PUBLIC NOTICE Federal Communications Commission 445 12 th St., S.W. Washington, D.C. 20554 News Media Information 202 / 418-0500 Internet: http://www.fcc.gov TTY: 1-888-835-5322 DA 16-1126 Released: September 30, 2016 FCC TO HOLD DIRECT VIDEO CALLING SHOWCASE Technology is Designed to Facilitate Direct Video Telephone Conversations to Call Centers from American Sign Language Users By this Public Notice, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) invites businesses, human resource leaders, technology innovators, and governmental policy-makers to attend its Direct Video Calling Showcase on Friday, November 4, 2016 from 3:00-5:00 p.m. at the FCC’s headquarters, Room TW-C305 (Commission Meeting Room), 445 12 th Street, S.W., Washington DC 20554. Direct video calling enables consumers with disabilities who use American Sign Language (ASL) to make video calls directly over broadband transmissions to business and government call centers. The FCC’s Direct Video Calling Showcase will illustrate how the availability of the direct video calling option can help businesses and government agencies be more accessible to individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, speech-disabled or deaf-blind, by providing ways for these populations to directly contact entities in sign language using video transmissions. Among other things, the Showcase will demonstrate an open-source direct video calling technology developed by the Commission. Technical and policy experts will be on-site to answer any questions about this service, including questions about how to set up direct video calling capability in their call centers. Direct video calling increases the efficiency and effectiveness of communications for individuals with disabilities, and helps to ensure the accessibility of call centers. This technology – which is readily obtainable, affordable and easy to implement – can help ensure the accuracy of communications, enhance caller privacy, and expedite call handling. Agencies and businesses can use high-speed broadband and their own internal networks to set up direct video without compromising security. The resulting employment opportunities afforded to members of the deaf, hard of hearing, deaf-blind and speech- disabled community, who can serve as call center representatives, provide an added benefit of this form of communication. Manufacturers and vendors of contact center platforms, video calling solutions, or other products and services that can enable direct video calling capabilities for call centers are also invited to this event for the purpose of exhibiting their direct video calling solutions. Requests to exhibit such technologies will be taken on a first-come-first-served basis. Please note that technical facilities will be limited. To RSVP to the Showcase, or to request the opportunity to exhibit a direct video calling technology, please visit: https://www.fcc.gov/DVCShowcase. For more information about the Showcase, please contact the FCC’s Direct Video Calling team at DVC@fcc.gov, or call 202-769-0760. For more information about direct video calling, visit http://www.fcc.gov/general/direct-video-communications. FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler’s blog post at https://www.fcc.gov/news-events/blog/2015/04/14/direct-video-communication-access-people-who-are- deaf-hard-hearing-and. For more news and information about the Federal Communications Commission please visit: www.fcc.gov.