ÿWPC° Í)¸¹ekÅÁ‡¸G…=*7wÒŽ€nbpI»1Ð ñ ãÄRôÇ{…ë¬f8r …@UÕ?¸pÕvSƒ,VÚådzN³ß¦K’䩼e›Î<k7×ÊYP{Ã9¾Ë®³afØzˆ’È“3ùGþ6œ0é–§#åÖi´Ý9Ç+URñ™¾ÑŽåŒ[4¬f¬¤lµçô÷ßUxÀÿ%f*wE‰ =ltƒ'8̬ì ú~ÂËFú‚„V>òZÂÙù#þòc•Ö¯÷’Ám4¡ùbxi=<ýÝà>2U]:ˆ™rF¦ k…°üü³1ß ˆ­`"îÐg50CSnáÕe§UR&FòäÏ놛cY!hÉþû[ëQÜ~¥°ÝϾnÐ;Ãðc‰ !+idfÕ~´zPõŒoÑ”P+µùîKêMZ˜öí3ªKmõy‘¾ƒ ähõ½9Žð(:éËëýàµn90C–&«°ª\tÌwÈÛ0Ðh8Y&ÎH`Ñ^J Wün'CMŸN›ÚÉ‚¬’üÙ%ŒuÌÜ Ž²b|þYB‚3Ë@Ÿ¦úÉI«VÚÓõZÜä^~Ä°œw?»WçXràÞP[ 9{‰¼þ U.Œ %ºU<ÀünX  04d˜w˜4œ<þ6X9`(CourierX%ô\  `$Times NewRoman3|j«<þ6X9`(CourierXôxþ6X@ɹ`7ûX@%ô\  `$Times NewRomanXXjô\  PŽ6G;XP( ¤T$¡¡Ó  ÓS‚×&Ý ƒ¤T!ÝÓ  ÓÝ  ÝÑ7€HzXXdØdÈ7ÑÓ  ÓÔ€XÆ]XXXÔSeparate€Statement€of€Commissioner€Gloria€Tristaniò òÐ ° ÐÌó óReport€and€Order€on€Implementation€of€Section€255€and€251(a)(2)€Ð ‰Ù ÐAccess€to€Telecommunications€Services,€Telecommunications€Equipment,€and€ConsumerÏPremises€Equipment€by€Persons€with€DisabilitiesÌò òÌó óJuly€14,€1999Ð < Œ ÐÌÌÓ  ÓÌà  àI've€spoken€before€about€the€importance€of€access€in€our€information€society.€ÏTelecommunications€is€increasingly€so€much€more€than€how€we€communicate€„„€it€is€how€weÏteach,€how€we€learn,€how€we€work.€€To€be€denied€access€to€these€activities€is€to€be€relegated€toÏthe€sidelines€of€our€national€life.€€And€so€I€have€fought€hard€to€ensure€access€in€other€contexts€„„ÏE„rate€and€universal€service.€€So,€too,€here.€€The€opportunity€to€make€decisions€like€these€„„€andÏto€see€the€meaningful€effect€in€individuals'€lives€„„€is€what€makes€this€job€worthwhile.€€ÌÌà  àCongress,€of€course,€made€the€first€important€decision€here:€the€decision€to€require€thatÏall€telecommunications€services€and€equipment€be€accessible€to€people€with€disabilities,€ifÏreadily€achievable.€€But€we€have€the€obligation€to€bring€Congress'€intent€to€life,€through€ourÏimplementation€and€enforcement.€€Section€255€is€a€true€corollary€to€the€ADA,€which€mandatesÏaccessibility€in€employment€and€public€accommodations.€€Knowing€that€full€participation€in€ourÏnational€life€means€more€than€eliminating€physical€barriers,€Congress€did€not€stop€there.€€SectionÏ255€builds€upon€the€progress€of€the€ADA€by€removing€barriers€to€communication€andÏinformation.€€The€rules€we€adopt€today€will€have€a€substantial€effect€on€the€quality€of€life€for€allÏAmericans€with€disabilities.€€€ÌÌà  àI€have€approached€this€rulemaking€with€these€goals€in€mind.€€The€rules€we€adopt€provideÏmanufacturers€and€service€providers€with€both€certainty€about€their€obligations€and€flexibility€inÏhow€they€meet€them.€€As€manufacturers€consider€accessibility€throughout€the€design€andÏdevelopment€of€new€products€and€services,€I€have€no€doubt€that€the€intelligence€and€innovationÏof€this€industry€will€prevail€in€amazing,€unforeseen€ways.€€As€a€lawyer,€it's€one€of€the€things€IÏappreciate€about€engineers.€€We€lawyers€are€trained€to€create€problems.€€Engineers€love€to€solveÏthem.€€So€I€have€every€confidence€that€industry€will€create€greater€accessibility€and€greaterÏinclusiveness€that€will€benefit€us€all.€€€€€€ÌÌà  àI€am€particularly€pleased€about€one€aspect€of€our€decision.€€I€firmly€believe€that€we€haveÏthe€jurisdiction,€and€indeed,€the€obligation€under€the€Communications€Act,€to€include€voicemailÏand€interactive€voice€menus€in€our€rules.€€These€services€are€more€than€commonplace.€They€areÏoften€the€only€means€of€completing€a€simple€phone€call€today.€€When€I€call€a€bank€or€an€airline,Ïa€theater€or€a€credit€card€company,€interactive€voice€menus€are€the€means€by€which€I€completeÏmy€call.€€Often€a€live€human€is€available,€if€at€all,€only€by€navigating€that€system.€€Those€who€areÏhard€of€hearing,€or€who€have€mobility€or€cognitive€disabilities,€simply€may€not€be€able€toÐ +à&* Ðrespond€as€quickly€as€the€system€demands.€€A€TTY„user,€working€with€a€communicationsÏassistant,€may€have€to€spend€forty„five€minutes,€and€endless€phone€calls,€to€re„enter€the€systemÏand€repeat€the€prompts€just€to€check€an€account€balance.€€When€these€individuals€areÏdisconnected,€or€do€not€have€sufficient€time€to€respond€to€a€prompt,€it€is€a€fiction€to€say€that€thatÏphone€call€is€accessible€because,€in€the€technical€sense,€it€has€been€terminated€at€the€numberÏdialed.€€In€no€purposeful€sense€is€that€call€accessible€to€the€person€placing€it.€€Voicemail€andÏinteractive€voice€menus€are€so€integral€to€the€use€of€telecommunications€services€today€that€theirÏinaccessibility€can€render€telecommunications€services€themselves€inaccessible.€€By€reading€theÏstatute€with€its€purpose€in€mind€and€covering€these€vital€services,€we€ensure€real€and€meaningfulÏaccess.€€ÌÌÌÌ