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 SEPARATE  STATEMENT  OF  CHAIRMAN  MICHAEL  K.  POWELL 
 Re:  In  the  Matter  of  Section  68.4(  a)  of  the  Commission’s  Rule  Governing  Hearing  Aid-  Compatible  Telephones;  WT  Docket  No.  01-  309  (adopted  July  10,  2003) 
 Today  the  Commission  takes  a  historic  step  in  making  digital  wireless  technologies  accessible  by  consumers  with  disabilities  by  modifying  the  Hearing  Aid 
 Compatibility  exemption  for  wireless  phones.  For  fifteen  years,  the  exemption  has  remained  in  place  –  potentially  walling  off  full  access  to  these  groundbreaking 
 technologies  for  millions  of  Americans.  Today  we  tear  down  that  wall. 
 As  a  society  we  are  diminished  by  our  inability  to  communicate  readily  with  persons  with  hearing  disabilities.  Approximately  one  in  ten  Americans  has  such  a 
 disability  and  experts  expect  that  number  only  to  rise.  As  the  technology  and  the  marketplace  have  matured,  it  has  become  increasingly  clear  that  the  exemption  is  no 
 longer  a  tenable  course. 
 I  fundamentally  believe  that  one  of  our  core  obligations  as  public  servants  is  to  ensure  that  all  Americans  have  access  to  transformative  communications  technologies. 
 The  Commission  has  moved  aggressively  to  realize  this  goal  through  a  number  of  initiatives  including  our  Section  504  Handbook,  funding  of  IP  Relay,  and  our  revised 
 TRS  rules.  That  commitment  is  further  illustrated  by  today’s  decision. 
 Our  work  is  not  yet  complete.  In  the  months  and  years  ahead,  we  will  continue  to  work  with  the  phone  manufacturers,  the  hearing  aid  community  and  wireless  carriers  to 
 ensure  that  the  goals  established  in  this  order  are  met.  The  technical  standard  we  adopt  today  relies  on  both  cell  phone  and  hearing  aid  manufacturers  to  test  and  label  their 
 products  in  order  for  consumers  to  make  informed  choices  in  the  marketplace.  We  stand  ready  to  work  cooperatively  with  all  of  these  parties  to  make  sure  this  process  works. 
 Our  next  steps  are  not  just  with  industry,  however.  The  Wireless  and  Consumer  and  Governmental  Affairs  Bureaus  will  be  partnering  with  other  government  and  private 
 groups  to  educate  consumers  about  compatibility.  As  part  of  this  effort,  I  particularly  appreciate  the  Food  and  Drug  Administration’s  commitment  to  work  with  the  FCC  to 
 educate  consumers,  audiologists,  and  other  groups  to  ensure  individuals  with  hearing  disabilities  may  take  full  advantage  of  these  services. 
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