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: July 22, 2010 Rosemary Kimball at (202) 418-0511 e-mail: rosemary.kimball@fcc.gov FCC KICKS OFF ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION FOR AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT Kick-Off Event Brought Together Members Of The Disability Community With High-Tech Companies; New Website On Accessiblility Launched Washington, DC – In a day-long program held July 19, 2010, titled “Empowering Americans with Disabilities Through Technology,” the Federal Communications Commission, in conjunction with other government agencies, kicked off a year-long celebration of the 20th anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The day included a Technology Showcase at which more than 40 exhibitors demonstrated their accessible technologies, a celebration program which included remarks from FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, presentation of an original video chronicling personal stories about the impact of technology on people with disabilities, performances by Gallaudet University and other deaf performers, and a brainstorming discussion by technology developers and persons with disabilities to identify and prioritize technology barriers to people with disabilities and explore possible solutions to those barriers. Among the announcements at the celebration was the launch of the Accessibility and Innovation Initiative which will be a means to promote collaborative problem-solving among a wide variety of stakeholders, including the disability community, industry, academics, government representatives, third-party developers, innovators, students, and assistive technology vendors. It will have its own website that will include a problem-solving commons – a place where everyone with an interest in communications access can meet to share creative ideas. It is at www.broadband.gov/accessibilityandinnovation. The FCC also announced the “Chairman’s AAA Awards,” -- Awards for Advancements in Accessibility. The first of these awards will be given out on the next anniversary of the ADA to recognize efforts in the private and public sector -- as well as public-private partnerships -- that advance accessibility. In addition to the Technology Showcase and Celebration, the Commission is also moving forward on implementation of a number of recommendations of the National Broadband Plan and other related accessibility items, including release on July 19 of a Public Notice seeking public input on specific features needed to make wireless devices – including smart phones – accessible to people who are blind or have low vision, including those who are both deaf and blind. In October, the FCC will also be working with the Coleman Institute and Silicon Flatirons to launch a special challenge on cloud-computing solutions for accessibility by people with disabilities. -- FCC --