Federal Communications Commission 445 12th Street, S.W. Washington, D. C. 20554 Report No. CC 99-xx Docket WT 96-198 News media Information 202 / 418-0500 TTY 202 / 418-2555 Fax-On-Demand 202 / 418-2830 Internet: http://www.fcc.gov and ftp.fcc.gov FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 14, 1999 News Media contact: Audrey Spivack at (202) 418-0500; TTY: (202) 418-2555 FCC RULING IS 'MOST SIGNIFICANT ACTION SINCE ADA' Promotes Independence in the New Millennium Today the FCC adopted rules and policies to implement Section 255 and Section 251(a)(2) of the Communications Act of 1934, that require manufacturers of telecommunications equipment and providers of telecommunications services to ensure that such equipment and services are accessible to and useable by persons with disabilities, if readily achievable. These rules will give people with disabilities access to a broad range of products and services - such as telephones, cell phones, pagers, call-waiting, and operator services, that they cannot use today. Today's action represents the most significant opportunity for people with disabilities since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990. The rules adopted today require manufacturers and service providers to design telecommunications equipment and services with the needs of people with disabilities in mind. In developing these rules, the FCC relied heavily on the Access Board guidelines for equipment developed pursuant to section 255, months of productive discussions with interested parties from the disability community and industry, and a careful analysis of the appropriate precedent under the ADA and other statutes designed to remove access barriers. Our nation has an estimated 54 million Americans with disabilities. Persons with disabilities are the largest minority group in the United States, yet despite their numbers, they do not experience equal participation in society. Access to telecommunications can bring independence. The disability community has told the FCC of the frustration of not being able to check the balance of a checking account using telecommunications relay service, or not being able to tell if a wireless phone is turned on, or not being able to use a calling card because of inadequate time to enter in the appropriate numbers. The FCC has received numerous reports from relatives of senior citizens saying that their elderly parents could live on their own, if only they had telecommunications equipment that they could use. The benefits of increased accessibility to telecommunications are not limited to people with disabilities. Just as people without disabilities benefit from the universal design principles in the ADA and the Architectural Barriers Act (for example a parent pushing a stroller over a curbcut), many people without disabilities will also benefit from accessible telecommunications equipment and services. Indeed, many of us already benefit from accessibility features in telecommunications today: vibrating pagers do not disrupt meetings; speaker phones enable us to use our hands for other activities; increased volume control on public pay phones allows us to talk in noisy environments. The FCC expects many similar results from the rules adopted today. More importantly, we all benefit when people with disabilities become more active in our communities and in society as a whole. Statistically, most Americans will have a disability, or experience a limitation, at some point in their lives. While 5.3% of persons 15-24 years of age have some kind of functional limitation, 23% of persons in the 45-54 age range experience functional limitation. The percentage of those affected by functional limitations increases with age: 34.2% of those aged 55-64; 45.4% of those aged 65-69; 55.3% for those aged 70-74 and 72.5% for those aged 75 and older. The number of persons with functional limitations will also increase with time. Today, only about 20% of Americans are over age 55, but by the year 2050, 35% of our population will be over age 55. Today, most Americans rely on telecommunications for routine daily activities, for example, to make doctors' appointments, call home when they are late for dinner, participate in conference calls at work, and make an airline reservation. Moreover, diverse telecommunications tools such as distance learning, telemedicine, telecommuting, and video conferencing enable Americans to interface anytime from anywhere. Understanding that communications is now an essential component of American life, Congress intended the 1996 Act to provide people with disabilities access to employment, independence, emergency services, education, and other opportunities More specifically, telecommunications is a critical tool for employment. If telecommunications technologies are not accessible to and usable by persons with disabilities, many qualified individuals will not be able to work or achieve their full potential in the workplace. Congress recognized the importance of creating employment opportunities for people with disabilities with Title I of the ADA, which addresses the employer's responsibilities in making the workplace accessible to employees with disabilities. At a time when Americans are experiencing the lowest unemployment rate in years, unemployment among people with severe disabilities is roughly 73%, and when employed they earn only one-third of people without disabilities. The rules the FCC adopted today give employers expanded tools with which to employ and accommodate persons with disabilities. Action by the Commission July 14, 1999, by Report and Order; Common Carrier Bureau contact: Ellen Blackler at (202) 418-0491, TTY: 202-418-0485. This is an unofficial announcement of Commission action. Release of the full text of a Commission order constitutes official action. See MCI v. FCC. 515 F 2d 385 (D.C. Circ 1974).