U.S. Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA) has introduced comprehensive legislation to ensure that people with disabilities have access to Internet-based telecommunications and video programming technologies. The bill, the Twenty-first Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2009 (H.R. 3101), is referred to as the COAT bill. Organizations for people with hearing loss are actively supportive of the bill, and are urging people to contact their representatives and urge support of it. The bill’s current status, according to WashingtonWash.com, is that the bill has been referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

As written, the bill would:

• require that mobile and other Internet-based telecommunications devices and equipment be fully hearing aid compatible, have accessible user interfaces, and offer people with disabilities use of a full range of text messaging and other popular services that are currently largely inaccessible;
• provide people who are deaf-blind with vital but costly technologies they need to communicate electronically;
• establish a process and time table for the provision of real-time text capability;
• clarify existing relay-to-relay, Lifeline and Linkup service requirements to ensure their relevance to the real world communications needs of people with disabilities;
• restore the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) modest video description rules and unambiguously establish the FCC’s current and ongoing authority to expand such regulations;
• require emergency announcements and similar information to be accessible to people with disabilities through audible presentation of on-screen alerts;
• ensure that video programming offered via the Internet will be both captioned and described;
• call for all devices that receive and playback video programming to employ accessible user interfaces and allow ready access to captioning and description;
• strengthen consumers’ ability to enforce their rights to communications and video accessibility through the establishment of a clearinghouse of information about service and equipment accessibility and usability, a meaningful FCC complaint process that holds industry accountable for their accessibility obligations, and judicial review of FCC action to ensure FCC accountability.

What are your thoughts about the bill? Let us know the comments below.

Prohieran.com

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