Media Contact: 
Mike Snyder, (202) 418-0997
Michael.Snyder@fcc.gov

For Immediate Release

CHAIRMAN PAI CELEBRATES INNOVATORS IN ACCESSIBLE TECHNOLOGY WITH 2019 AWARDS

WASHINGTON, June 19, 2019—Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai yesterday recognized this year’s winners of the Chairman’s Awards for Advancement in Accessibility (Chairman’s AAA) at a ceremony and reception in Arlington, Virginia.  The annual Chairman’s AAA awards honor the FCC’s long-standing commitment to promoting outstanding achievements in communications technology design for people with disabilities.

The Chairman’s AAA celebrates outstanding private and public sector ventures as part of the Commission’s continuing effort to facilitate ongoing exchanges among the telecommunications industry, assistive technology companies, app developers, government representatives, and consumers to share best practices and solutions for accessible communications technologies. 

Awards are given based on the inventiveness, affordability, availability, and potential impact of the technology for intended users.  This year’s winners represent an exemplary commitment to inclusive access. 

Winners of 2019 Chairman’s AAA 

Microsoft, Tobii, and EyeTech: USB Human Interface Device Standard for Eye Trackers  

For people with limited mobility, using touch screens or physical input devices such as a keyboard or mouse might appear to be an insurmountable challenge.  Development of this USB Human Interface Device Standard for Eye Trackers enables generic, all-purpose eye tracking technology to be used in controlling consumer electronics right out of the box, without requiring assistance from someone who can manipulate physical input devices to install software and drivers.  When applied, this eye-tracking technology standard not only makes information technology accessible to people with disabilities, but also increases independence for these users.

Cisco: ‘Text to Speech’ Functionality for 8800 Series Phones

Many of today’s office phones display critical contextual information, allowing users to perform many complex tasks.  But for workers who are blind or have low vision, using such a phone without the benefits of the display can be difficult. Through a software update, Cisco introduced “text to speech” functionality on its 8800 Series phones.  Text to speech gives users audible options for phone functions to help provide people with vision-related disabilities the same workplace capabilities as their coworkers. 

The 2019 Chairman’s AAA award-winning technology was displayed at a reception immediately following last night’s awards ceremony at the annual M-Enabling Summit.   

The Chairman’s AAA was first launched at the celebration of the 20th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 2010.  The purpose of the awards is to promote innovation in accessibility by recognizing the development of mainstream and assistive technologies introduced into the marketplace, the development of standards, and the implementation of best practices that foster accessibility.  For more information about the Chairman’s AAA, go to fcc.gov/chairmansaaa.

###

Media Relations: (202) 418-0500 / ASL: (844) 432-2275 / TTY: (888) 835-5322 / Twitter: @FCC / www.fcc.gov 

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. Cir. 1974).