STATEMENT OF
CHAIRMAN TOM WHEELER
Re: Accessible Emergency Information, and Apparatus Requirements for Emergency 
Information and Video Description: Implementation of the Twenty-First Century 
Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010, MB Docket No. 12-107, Second Report 
and Order and Second Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking.
Universal access and public safety are two of the core values that underpin our communications 
networks. Today, we advance both values by adopting rules to make sure individuals who are blind or 
visually impaired get critical details of an emergency shown on television in a timely manner. 
In an emergency, every second counts.  If a tornado warning appears on your television in an on-
screen crawl, that can give you the time you need to seek shelter, if you can read it. 
As Nancy Rumbolt-Trzinski of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, wrote to the Commission, “Information 
needs to be provided visually as well as in audio form so everyone can be as prepared as possible.” 
Information access is a right and there should be no question as to implementation of policies ensuring 
equal and accessible dissemination of important and necessary information so all people can be 
prepared.”
For Nancy, this is not just a matter of principle or policy; this is about being able to take care of 
herself and her loved ones during emergencies.  Nancy is blind. During Hurricane Irene, the roof was 
blown off of her home. Unfortunately, because she couldn’t see the television screen, Nancy was not able 
to access the same emergency information that her neighbors had.
In 2013, the Commission adopted rules to ensure that individuals who are blind or visually 
impaired have access to visual emergency information when it is shown during non-newscast television 
programming. For example, if there is an on-screen crawl, an aural presentation such as three tones will 
notify blind viewers to switch to a secondary audio stream to hear the alert.
More and more Americans today watch programming – whether it be local news, a network 
sitcom, or public television events - on their laptops and smartphones in a service offered by their service 
provider.  The fact that the provider has moved delivery to a second screen should not eliminate the 
responsibility to provide emergency alerts.  
That’s why the Commission moves today to extend that accessibility to emergency alerts to 
television programming being watched on these “second screens.” 
The new rules require that emergency information be made accessible on a secondary audio 
stream on tablets, smartphones, laptops, and similar devices when subscription television providers, such 
as cable and satellite operators, permit consumers to access scheduled programming over their networks 
using an app on these devices. Making this work is not rocket science – most of these devices already 
have the capability to decode secondary audio streams. Operators need only ensure their apps leverage 
these built-in capabilities to make emergency information accessible.
The new rules also require that the equipment used to receive and play back television 
programming, such as set-top boxes, have a simple and easy to use mechanism to switch from the main 
program audio to the secondary audio stream to hear audible emergency information. It should not be 
necessary for a blind person to go through multiple menus in an emergency to access essential 
information.  
We also adopt a Second Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeking comments on additional 
issues related to the accessibility of emergency information, such as how to prioritize emergency 
information if there is more than one on-screen announcement. 
I hope and expect that these new rules will enable individuals who are blind or visually impaired 
to more quickly respond to time-sensitive emergency situations.