"This page is a digitally archived AccessInfo Announcement"
Committee to Focus on Matters Pertaining to Next Generation 911 Access for Persons with Disabilities
On December 7, 2010, Chairman Julius Genachowski announced the establishment, and appointment of members and Co-Chairpersons of the Emergency Access Advisory Committee (EAAC), an advisory committee required by the Twenty-first Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010 (the Accessibility Act). In a public notice released on October 19, 2010, the Commission solicited nominations for membership on the EAAC in accordance with the Accessibility Act. The nominations period closed on November 1, 2010.
The EAAC shall conduct monthly meetings during 2011. The first meeting will be held on January 14, 2011 at Commission Headquarters from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and subsequent meetings will be held on the second Friday of every month during 2011. All meetings shall be open to the public.
EAAC MISSION
The purpose of the EAAC is to determine the most effective and efficient technologies and methods by which to enable access to Next Generation 911 emergehcy services by individuals with disabilities. In order to fulfill this mission, the Accessibility Act directs that within one year after the EAAC's members are appointed, the Committee shall conduct a national survey, with the input of groups represented by the Committee's membership, after which the Committee shall develop and submit to the Commission recommendations to implement such technologies and methods. These recommendations shall include the following, taking into account what is technically and economically feasible:
(1) actionsneededforthemigrationtoanationalInternetprotocol(IP)-enablednetworkto achievereliable,interoperablecommunicationthatwillensureaccesstoemergencyservicesby peoplewithdisabilities;
(2) protocols,technicalcapabilities,andtechnicalrequirementstoensurethereliabilityand interoperabilitynecessarytoensureaccesstoemergencyservicesbypeoplewithdisabilities;
(3) technicalstandardsforusebypublicsafetyansweringpoints,designateddefaultanswering points,andlocalemergencyauthorities;
(4) technicalstandardsandrequirementsforcommunicationdevices,equipmentandtechnologies toenabletheuseofreliableemergencyaccess;
(5) procedurestoensurethatIP-enablednetworkprovidersdonotinstallfeatures,functions,or capabilitiesthatwouldconflictwithtechnicalstandardsneededtoachieve9-1-1emergency accessbypeoplewithdisabilities;
(6) deadlinesbywhichinterconnectedandnon-interconnectedVoiceoverIP(VoIP)service providersandmanufacturersshallachievetheactionsrequiredintheaboveparagraphs,where achievable,andforthepossiblephaseoutofcurrent-generationTTYtechnologytotheextentthat thistechnologyisreplacedwithmoreeffectiveandefficienttechnologiesandmethodstoenable accesstoemergencyservicesbypeoplewithdisabilities;and
(7) rulestoupdatetheCommission'stelecommunications relayservicesregulationswithrespect to9-1-1services,asnewtechnologiesandmethodsfor providingsuchrelayservicesareadopted byprovidersofsuch relayservices.
APPOINTMENTOF MEMBERS
By this Public Notice, the Chairman of the Commission appoints thirty-two (32) members of the EAAC. Of this number, eleven (11) represent interests of persons with disabilities and researchers; seven (7) represent interests of communication service providers; six (6) represent interests of state and local emergency responders and emergency subject matter technologies; three (3) represent vendors, developers and manufacturers of systems, facilities and equipment; three (3) represent Federal agencies; and two (2) represent industry organizations. The EAAC's membership is designed to be representative of the Commission's many constituencies, and the diversify achieved ensures a balance among individuals with disabilities and other stakeholders, as required by Accessibility Act. All appointments are effective immediately and shall terminate December 7, 2012, or when the Committee is teuninated, whichever is earlier.·
The membership of the EAAC, designated by organization or affiliation as appropriate, is as follows:
•AmericanFoundationfortheBlind- Hodges
•AllianceforTelecommunicationsIndustrySolutions-JohnSnapp
•AT&T-BrianDaly
•AvayaLabs-Michaelis
•CenterforPublicSafetyInnovation/NationalTerroristPreparednessInstitute-ChristopherLittlewood
•CityofLosAngeles'DepartmentonDisability,andNationalEmergencyNumberingAssociation's AccessibilityCommittee-Ray
•ComcastCable -Arocho
•CommunicationServicefortheDeaf-Sonnenstrahl
•CTIA,The WirelessAssociation-Gerst
•FairfaxCountyEmergencyManagement-BruceMcFarlane
• Gallaudet University -Norman Williams
•Hearing,Speech&DeafuessCenter-Platt
•LouisianaNational EmergencyNumbering Association-RolandCotton
•Microsoft-Aboba
•NorcalCenterforDeafandHardofHearing,andE911StakeholderCouncil-SheriFarinha
•Omnitor-GunnarHellstrom
•PartnersforAccess,LLC-Ziev
•PurpleCommunicationsStem
•RealTimeTextTaskForce(R3TF)-AmoudvanWijk
•ResearchinMotion(RIM)-GregoryFields
•SpeechCommunicationAssistancefortheTelephone,Inc.-Ladew
•TeleCommunicationsSystems,Inc-Mitchell
•Telecommunications IndustryAssociation andtheMobileManufacturersForum-DavidJ.Dzumba
•TimeWarnerCableCommunications-Martha (Marte)Kinder
•T-Mobile,911PolicyNixon
•TraceR&DCenter,UniversityofWisconsin (IT&Tel-RERC)-GreggVanderheiden
•VerizonCommunications-Green
•VonageHoldingCorporation-Kasper
•WashingtonParish,LACommunicationsDistrict- Coleman
Federal Agencies
•DepartmentofHomelandSecurity,FederalEmergencyManagementAgency-MarcieRoth
•U.S.DepartmentofJustice,CivilRightsDivision/DRS-RobertMather
•U.S.DepartmentofTransportation,NHTSA-LaurieFlaherty
FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski has designated Richard Ray and David J. Dzumba as Co Chairpersons of the EAAC.
ACCESSIBLE FORMATS: To request materials inaccessible formats for people with disabilities (Braille, large print, electronic files, audio format), send an e-mail to fcc504@fcc.gov or call the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau at 202-418-0530 (voice), 202-418-0432 (TTY).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cheryl King, Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau, Federal Communications Commission, 202-418-2284 (voice), 202-418-0416 (TTY), or Cheryl.King@fcc.gov (e-mail); or Patrick Donovan, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, Federal Communications Commission, 202-418-2413, Patrick.Donovan@fcc.gov (e-mail).