Broadband Telecom Legislation: More Disability Gains!!!

Broadband Telecom Legislation: More Disability Gains!!!

Thanks to the advocates and activists who responded to a 
previous alert about the broadband telecom legislation in the 
U.S. Congress, the disability community secured additional 
gains in the "Communications, Consumer's Choice, and Broadband 
Deployment Act of 2006 (S. 2686) 
[www.aapd.com/News/telecomm/060616bnd.htm]." Hooray!

Gains included the following requirements, offered as 
amendments on 6/22/06 at markup of the 6/16/06 draft bill, by 
Sen. Bill Nelson (FL) and Sen. John McCain (AZ): 

1. Consumer premises equipment (i.e., VoIP phones) must be
   hearing aid compatible and must connect with relay services
   and adhere to accessibility/usability requirements, and the
   FCC must report biannually on the status of these
   obligations.

2. A requirement for disability representation on the DTV
   Working Group, charged with making consumer recommendations
   to the FCC on the analog to digital TV transition, and
   outreach to disabled consumers must utilize relay services,
   alternative formats and accessible websites.

Note that S. 2686 is a complex bill addressing reform of the 
Telecommunications Act. A full summary of all the Titles in 
this proposed Act is found at:
www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?tab=summary&bill=s109-2686

Action Alert: 

1. Advocates in Florida and Arizona are encouraged to fax/write
   or telephone the offices of Senators Nelson and McCain to
   "thank them for their sponsorship of these essential
   disability amendments in S. 2686 broadband legislation."

   Sen. Bill Nelson: Room 716 Hart Building, US Senate, Wash.,
   DC 20510. Tel: 202-224-5274, Fax 202-228-2183, or
   Tallahassee office Tel 850-942-8415;

   Sen. John McCain, Room 241 Russell, US Senate, Wash., DC
   20510. Tel 202-224-2235, Fax 202-228-2862 or
   Phoenix office Tel 609-952-2410.

2. Advocates from any state are encouraged to contact their
   U.S. Senator at his or her Wash DC office to ask him or her
   to "support all the disability provisions in S.2686, the
   broadband legislation, including the two Nelson-McCain
   amendments," before the legislation goes to the Senate floor
   for a vote, expected later this summer. Phone calls and
   faxes are preferred as email may not get reviewed soon
   enough. Contact info. for all U.S. Senators is on the
   website at:
www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

Your continuing interest in the disability provisions in this 
broadband legislation goes a long way in letting your U.S. 
Senators know you watch how they vote on disability concerns. 
And let them know "I'm a registered voter."

For further information on disability requirements in this 
legislation, please contact Jenifer Simpson, AAPD, email 
aapdjenifer@aol.com.

______________________________________________________________

For more Telecommunications news issues, see:
www.aapd.com/News/telecomm/index_tc.php

# # #

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