 1996

in Washington, D.C. The Committee will operate in accordance with the

Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. app 2. Committee meetings will

be held in Washington, D.C. Each meeting will be open to the public. A

notice of each meeting will be published in the Federal Register at

least fifteen days in advance of the meeting. Records will be kept of

each meeting and made available for public inspection.

Judith E. Heumann,

Chairman, U.S. Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance

Board.

[FR Doc. 96-7583 Filed 3-27-96; 8:45 am]

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