From: Steve Jacobson - IT Marketing Applications
3M Company - 555-01-03 Phone: (612) 733-9780
St. Paul, MN 55144 FAX: (612) 736-6037
Does anyone here know about some type of NII frequency band to be used
as a means of wireless access to computers? There are instructions at
the end of the attached text that gives WWW, Gopher, and FTP sites from
which to get the original document,but the comment period to the FCC
appears to end today. I came across this on the UACCESS-L list, so don't
waste your time reading it again if you saw it there!
Regards,
Steve Jacobson
INTERNET: SOJACOBSON@MMM.COM
*** Forwarding note from I1396891--IBMMAIL 07/22/95 15:04 ***
Date: Sat, 22 Jul 1995 14:26:37 -0500
From: jn@tommy.demon.co.uk (John Nissen)
To: Multiple recipients of list <uaccess-l@trace.wisc.edu>
Subject: Apple proposal (forwarded from wearables group)
Thad sent this message to the wearables group about a letter David Ross
sent to the Communications Commission about an Apple proposal which,
David argues, could have a major impact for disabled people, including
people with visual impairment.
David also sent Thad information to forward about how to contact the
Communications Commission. I've stuck that at the end - it may be
too late to affect any decision since a deadline of 10th July is
mentioned. Thad only posted on 19th.
Cheers from Chiswick,
John (jn@tommy.demon.co.uk)
P.S. Because this is rather a long message, I've marked beginnings and ends
of the various parts with [begin..] and [end..].
---
Forwarded message follows:
Date: Wed, 19 Jul 1995 14:10:08 -0400
Message-Id: <9507191810.AA01622@tottenhamcourt.media.mit.edu.media.mit.edu>
To: wearables@media.media.mit.edu
Subject: A letter from one of our members to the FCC on the Apple proposal
Reply-To: testarne@media.mit.edu
Status: R
[begin note from Thad to the wearables group, to which he sent the message]
IMPORTANT: If you spend 15 minutes on any one item on wearables this
month, it should be to understand this issue. In addition to previous
articles on Apple's proposal, here is, again, how to contact the FCC
and our own David Ross's sentiments on the proposal.
Thad
[end note from Thad]
Forwarded with permission:
>From DAVID2805@delphi.com Fri Jul 14 07:40:50 1995
[begin cover note from David to Thad]
Thad,
Here is a copy of the letter I sent the FCC. Letters sent don't have to be
anywhere near this long -- I just had a lot to say to explain how this would
help disabled people -- but maybe it will give some people ideas about what
they might write from their perspective and the possible use of the NII and
wearables.
Hope this helps people get involved.
David
[end cover note]
[begin David's letter to the Communications Commission]
July 7, 1995
Mr. William Caton
Acting Secretary
Federal Communications Commission
1919 M Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20554
RE: RM-8653 Q In Support of the NII Band to Provide and Promote Access
of Information and Services to Persons with Disabilities.
Dear Mr. Caton:
I am writing in support of the petition filed by Apple Computer, Inc. for an
NII band for public use.
I am a Senior Biomedical Research Engineer working for the Atlanta VA
Rehabilitation Research and Development Center (one of four major Department
of Veterans Affairs Rehabilitation Research Centers in the country). The
research charge for this center is the development of technology that
promotes the quality of life of aging veterans. Many of these aging
veterans have disabilities related to low vision and blindness, deafness and
hearing losses, spinal cord injury and confinement to wheelchairs, and
cognitive disabilities.
We are currently developing wearable computer technology for these veterans
that will provide them with access to control devices in their environment
such as crosswalk push buttons, audio access to pedestrian cross walk signal
displays (i.e., does the display indicate RWalkS or RDonUt WalkS?), voice
access to elevator push buttons and displays, control of handicapped van
doors, lifts, etc., and automatic door openers, etc.
Engineers designing this wearable system here believe that the Apple
proposal for public use of a 300 MHz-wide NII band would not only best serve
the public interests, it would resolve many issues we face in the design of
this wearable technology as they relate to issues of public access by
persons with disabilities.
As an example, while the blind have the physical ability to go to any number
of public buildings and use the facilities in terms of physical interaction,
they lack the essential information for orientation, wayfinding, and
interacting with on-site information systems (signs, etc.). Thus at present
there is no viable method for providing fair access to facilities such as:
transportation terminals, ATM machines, museums, libraries, parks, beaches,
or even government buildings! Consequently, the issue of information access
for a person who is blind is foremost in a list of priority issues needing
to be addressed by the rehabilitation research community.
Braille is used by less than 10% of persons who are legally blind, and is
learned only rarely by older persons who have become legally blind late in
life as a result of ocular deterioration over a period of many years.
Braille labels, when used on controls, provide only initial information,
giving no indication of the result of pushing certain buttons, how a visual
display may have changed, or of the nature of any errors that may have
occurred. Thus Braille is insufficient for many interactive tasks, such as
using an ATM machine.
The NII band provides an opportunity for the development of low cost
adaptive technologies that can provide safe, secure, and equal access to
essential aspects of American life.
Many of these problems have been studied, and a report of current priorities
was printed in the Federal Register (November 18, 1994, pages 59857-59860)
as a result of a report of the Technology Research Group stemming from a
NIDRR Project DirectorUs Meeting. The following is a list of some of these
priorities and how the availability of the proposed NII Band would provide a
means of addressing these issues.
Priority: "Develop technology and methods, including map reading, for
orientation and mobility in large open areas such as transportation
facilities, crossroads, shopping malls, parks, and areas of public assembly
and display" [p.J59858].
The layout of streets, buildings and transport plazas could be made
accessible through an NII band city-wide network. In combination with GPS
or a similar system (perhaps the NII network itself could offer position
information to the user) this would be an invaluable aid to the blind
traveler.
Priority: RDevelop technology and methods for improving access to visual
displays, including flat panel displays found...in the community...that
provide access to information, automatic teller machines,S etc.
Access to public information now provided only on kiosks at malls and other
public sites for dispersal of government information about programs, events,
hearings, etc. This information is largely inaccessible to persons with
visual disabilities because of its visual format, and inconvenient to
persons who have difficulty traveling to (and around) malls. However, this
information could be obtained easily through an NII city-wide network and
presented to the disabled person in an optimal fashion via a wearable device
designed toward this purpose.
Also, as mentioned above, access to ATM's can also be provided via NII
through secure spread-spectrum transmissions and the use of a specialized
wearable device.
Priority: RDevelop technology and methods for improving access by persons
with low vision or blindness to electronic information systems.S [p. 59858]
With the implementation of the NII band and the use of a wearable device
developed to meet the specific needs of the disabled person, access to
electronic information could become very transparent and accessible from any
location within the city. The mobility of the person and their physical
capabilities would no longer be an issue.
Priority: RAddress artificial vision, image recognition, and vocalization.
Emphasize technologies for low vision; ... emphasize natural speech to
access products...and electronic information systems." [p. 59859]
The NII band would give disabled persons using specially designed wearable
devices access to high-speed data processing. This high-speed access to
another computer can increase the processing power available to the disabled
person tremendously. With the availability of a high-speed computer,
wearables could be designed with a small video camera that would relay live
video images to a remote computer capable of RreadingS signs, recognizing
objects in the environment and even recognizing personUs faces, and then
relaying this information back to the disabled person in real time, enabling
the person to respond appropriately to changing environments and situations.
Work in progress at the MIT Media Laboratory has already shown the
viability of such a system. Also, given the availability of a high speed
computer over the NII band, very natural speech interactions between the
disabled persons and other systems could be implemented in real time. A
disabled person in trouble could then access emergency help services from
any location through normal voice interaction with the network.
Priority: R...address the needs of persons with cognitive disabilities when
it develops technology to maintain access to new products with advancing
technology...S [p.J59859]
One type of personal agent technology being developed at the MIT Media
Laboratory (as well as VA research in this area) toward the development of
interactive agent technology for persons with cognitive disabilities could
also be implemented on high-speed computers and linked to the disabled
person via NII band communications. An Rintelligent agentS can learn the
disabled persons needs and cognitive capabilities and translate interactions
with network systems, information systems and even other individuals into
words and phrases that can be understood and responded to easily by persons
with cognitive disabilities.
In short, the researchers here at the Atlanta VA Rehabilitation Research and
Development Center see a bright future for disabled veterans with the advent
of the NII band when made available as a city-wide public access network
like that envisioned in the Apple NII petition.
Other proposed uses of this frequency band now before the FCC may grossly
limit access to information. They may ultimately provide such information,
but not necessarily when, or where it is needed, and perhaps not at a cost
easily afforded by aging veterans. A system such as the NII band proposed
by Apple provides incentives for merchant participation through a community
network, and government participation through the American's with
Disabilities Act, and Section 504 of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act.
With the NII petition, the FCC has the opportunity, in a single decision, to
provide for low cost electronic Rcurb cutsS (so to speak) in access to the
RInformation Superhighway,S as well as access to local and regional
government information postings, and the ability to interact with equity in
business and community affairs.
I hope this information serves you in making a knowledgeable decision in
this matter.
Respectfully Yours,
David A. Ross, Senior Biomedical Research Engineer
Atlanta VA Rehab R&D Center
Mail Stop 151R
Atlanta VA Medical Center
1670 Clairmont Road
Decatur, GA 30033
Phone: (404) 321-5828
FAX: (404) 728-7731
E-mail: David2805@Delphi.com
[end David's letter]
[begin instructions on how to send comments to the Communications Commission]
---
HOW TO HELP get 300 MHz for the NII Band
(Reference Apple Computer, Inc.'s Petition for Rulemaking, FCC RM No. 8653)
SUMMARY:
However you send your comments, you should prominently reference "RM-8653"
on the first page and if possible on all pages.
By mail: Send a signed original and a copy to:
Secretary, Federal Communications Commission, 1919 M Street, N.W.,
Washington, D.C. 20554. Use letterhead if appropriate.
By E-mail: Send your comments, formatted as for a letter, to :
jlovette@apple.com. Say in your text that you will also mail a copy with
original signature. We'll print your mail and deliver it to the FCC.
By FAX: Fax your comments, showing your signature, to (202) 429-4912.
We'll copy and deliver it to the FCC.
Kindly provide your return address on all of these so that you can receive
an FCC date-stamped copy, and so the FCC will know where, if not who, you
are (!).
To enable you to submit E-Mail and FAXed messages now, you can send them
in a manner described below. We will print or photocopy them and deliver
them in proper form to the Commission. Members of the Commission staff
will review these comments, along with mailed-in submissions, and made them
available for public inspection. To comply with the letter of the law, you
in turn should follow up by mailing a hard copy, with your original
signature, directly to the Commission as suggested below.
So, if you have comments about Apple's "NII Band" proposal, here are
ways to get them into the hands of the FCC's decision-makers:
BY MAIL:
Mail one signed original along with one copy of your comments to:
Secretary
Federal Communications Commission
1919 M Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20554
To help the FCC staff route your letter properly, please state "RM-8653"
prominently on the first page of your letter, and in the header of every
page because pages frequently become separated.
BY E-MAIL: (We offer this as an expediency, while the FCC is considering
this proceeding or until the Commission has gone on-line.)
E-mail your comments, formatted as much as possible as indicated above
for mailing, to jlovette@apple.com.
We'll print out your mail, make the appropriate number of copies and
hand-deliver them to the FCC at 1919 M Street. The FCC cutoff time on any
given day is 5:30 p.m. Washington time, and we'll endeavor to process and
file mail received as close as possible to that time. BE SURE you include
your mailing address s you can an FCC-stamped copy.
BY FAX:
FAX your comments in letter form as above, including your signature to
(202) 429-4912; that's the office of Apple's outside counsel on this matter
and it's a short (downhill!) city block to the FCC.
That's all there is to it. Remember: the FCC will evaluate both merit and
public support of items before them. Thank you for taking the time to make
your views heard at the FCC!
FCC DATES and DEADLINES.
The FCC requested initial Comments on our Petition by the close of day
July 10. This deadline applied to formal comments, as usually filed by
telecommunications or other companies with legal staff. For members of the
general public, the formats, deadlines and procedures are considerably less
rigid. The next "deadline" is for Reply Comments, due by July 24. Comments
you file between July 10 and July 24 will be entered in that cycle, at no
significant disadvantage.
We're setting another flag, and hope you'll go for it.
For a copy of the NII Band petition -
Point your web browser (e.g. NetScape or Mosaic), to:
www.apple.com/documents/research.html
-or-
www.warpspeed.com
Or ftp the file from: ftp.warpspeed.com
Or point Gopher to: gopher.warpspeed.com
[end instructions]
---
{-: John Nissen, Chiswick, London. Telephone +44 181 742 3170 :-}
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