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 NEWS  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).  News  Media  Information  202  /  418-  0500  Internet:  http://  www.  fcc.  gov  TTY:  1-  888-  835-  5322 
 For  immediate  release:  News  Media  contact:  March  13,  2003  Rosemary  Kimball  at  (202)  418-  0511  (voice) 
 (202)  418-  1169  (TTY)  e-  mail:  rkimball@  fcc.  gov 


 COMMISSION  ACTS  TO  ENSURE  THAT  PERSONS  WITH  DISABILITIES  ARE  ABLE  TO  PARTICIPATE  FULLY  IN  FCC  PROGRAMS  AND  ACTIVITIES 
 New  “Accessibility  Handbook”  Details  Uniform  Procedures  for  Accommodations  at  the  Commission 


 Washington,  DC  --  The  Commission  has  taken  several  actions  to  ensure  that  persons  with  disabilities  are  able  to  participate  fully  in  FCC  programs  and  activities. 
 The  FCC  has  long  been  committed  to  fostering  an  attitude  of  inclusion  and  a  commitment  to  access  in  all  Commission  programs  and  activities.  While  certain  aspects 
 of  providing  access  for  people  with  disabilities  can  be  clearly  visible  (e.  g.,  sign  language  interpreters,  ramps,  and  braille  documents),  other  aspects  may  easily  pass  unnoticed 
 (e.  g.,  remembering  to  stand  facing  co-  workers  who  are  hard  of  hearing  so  that  they  can  speechread/  lipread). 


 So  that  all  Commission  staff  are  familiar  with  the  procedures  to  be  followed  in  providing  the  accommodations  required  by  Section  504  of  the  Rehabilitation  Act  of 
 1973,  the  Commission  has  compiled,  for  use  by  the  Commission  staff,  the  “Accessibility  Handbook”  that  details  a  uniform  and  comprehensive  approach  for  compliance.  It  is  a 
 clear  and  comprehensive  collection  of  guidelines,  information,  and  procedures  to  ensure  that  the  Commission  is  accessible  to  individuals  with  disabilities.  It  will  be  particularly 
 helpful  for  planning  events  so  that  persons  with  disabilities  will  be  able  to  participate  fully. 


 The  “Accessibility  Handbook”  is  available  on  the  FCC  Intranet  and  on  the  FCC’s  Internet  Web  site. 
 In  addition,  to  serve  the  disability  community  more  efficiently,  the  Commission  stated  that  requests  for  accommodation  requiring  the  assistance  of  other  persons  (e.  g., 
 an  American  Sign  Language  interpreter)  should  be  made  five  business  days  before  a  Commission  event.  If  the  request  is  made  on  less  than  five  days  notice,  however,  the 
 Commission  will  make  every  effort  to  secure  the  services  of  a  person  to  provide  the  requested  assistance. 
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 To  ensure  that  its  services  for  persons  with  disabilities  remain  reflective  of  current  needs  and  available  accommodations,  the  Commission  will  conduct  a  self-evaluation 
 process  every  three  years.  During  the  reviews  the  Commission  will  seek  public  comment  on  the  accessibility  of  its  programs  and  activities  as  required  by  the 
 Rehabilitation  Act  of  1973. 
 To  reflect  the  language  in  the  Americans  with  Disabilities  Act,  the  Commission  made  editorial  amendments  to  its  rules  to  replace  the  terms  “handicap,”  “individual  with 


 a  handicap,”  and  “individuals  with  handicaps”  with  the  terms  “disability,”  “individual  with  a  disability,”  and  “individuals  with  disabilities,”  respectively. 


 Action  by  the  Commission  March  4,  2003,  by  Order  (FCC  03-  48).  Chairman  Powell,  Commissioners  Abernathy,  Copps,  Martin  and  Adelstein  with  Chairman  Powell 
 and  Commissioners  Copps  and  Adelstein  issuing  separate  statements. 
 -  FCC  - 
 CGB  contacts:  Susan  Magnotti:  (202)  418-  0871  (voice);  (202)  418-  0538  (TTY);  e-  mail:  smagnott@  fcc.  gov;  Helen  Chang,  Section  504  Officer:  (202)  418-  0424  (voice); 


 (202)  418-  0432  (TTY);  e-  mail:  hchang@  fcc.  gov 
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