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: October 17, 2011 Rosemary Kimball at (202) 418-0511 e-mail: rosemary.kimball@fcc.gov TECHNOLOGY FOR ALL AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ECONOMIC FREEDOM, JOBS, AND CIVIC PARTICIPATION CELEBRATION & AWARDS CEREMONY Washington, D.C. – On Friday, October 28, 2011, at 9:00 am, Chairman Julius Genachowski will present the Chairman’s Awards for Advancement in Accessibility (Chairman’s AAA) at the FCC Headquarters in Washington, D.C. The Chairman’s AAA are intended to encourage technological innovation in communication- related areas and to recognize engineers, researchers and other technologists whose energies and perseverance have been successful in crafting innovative ways for consumers with disabilities to benefit from our nation’s communications technologies. Awards will be presented for the development of mainstream or assistive technologies, the development of standards, and the implementation of best practices that foster accessibility. The award recipients were selected by staff from the FCC’s Accessibility and Innovation Initiative (A&I Initiative). The A&I Initiative seeks to facilitate dialogue among industry, assistive technology companies, app developers, government representatives and consumers to allow these stakeholders to share best practices and solutions for accessible communications technologies. The Commission was very pleased with the response to its first call for Award nominations. The dynamic technologies represented have come from a variety of entities, including small and large communication businesses, institutions of higher learning, app developers, government agencies, the assistive technology industry, and public-private partnerships. The award nominations are a testament to the pioneering work currently underway in the world of innovation and access. Chairman Genachowski will also announce the winners of the Lifted by the Cloud: Visions of Cloud-Enhanced Accessibility challenge which was launched in July of this year. The challenge sought multimedia presentations -- typically short videos -- that demonstrate how accessibility may be increased using advances in the communication and computing power of the Internet. This event will also include a demonstration of the FCC’s new Accessibility Clearinghouse, which is required by the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Programming Accessibility Act (CVAA). To further recognize accessible communication innovations, the FCC’s Technology Experience Center will highlight assistive and accessible technologies between October 14 and November 30, 2011. The Center is open to the public and will offer visitors the opportunity to experiment with the technologies honored at the Chairman’s AAA ceremony, as well other cutting edge accessible technologies. Pre-registration is encouraged, but not required. Please send your RSVP to ChairmansAAA@fcc.gov. Open captioning will be provided for this event. Other reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities are available upon request. Please include a description of the accommodations you will need and how to contact you if additional information is needed. Please request any accommodations as early as possible. Last minute requests will be accepted but may be impossible to fill. Please send accommodations requests to fcc504@fcc.gov or call the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau at 202-418-0530 (voice), 202-418-0432 (tty). - FCC -