STATEMENT OF
COMMISSIONER MIGNON L. CLYBURN
Re: Amendment of the Commission’s Rules Governing Hearing Aid-Compatible Mobile 
Handsets, WT Docket No. 07-250.
When Congress enacted the Hearing Aid Compatibility Act of 1988, it found that “to the 
fullest extent made possible by technology and medical science, hearing-impaired persons should 
have equal access to the national telecommunications network.”  Today’s item will help achieve 
that goal by adopting policies that are intended to ensure that the more than seven million
Americans who currently use hearing aids, have continuing access to the most advanced 
communications technologies as they develop.  Therefore, I am pleased that the Commission was 
able to reach unanimous consent on the policy decisions in this item.  
The Policy Statement we adopt today makes two points that have been missing from the 
Commission’s principles on hearing aid compatibility.  The first point is that the goal of this 
Commission is “[t]o maximize the number of accessible products for [the hearing-impaired] 
population.”  The second point is that, to achieve this goal, the Commission’s policies must 
adhere to the principle of “encourag[ing] manufacturers of new technologies, to consider hearing 
aid compatibility at the earliest stages of the product design process.”  I have long been a 
proponent of the idea that those living with disabilities should not be an afterthought in our 
policymaking process.  Similarly, industry should be encouraged to consider how it can design 
networks and devices to allow those with disabilities equivalent access to communications 
services.  Thus, I am pleased that my colleagues agree on this score with respect to hearing aid 
compatibility.  
The changes that the Report and Order adopt should significantly increase the number of 
advanced handsets that are accessible to those that use hearing aids.  Modifying the de minimis
exception so all large entities will be required to offer at least one hearing aid-compatible model 
within two years after entry, will ensure, that more handsets are covered by our hearing aid 
compatibility rules.  It should also lead to the most advanced handsets, such as the popular 
iPhone, being accessible earlier to those with hearing loss.  I applaud the recent efforts of handset
manufacturers and consumer advocates to find consensus on such an important issue in order to 
expedite our decision.
I also support the rule changes proposed in the Further Notice.  As new technologies take 
hold, it is important that our hearing aid compatibility rules apply so that all consumers, including 
the hearing-impaired, benefit.  I hope the Commission will expeditiously consider the record on 
the tentative conclusion that our hearing aid compatibility rules should extend beyond just CMRS 
services, to include customer equipment used for wireless voice communications over any type of 
network by a substantial portion of the public.  This would allow the hearing aid compatibility 
rules to apply to telephone services such as Voice over Internet Protocol Services, when provided 
through a handset that is designed to make phone calls.  I look forward to seeing the innovations 
that unfold in the design of hearing aid compatible equipment.  But I am most excited to see the 
opportunities that will flourish as more members of the hearing impaired community, gain access 
to more advanced handsets.  
I thank the staffs of the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, the Consumer and 
Governmental Affairs Bureau, and the Office of the General Counsel, for their hard work on this 
item.