NEWS Federal Communications Commission 445 12th 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: November 2, 2009 Mark Wigfield (202) 418-0253 Email: mark.wigfield@fcc.gov FCC ANNOUNCES PARTICIPANTS FOR NOV. 6 FIELD HEARING ON BROADBAND ACCESS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES Hearing Location at Gallaudet University Changed to Kellogg Conference Center Two distinguished panels of experts will participate in the Federal Communications Commission’s Nov. 6 hearing at Gallaudet University on broadband access for people with disabilities. The two panels will discuss broadband experiences, barriers, opportunities and solutions for people with disabilities. Commissioner Michael Copps will host the hearing. Among those on the first panel will be Academy Award-winning actress Marlee Matlin, who is the National Association of the Deaf’s spokesperson for accessible broadband services and Internet media. Matlin won the Academy Award for her role in the movie “Children of a Lesser God,” in which she played a deaf woman working at a school for the deaf and hard of hearing in New England. Please note that the hearing has been moved to the Kellogg Conference Center on the Gallaudet campus. The hearing is part of a broader effort to gather information from experts and consumers for the FCC’s development of a National Broadband Plan. The public is encouraged to attend and participate. NEW LOCATION: Gallaudet University Kellogg Conference Center 800 Florida Ave. NE Washington, D.C. 20002 AGENDA: Friday, November 6, 2009 9:00 a.m. –1:00 p.m. EST: Technology Demonstrations 9:30 – 11:00 a.m. Introduction: Dr. Robert Davila, President, Gallaudet University Remarks by FCC Commissioners Panel 1: Experiences, Opportunities and Barriers Panelists: · Marlee Matlin, National Association of the Deaf · Mark Richert, Director of Public Policy, American Foundation for the Blind · Ari Ne’eman, Founding President, Autistic Self Advocacy Network · Jay Wyant, President, Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing · Dale Hatfield, Director, Silicon Flatirons · Elizabeth Spiers, Director, Information Services, American Association of the Deaf- Blind 11:10 a.m.: Panel 2 Solutions and Recommendations Panelists: · Patrick Timony, Adaptive Technology Coordinator, DC Public Library · Patrick Halley, Director, Government Affairs, National Emergency Number Association · Alan Hubbard, COO, National Telecommuting Institute, Inc. · Lise Hamlin, Director, Public Policy and State Development, Hearing Loss Association of America · Janis Krohe, Ph.D., VP, Employment Services Division, Cerebral Palsy Research Foundation · Karen Peltz Strauss, Co-Chair, Coalition of Organizations for Accessible Technology The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 directed the FCC to submit a National Broadband Plan to Congress by February 17, 2010 that addresses broadband deployment, adoption, affordability, and the use of broadband to advance solutions to various national priorities. For the full list of Commission workshops, please see: http://www.broadband.gov/workshops.html. In addition, join the discussion about broadband access for people with disabilities at the Disabilities Access section of the FCC’s blog at http://blog.broadband.gov/ . Reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities are available upon request. Include a description of the accommodation you will need with as much detail as possible. Also include a way we can contact you if we need more information. Please provide as much advance notice as possible; last minute requests will be accepted, but may be impossible to fill. Send an e-mail to fcc504@fcc.gov or call the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau at 202-418-0530 (voice), 202-418-0432 (TTY). The public may view the hearing and submit questions online at www.FCC.gov/live. Updates about the Federal Communications Commission’s development of the National Broadband can be found at www.broadband.gov. You can also follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/FCC.