The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) posted an Enforcement Advisory January 15, 2010 stating that they have “taken action against several companies for their failure to provide information that helps individuals with hearing disabilities fully utilize phone services – allowing them to communicate effectively on their wireless phones without excessive feedback and noise.” The current actions total $87,000 against seven companies, with an additional two companies being issued Citations. The FCC reports that since May, 2007, they have issued 31 Notices of Apparent Liability for Forfeitrue and Consent Decrees totaling $665,500 for violations of the hearing aid compatibility handset, labeling and reporting requirements.

http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-10-93A1.pdf http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-10-93A1.doc

On November 30, 2009, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) notified Apple, Inc. . of its failure to file a status report in violation of the wireless handset hearing aid compatibility (HAC) filing requirements. The FCC issued a notice of “Apparent Liability for Forfeiture” in the amount of $5,000 for this violation.

http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-09-2507A1.pdf
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-09-2507A1.txt

The Wireless RERC's 2009 Hearing Aid Compatibility (HAC) survey is now live. The Wireless Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (Wireless RERC) monitors the Hearing Aid Compatibility Act of 1988 (HAC Act) regulations and is interested in how it impacts the usability of cell phones for people who use hearing aids and cochlear implants. This is an annual survey where the RERC measures consumer satisfaction in finding and using a wireless HAC device. The web site is: http://www.wirelessrerc.org/news/take-the-2009-hac-survey.html

This is your opportunity to provide feedback to the RERC. Completing this survey will help the RERC determine the trends in HAC cell phone use. Not only that, if you leave your name and email address at the end of the survey, you will be automatically entered into a drawing for a $250 Amazon gift card. The survey is quick and easy – and could help us better understand what’s happening with accessible cell phones for people with hearing loss.

The RERC had over 400 responses last year. They are hoping to see as many or more this year.

The Wireless Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (Wireless RERC) and CTIA - The Wireless Association® present Hearing Aid Compatibility: Choosing a Cell Phone That Works For You.

This is a five-part video series to help consumers choose a hearing aid compatible wireless device that meets their needs.  Each video breaks down the information consumers need into easy to understand segments.

The first segment presents information regarding Hearing Aid Compatibility (HAC) and wireless devices as told by a certified audiologist.

• Part 1 - Introduction To Hearing Aid Compatibility
• Part 2 - How To Use Hearing Aid Compatibility (HAC) Ratings To Choose Your Wireless Device
• Part 3 - Helpful Tips Before Beginning Your Search

The second segment demonstrates a suggested “try and buy” process between a customer representative and a customer at an actual wireless carrier's retail store.

• Part 4 - Beginning Your Search For The Right Wireless Device
• Part 5 - Testing Your New Cell Phone

Fellow advocate Janice Schacter from New York City tells us that both AT & T and Verizon now have websites that include listings and explanation of the M (microphone) and T (telecoil) ratings of cell phones they carry.

AT & T
http://www.wireless.att.com/about/disability-resources/hearing-aid-compatibility.jsp

Verizon
http://aboutus.vzw.com/accessibility/products.html

We have also learned that the Motorola website has had information about the M and T ratings for their phones for some time now. That information can be found on the following pages:

For basic information and FAQs about hearing aid compatibility:
http://direct.motorola.com/ens/accessibility/Hearingaid.html

For information about the different Motorola models, including M/T ratings:
http://direct.motorola.com/ens/accessibility/Hearingaid.html

For basic wireless accessibility: http://www.motorola.com/accessibility . The 2 sites above are within this website.

HLAA will update our website as we get more information from manufacturers and service providers. If you don’t see the information you are looking for here, be sure to ask the service provider or manufacturer directly about the phone you want to purchase and ask about their return policy. And remember, try before you buy—that’s the only way to be really sure the product you buy works for you.

Department of Justice
Office of Public Affairs

TWENTY-SIX CHARGED IN NATIONWIDE SCHEME TO DEFRAUD THE
FCC’S VIDEO RELAY SERVICE PROGRAM
Arrests Made in Nine States

FCC CHIEF OF STAFF PRAISES DECISIVE ACTION TO
PROSECUTE FRAUD IN VRS PROGRAM

On November 6, 2009, the Federal Communications Commission will hold a field hearing at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. on disabilities access issues as part of its effort to gather information from experts and consumers for the development of a National Broadband Plan. HLAA will join the panel discussion of the issues. Commissioner Michael Copps will host the hearing, and the public is encouraged to attend and participate. http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-294267A1.pdf

Commissioner Copps to Host Hearing at Gallaudet University

The Federal Communications Commission has scheduled a field hearing at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. on November 6, 2009 on disabilities access issues as part of its effort to gather information from experts and consumers for the development of a National Broadband Plan. Commissioner Michael Copps will host the hearing, and the public is encouraged to attend and participate. Additional information on the agenda, facilities and accommodations will be announced shortly on http://www.broadband.gov/fieldevents.

The field hearing on disability access issues is one of several field hearings and staff workshops that the FCC is conducting to promote dialogue between the FCC and the public on the development of a National Broadband Plan. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 directed the FCC to submit a National Broadband Plan to Congress by February 17, 2010 that addresses broadband deployment, adoption, affordability, and the use of broadband to advance solutions to various national priorities. The hearing will provide an opportunity for discussion of the many ways people with disabilities are affected by broadband deployment and adoption from panelists and the public. For the full list of Commission workshops, please see: http://www.broadband.gov/workshops.html. In addition, join the discussion about broadband access for people with disabilities at the Disabilities Access section of the FCC’s blog at http://blog.broadband.gov

Reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities are available upon request. Include a description of the accommodation you will need with as much detail as possible. Also include a way we can contact you if we need more information. Please provide as much advance notice as possible; last minute requests will be accepted, but may be impossible to fill. Send an e-mail to fcc504@fcc.gov or call the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau at 202-418-0530 (voice), 202-418-0432 (TTY).

Updates about the Federal Communications Commission’s development of the National Broadband can be found at http://www.broadband.gov. You can also follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/FCC.

On September 25, the FCC held a workshop to talk about the need for consumers to get 10 digit numbers for their Video Relay Service (VRS) and their IP (Internet) Relay. At the meeting it became clear that many consumers are registering for VRS, but others who are using IP Relay have NOT registered for 10 digit phone numbers for IP.

Do you use IP Relay? If you do, be sure to register with your provider (Sprint, Hamilton, etc) to be sure you can still use IP smoothly after November 12, 2009.

From the FCC:

“Recent FCC rules require that VRS and IP Relay users be able to make and receive calls using their new ten-digit numbers. The rules also require that the same users be able to make 911 calls and have those calls, along with the caller’s ten-digit number and location information, routed to the appropriate public safety answering point, ensuring 911 service comparable to the 911 service provided through the traditional telephone network. After November 12, 2009, all eligible VRS and IP Relay users must be registered with a default provider in order to place a non-emergency call through any VRS or IP Relay provider. Because there are VRS and IP Relay users who have not yet registered with providers, the purpose of the workshop is to find ways to get consumers to register before the November 12 deadline. Workshop panelists will identify successful ways that have encouraged registration and will discuss remaining challenges. The Commission invites suggestions for ways to identify and resolve those remaining challenges. All information gathered in this workshop will be made part of the record in the IP-based relay ten-digit numbering and E911 proceeding, CG Docket No. 03-123 and WC Docket No. 05-196.”

For more information, visit the FCC’s website at:
http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/dro/trs.html

Catherine W. Seidel is the Chief of the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Her letter below was sent to Hearing Loss Association to highlight the importance of Lifeline and Link Up services. Many people, including those with hearing loss, who have been searching for jobs or have recently lost their jobs in the current economic climate, may be able to benefit from this service that helps keep people connected to phone services they need. For more information, read Ms. Seidel’s letter below:

Dear Colleague:

I'm writing to inform you about an important consumer-oriented initiative, the "National Lifeline and Link Up Telephone Discount Awareness Week," which takes place September 14 - 20, 2009. Various state and local agencies throughout the country will be participating with outreach activities and events. The "Lifeline" and "Link Up" programs provide financial assistance to low-income consumers in connecting a residential phone line and paying their monthly bill. The programs have been active for years and are administered by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and state public utility commissions.

However, those who provide direct assistance to low-income consumers may be unfamiliar with the programs - at least half of eligible consumers nationwide do not take advantage of this assistance.

"Lifeline" involves discounts on monthly charges for a primary residential telephone line, including wireless service. "Link Up" involves a discount on the cost of initiating the primary telephone service for a residence, including the activation of a wireless phone that serves as the primary residential telephone. The discounts are available throughout the country, including an enhanced discount on Tribal lands. In general, consumers at or below 135% of the federal poverty guidelines, or who participate in one or more of a number of other assistance programs, are eligible for Lifeline and Link Up.

To find out about the discounts available in your state and how to apply, go to http://www.usac.org/li/low-income/apply-for-support.aspx.

Information on telephone subscribership in your state is available in the FCC's recently released Telephone Subscribership Report at http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-292759A1.pdf . You may be particularly interested in the state-by-state information available in Tables 4 (Percentage of Households with a Telephone by Income) and 7 (Percentage of Adults with a Telephone by Labor Force Status).

We ask you to join us in raising awareness of these important programs by posting information about Lifeline and Link Up in your offices, distributing information on the programs to your staff and to the consumers you serve, forwarding this information to other organizations in your community, writing an article for a local paper that reaches consumers, or linking to http://www.lifeline.gov. Several outreach tools to assist you are available at http://www.naruc.org/lifeline/default.cfm .

For more information, please call us at 1-888-CALL-FCC, or access our dedicated Lifeline and Link Up e-mail address at lifeline@fcc.gov . Thank you for your assistance in improving consumer access to these important programs.


Sincerely,

Catherine W. Seidel
Chief, FCC Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau

Location:
FCC (Commission Meeting Room)
445 12th St., SW
Washington, DC

Date/Time:
Friday, September 25, 2009
10:00 a.m. -12:00 p.m.

The event will be open to the general public. In order to ensure that everyone has access to the content, a live webcast of the workshop will be available at the FCC’s website at http://www.fcc.gov/realaudio/, and archived for viewing at a later time (at http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/dro/trs.html), or people may listen in to the workshop by dialing 1-866-566-7390 and entering Code: 4732812. Those watching the live webcast or listening in will be able to send in questions via e-mail to tendigitnumbering@fcc.gov. The agenda and list of speakers is attached.

News Release and Agenda:
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-293551A1.pdf [PDF]
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-293551A1.doc [Word]

Julius Genachowski was confirmed by the U.S. Senate June 25, 2009 as the next chairman of the Federal Communications Commission. In addition, Commissioner Robert McDowell was approved for a full term at the Commission.

In addition, President Obama announced his intention to nominate Meredith Attwell Baker (Republican) and Mignon Clyburn (Democrat) as new FCC Commissioners. Each will also now have confirmation hearings in the Senate.

The men and women who are confirmed as Commissioners make decisions on many issues that impact people with hearing loss: television captioning, relay services, broadband, just to name a few. HLAA looks forward to working with the Commissioners in the coming months and years.

“Beginning on December 31, 2008, persons with hearing and/or speech disabilities who use Video Relay Service (VRS) or Internet Protocol Relay (IP Relay) – two forms of Internet-based Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) – will be able to obtain ten digit telephone numbers from their VRS or IP Relay provider. These are the ten-digit telephone numbers used by voice telephone users. New Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules require that VRS and IP Relay users be able to make and receive calls using their new ten-digit numbers, and be able to make 911 calls and have those calls – AND the caller’s ten-digit number and location information – routed to the appropriate public safety answering point, the same enhanced 911 (E911) call center used by voice telephone users. “

Find the full text of the FCC’s Consumer Advisory at:
http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/trstendigit-user-meaning.pdf

Led by Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA), representatives of consumer organizations joined together to support a federal mandate of captioned telephone services. Joining HLAA at the meeting were American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), Deaf and Hard of Hearing Consumer Advocacy Network (DHHCAN), Telecommunications for the Deaf and hard of Hearing (TDI), and via phone, California Coalition of Agencies Serving the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (CCASDHH). We met with an FCC representative in FCC Chairman Genachowski's office on November 5.

HLAA and others present pointed out that people with hearing loss who use captioned telephones find them to be almost equivalent to traditional telephones. We have heard from some people that it links them once again to friends and family in a way no other relay service can do. However, HLAA expressed frustration at the current system that is dependant on a patchwork of rules and the vagaries of state budgetary and legislative processes. For example, some states significantly limit the number of captioned phones distributed in state and some states will not allow a consumer to use their phone out of state. Consumers who commute out of state for work, or who travel out of state for vacation are unable to use the phone out of their home state. Consumer representatives requested the FCC initiate and complete a rulemaking to mandate captioned telephone relay service nationwide over the public switched telephone network. Consumer representatives left the meeting feeling encouraged about the possibility of a favorable response from the FCC.

To see our petition filed with the FCC in June, visit
http://www.hearingloss.org/advocacy/pdfs/SupplementtoPetitiontoMandateCaptionedTelephone.pdf

For more information about relay services.
http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/trs.html

Comments due by July 27, 2009
CG Docket number 03-123

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has issued a public notice asking whether captioned telephones services (such as CapTel) should be mandatory across the country. Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) is urging the FCC to mandate captioned phone services.

If you use CapTel, or would like to, let the FCC know why. Let the FCC know how important telephones are to you and how CapTel has helped you. You don’t need to make your comments long or technical. Your stories why you benefit from CapTel services will help the FCC understand the needs of real people with hearing loss when they attempt to use the phone.

To send your stories go to http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/prod/ecfs/upload_v2.cgi (If you need additional help on how to file comments, take a look at: http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/ecfs)

When you fill out the form to file your comments, just use the number: 03-123. Fill out all that is required on this form, then post your story in the space provided. If you need help, contact the HLAA Advocacy Department. We’ll send step-by-step instructions directly to you via email. [Read more]

To see the Comments filed June 10 by HLAA and others regarding captioned telephones services click here.

Act today! Your stories are powerful!

Hearing Loss Association of America along with 11 other organizations recently filed a supplement to our 2005 petition requesting the FCC mandate captioned telephones. Captioned phones, such as CapTel, provide people with hearing loss who can use their voice an opportunity to enjoy the use of telephone services in a way that is very nearly the same as those with no hearing loss. We would like to see many consumers add their comments to the proceedings. Watch the HLAA home page for an upcoming action alert on how to file comments in support of mandating captioned telephone services. Or contact the Advocacy Department directly to see what you can do to make captioned telephone service a reality in all 50 states!

Below is the announcement released June 26 by the FCC:

Released: 06/26/2009.
CONSUMER & GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS BUREAU SEEKS TO REFRESH THE RECORD ON PETITION TO MANDATE CAPTIONED TELEPHONE RELAY SERVICE (CTS). (DA No. 09-1436) PLEADING CYCLE ESTABLISHED.

Comments Due: 07/27/2009.
Reply Comments Due: 08/10/2009. CGB .
Contact: Thomas Chandler at (202) 418-1475
email: Thomas.Chandler@fcc.gov
TTY: (202) 418-0597

http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-09-1436A1.doc http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-09-1436A1.pdf http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-09-1436A1.txt

Hearing Loss Association of America recently learned that the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) included a provision in its Request for Proposals (RFP) for Captioned Telephone Services (CTS) that would require the CTS Caller Assistant (CA) to inform all of the parties on any CTS relay call (that originates from or terminates in California) of the presence of the CTS CA on the call. This requirement is alleged to assure compliance with California state law that prohibits monitoring, recording, or transcribing of telephone conversations unless all parties to the conversation give their express prior consent or have received notice that such monitoring, recording or transcribing is occurring. Read more

Hearing Loss Association regularly receives emails from people complaining about television captioning. We’ve hear about delayed captions, captions that appear with letters dropping out, captions that are garbled or otherwise unreadable, and captions that are just plain full of errors. Captions that are not clear and easily read are not acceptable. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has oversight on broadcast, cable and satellite captioning, but they can’t know what’s going on unless we tell them. Make some noise! Inform your provider (your local broadcaster, cable or satellite company) about the problem first to give them a chance to fix it. If they do not solve the problem, be sure to let the FCC know. It’s up to all of us to keep the pressure on. No one else will do it for us.

For more information about filing a complaint with the FCC, see our webpage: http://www.hearingloss.org/advocacy/telecomm.asp#filing

And if you do send in complaints or concerns, feel free to send a copy to us: Advocacy@hearingloss.org Hearing Loss Association of America sits on the FCC’s Consumer Advisory Council (CAC) and on the CAC’s technical working group. We will take your concerns directly to the FCC to let them know that there are still many, many problems with captions that have yet to be resolved.

HLAA joins other consumer organizations in responding to FCC notice on a national education campaign about the transition from analog to digital TV.

Final DTV Education Reply Comments in PDF

Filing Confirmation in PDF

Captioned TV: What to do if the captions are not working?

Call your TV service or TV station and report the problem. If you do not get satisfaction then the FCC's closed captioning rules require consumers to first complain in writing to their TV distributor, such as your cable or satellite TV service, or to the TV station if you receive television via an over-the-air antenna, before contacting the FCC.

If you are unsatisfied with the TV distributor's response to your complaint, or the TV distributor does not respond within about 45 days, then quickly contact the FCC with all of the complaint information listed above as well as your contact information. You must provide the FCC with full and specific details, including a copy of your original written complaint that you sent to the TV distributor, and their response, if any.
For tips on filing a complaint about captioned TV go to:

http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/dro/tips_on_filing_cc_complaint.html

Get your COAT! In March a new coalition of disability organizations was launched to advocate for legislative and regulatory safeguards that will ensure full access by people with disabilities to evolving high speed broadband, wireless and other Internet protocol (IP) technologies. Coalition of Organizations for Accessible Technology" or “COAT,” consists of 30 national and regional organizations dedicated to making sure that as our nation migrates from legacy public switched-based telecommunications to more versatile and innovative IP-based and other communication technologies, people with disabilities will not be left behind. View the COAT press release launch in Word.