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 NEWS  News  Media  Information  202  /  418-  0500  TTY  202  /  418-  2555  Fax-  On-  Demand  202  /  418-  2830  Internet:  http://  www.  fcc.  gov  ftp.  fcc.  gov  Federal  Communications  Commission  445  12  th  Street,  S.  W.  Washington,  D.  C.  20554  This  is  an  unofficial  announcement  of  Commission  action.  Release  of  the  full  text  of  a  Commission  order  constitutes  official  action.  See  MCI  v.  FCC.  515  F  2d  385  (D.  C.  Circ  1974). 
 FOR  IMMEDIATE  RELEASE  News  Media  Contact: 
 September  26,  2001  Rosemary  Kimball  at  (202)  418-  0511 
 TTY  (202)  418-  2555 


 FCC  CONSUMER  INFORMATION  BUREAU  PARTICIPATES 
 IN  RESCHEDULED  TELECOMMUNICATIONS  AND  DISABILITY  ACCESS 
 WEB  CAST  TRAINING  FORUM  ON  OCTOBER  1 
 Bureau  Chief  Dane  Snowden  Provides  Remarks  on  Section  255  of  the  Telecommunications  Act 
 Deputy  Bureau  Chief  Karen  Peltz  Strauss,  Expert  Panelist 


 Washington,  DC  –  K.  Dane  Snowden,  chief  of  the  Consumer  Information  Bureau  at  the 
 Federal  Communications  Commission  (FCC)  ,  will  provide  introductory  remarks  for  a  free  Live 
 Web  Cast  training  entitled  “Making  Telecommunications  Products  and  Services  Accessible  to 
 People  With  Disabilities.” 


 The  web  cast,  originally  scheduled  for  September  11,  will  be  held  Monday,  October  1 
 from  1  to  3  PM. 


 Sponsored  by  the  Information  Technology  Technical  Assistance  and  Training  Center 
 (ITTATC),  a  non-  profit  consortium  housed  at  the  Georgia  Institute  of  Technology,  the  web-enabled 
 training  forum  will  include  practical  advice  from  the  FCC  on  the  requirements  of 
 Section  255  of  the  Telecommunications  Act.  The  purpose  of  the  event  is  to  expand  awareness 
 among  consumers  on  FCC  regulations  for  Section  255  and  to  educate  industry  designers, 
 managers,  and  marketers  on  FCC  requirements  for  making  telecommunications  products  and 
 services  accessible  to  America’s  53  million  Americans  with  disabilities. 


 Section  255  of  the  Telecommunications  Act  of  1996  requires  telecommunications 
 manufacturers  and  providers  of  telecommunications  services  to  make  their  products  and  services 
 accessible  to  and  useable  by  individuals  with  disabilities,  if  readily  achievable.  If  it  is  not  readily 
 achievable  to  provide  access,  Section  255  requires  manufacturers  and  providers  to  make  their 
 devices  and  services  compatible  with  the  peripheral  devices  and  specialized  customer  premises 
 equipment  that  are  commonly  used  by  people  with  disabilities.  Examples  of  accessible  designs 
 include  the  raised  ‘nib’  “number  5”  on  phone  keypads  to  provide  orientation,  talking  caller  ID, 
 text  telephone  or  TTY  compatibility  with  phone  systems,  and  bills  provided  in  alternative 
 formats  such  as  large  font  or  even  Brailled.  People  with  vision  or  hearing  disabilities  benefit 
 greatly  from  design  and  fabrication  of  products  and  services  that  include  the  requirements  of 
 Section  255,  although  America’s  growing  aging  population  and  people  with  other  physical  and 
 mental  limitations  also  likely  benefit  from  the  design  requirements. 


 (over) 
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 FCC  Consumer  Information  Bureau  Deputy  Chief  Karen  Peltz  Strauss  is  the  expert 
 panelist  on  the  Training  Forum,  providing  live  information  and  technical  assistance  to 
 participants’  questions  about  Section  255  during  the  two-  hour  long  broadcast.  Additionally  the 
 training  forum  will  address  the  regulations  for  Section  508  of  the  Rehabilitation  Act,  effective 
 June  21,  2001,  that  require  federal  departments  and  agencies  to  procure,  maintain,  use  and 
 develop  electronic  and  information  technology  (including  telecommunications)  that  meets  new 
 disability  access  standards.  Speakers  from  other  agencies  will  address  these  regulations. 


 ITTATC’s  training  event  is  broadcast  1:  00-  3:  00  P.  M.  EST,  via  the  web,  from  the 
 Chantilly,  VA,  studios  of  TVWorldwide.  com’s  AbleTV.  net  with  free  registration  available  at 
 www.  ittatc.  org.  The  webcast  will  feature  AbleTV.  net’s  captioned  video  streaming  or 
 “webcapting”  process  to  aid  those  with  disabilities  in  participating  in  the  training  forum  via  chat, 
 E-  mail,  facsimile  and  phone. 


 FCC  Consumer  Information  Bureau  contact  in  Disabilities  Rights  Office:  Jenifer 
 Simpson  at  202-  418-  0008  (voice),  202-  418-  1169  (TTY),  or  Email  jsimpson@  fcc.  gov. 


 -  FCC  -( 
 Docket  WT  96-  198) 
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