Telecom access committee (fwd)

From: David Andrews (dandrews@winternet.com)
Date: Tue May 28 1996 - 16:07:47 PDT


Some of you may be interested in this announcement.

David Andrews

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 28 May 1996 13:14:54 EDT
From: Jamal Mazrui <74444.1076@COMPUSERVE.COM>
To: Multiple recipients of list EASI <EASI@SJUVM.STJOHNS.EDU>
Subject: Telecom access committee

The U.S. Access Board has now appointed an advisory committee and
scheduled its first meeting to develop equipment accessibility
guidelines for the new telecommunications law. The following
notice appeared in the Federal Register.

----------

  ARCHITECTURAL AND TRANSPORTATION BARRIERS COMPLIANCE BOARD

  Telecommunications Act Accessibility Guidelines for Telecommunications
  Equipment and Customer Premises Equipment

  AGENCY: Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board.

  ACTION: Notice of appointment of advisory committee members and notice of
  first meeting.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  SUMMARY: The Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board
  (Access Board) is announcing the appointment of members to its
  Telecommunications Access Advisory Committee (Committee). The Committee will
  make recommendations to the Access Board on accessibility guidelines for
  telecommunications equipment and customer premises equipment. These
  recommendations will be used by the Access Board to develop accessibility
  guidelines under section 255 (e) of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. The
  Committee is composed of representatives of manufacturers of
  telecommunications equipment and customer premises equipment; organizations
  representing the access needs of individuals with disabilities;
  telecommunications providers and carriers; and other persons affected by the
  guidelines. This notice also announces the time and place of the first
  Committee meeting, which will be open to the public.

  DATES: The first meeting of the Committee is scheduled for Wednesday, June
  12, 1996 through Friday, June 14, 1996, beginning at 9:30 a.m. each day.
  Decisions with respect to future meetings will be made at the first meeting
  and from time to time thereafter. Notices of future meetings will be
  published in the Federal Register.

  ADDRESSES: The first meeting of the Committee will be held at the American
  Speech-Language and Hearing Association offices, 10801 Rockville Pike,
  Rockville, MD 20852. Persons attending the meetings are strongly encouraged
  to use public transportation since parking is extremely limited. The
American
  Speech-Language and Hearing Association offices are located north of the
  Grosvenor Metro subway station. Persons who must drive should call Dennis
  Cannon at the Access Board. The facility is accessible to individuals with
  disabilities. Sign language interpreters, assistive listening systems and
  real time transcription will be available. Subsequent meetings will be held
  at locations to be announced.

  FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dennis Cannon, Office of Technical and
  Information Services, Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance
  Board, 1331 F Street, NW., suite 1000, Washington, D.C. 20004-1111.
Telephone
  number (202) 272-5434 extension 35 (Voice); (202) 272-5449 (TTY). Electronic
  mail address: cannon@access-board.gov. This document is available in
  alternate formats (cassette tape, braille, large print, or computer disc)
  upon request.

  SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On March 28, 1996, the Access Board published a
  notice of intent to establish an advisory committee to make recommendations
  to the Access Board on accessibility guidelines for telecommunications
  equipment and customer premises equipment. 61 FR 13813 (March 28, 1996).
  Under section 255 (e) of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, the Access
Board is responsible for developing these guidelines, in conjunction with
the Federal Communications Commission. The notice requested nominations for
  membership on the Committee from manufacturers of telecommunications
  equipment and customer premises equipment; manufacturers and developers of
  peripheral devices or specialized customer premises equipment commonly used
  by individuals with disabilities to achieve access; organizations
  representing the access needs of individuals with disabilities affecting
  hearing, vision, movement, manipulation, speech, and interpretation of
  information; telecommunications providers and carriers; developers of
  telecommunications software; and other persons affected by these
  accessibility guidelines.
    Over 60 nominations were submitted. For the reasons stated in the notice
of intent, the Access Board has determined that establishing the Committee
is
  necessary and in the public interest. The Access Board has appointed members
  to the Committee from the following organizations:

  AT&T American Council of the Blind
  American Foundation for the Blind
  Arkenstone
  Bay Area Multi Media Technology Consortium
  Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association
  Consumer Action Network
  Consumer Electronics Manufacturers Association
  The Council of Organizational Representatives
  Deaf and Disabled Telecommunications Program
  Digital Equipment Corporation
  The Ericsson Corporation
  Gallaudet University
  Inclusive Technologies
  Lucent Technologies
  Massachusetts Assistive Technology Partnership Center
  NCR Project Freedom
  National Association for State Relay Administration
  National Federation of the Blind
  Northern Telecom
  NYNEX Corporation
  Pacific Bell
  Pennsylvania Citizens Consumer Council
  Personal Communications Industry Association
  RESNA
  Self Help for Hard of Hearing People, Inc.
  Siemens Rolm Communications, Inc.
  Telecommunications Industry Association
  Trace Research and Development Center
  United Cerebral Palsy Associations, Inc.
  U.S. Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication
  United States Telephone Association
  World Institute on Disability

    The Access Board regrets being unable to accommodate all requests for
  membership on the Committee. There were several factors which were important
  in the Access Board's decision not to add more members. In order to keep the
  Committee to a size that can be effective, it is necessary to limit
  membership. It is also desirable to have balance among members of the
  Committee representing different clusters of interest, such as disability
  organizations and the telecommunications industry. In addition, it is not
  essential that every concerned organization is represented, so long as every
  interest is represented by an appropriate organization. The Committee
  membership identified above provides representation for each interest
  affected by issues to be discussed.
    Committee meetings will be open to the public and interested persons can
  attend the meetings and communicate their views. Members of the public will
  have an opportunity to address the Committee on issues of interest to them
  and the Committee. Members of groups or individuals who are not members of
  the Committee may also have the opportunity to participate with
subcommittees
  of the Committee. The Access Board believes that participation of this kind
  can be very valuable for the advisory committee process. Additionally, all
  interested persons will have the opportunity to comment when the proposed
  accessibility guidelines for telecommunications equipment and customer
  premises equipment are issued in the Federal Register by the Access Board.

  Judith E. Heumann,

  Chairman, U.S. Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board.

  [FR Doc. 96-13149 Filed 5-23-96; 8:45 am]

  BILLING CODE 8150-01-P



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