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.
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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.
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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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