Rapid advances in technology have resulted in innovations in how
telecommunications services are provided to, and are accessed by, users
of those services. Many of these advances are increasing the rate of
convergence among categories of services that have traditionally been
viewed as distinct, such as cable television services, telephony, data
services, and internet services. Regulations must be examined in light
of these technology advances, and the Federal Communications Commission
("FCC") must remain abreast of new developments in technology so that it
can effectively fulfill its responsibilities under the Communications
Act.
The purpose of the TAC is to provide technical advice to the Federal
Communications Commission and to make recommendations on the issues and
questions presented to it by the FCC. The TAC will address questions
referred to it by the FCC Chairman, or by the FCC Chief Technologist
or Chief Engineer. The questions referred to the TAC will be directed
to technological and technical issues in the field of communications.
The TAC web page is located at http://www.fcc.gov/oet/tac/.
Access for Persons with Disabilities
The TAC has a focus group
that is charged with analyses of technology and accessibility for persons
with disabilities. Mission Statement:
Assess and report to the TAC the current technical trends
in telecommunications services; suggest any changes that might decrease,
rather than increase, the accessibility of telecommunications services
by persons with disabilities; and suggest how the FCC might best
communicate to designers of emerging telecommunications network
architectures, the requirements for accessibility.
Gregg Vanderheiden, moderator. The web site is located at http://trace.wisc.edu/docs/fccadv/disability.htm.
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