The FCC's Accessibility and Innovation Initiative is pleased to commemorate Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) today. Global Accessibility Awareness Day is a community-driven effort dedicated to raising the profile and heightening awareness of digital accessibility to the broadest audience possible.
Over the years, Congress has designated the FCC as the federal agency responsible for implementing various laws intended to make communication technologies more accessible to people with disabilities. This post highlights resources toward available on www.fcc.gov. We will also be tweeting messages with the hashtag #GAAD.
The FCC's Disability Rights Office performs most of our work in this area, and our AccessInfo service distributes email announcements about FCC news on disability-access issues. Information on how to subscribe can be found here: www.fcc.gov/encyclopedia/join-accessinfo-email-list.
In addition, the FCC's Accessibility Clearinghouse is an online database of information about accessible technology solutions.
Below you will find links to 25 Consumer Guides that we have prepared on disability-access issues. We hope you find this information useful:
- Captioning of Internet Video Programming: www.fcc.gov/guides/captioning-internet-video-programming
- Closed Captioning: www.fcc.gov/guides/closed-captioning
- Closed Captioning and Digital-to-Analog Converter Boxes: www.fcc.gov/guides/closed-captioning-and-digital-analog-converter-boxes
- Closed Captioning for Digital Television (DTV): www.fcc.gov/guides/closed-captioning-digital-television-dtv
- Dial 211 for Essential Community Services: www.fcc.gov/guides/dial-211-essential-community-services
- Display of Captioning on Equipment Used to View Video Programming: www.fcc.gov/guides/display-captioning-equipment-used-view-video-programming
- Hearing Aid Compatibility for Wireless Telephones: www.fcc.gov/guides/hearing-aid-compatibility-wireless-telephones
- Hearing Aid-Compatibility for Wireline Telephones: www.fcc.gov/guides/hearing-aid-compatibility-wireline-telephones
- Internet Protocol (IP) Relay Service: www.fcc.gov/guides/internet-protocol-ip-relay-service
- IP Captioned Telephone Service: www.fcc.gov/guides/internet-protocol-ip-captioned-telephone-service
- National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program: www.fcc.gov/guides/national-deaf-blind-equipment-distribution-program
- Payphone Relay Service: www.fcc.gov/guides/payphone-relay-service
- Speech-To-Speech Relay Service: www.fcc.gov/guides/speech-speech-relay-service
- Telecommunications Access for People with Disabilities: www.fcc.gov/guides/telecommunications-access-people-disabilities
- Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS): www.fcc.gov/guides/telecommunications-relay-service-trs
- Ten-Digit Numbering and Emergency Call Handling Procedures for Internet-Based Telecommunications Relay Services: www.fcc.gov/guides/ten-digit-numbering-and-emergency-call-handling-procedures-internet-based-trs
- Ten-Digit Numbering and 911 Calls for Internet-Based TRS: www.fcc.gov/guides/ten-digit-numbering-and-911-calls-internet-based-trs
- Ten-Digit Numbering Requirements for VRS and IP Relay FAQ: www.fcc.gov/guides/ten-digit-numbering-requirements-vrs-and-ip-relay-faq
- Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010: www.fcc.gov/guides/21st-century-communications-and-video-accessibility-act-2010
- Use of Toll-Free Numbers for Video and IP Relay Service: www.fcc.gov/guides/use-toll-free-numbers-video-and-ip-relay-service
- Use of TTY Devices with Digital Wireless Phones: www.fcc.gov/guides/use-tty-devices-digital-wireless-phones
- VideoDescription: www.fcc.gov/guides/video-description
- Video Descriptions and the Digital Television Transition: www.fcc.gov/guides/video-descriptions-and-digital-television-transition
- Video Relay Services: www.fcc.gov/guides/video-relay-services
- 711 for Telecommunications Relay Service: www.fcc.gov/guides/711-telecommunications-relay-service