The National Broadband Report includes recommendations for people with disabilities to have equal access to broadband.
- Access to broadband internet is rapidly becoming essential to the economy and government.
- Only 42% of PWD have broadband access at home.
- Wider broadband access would allow PWD to more easily participate in employment, shopping, news, government, education, etc.
On March 16th, the Federal Communications Commission introduced its recommendations for a national broadband plan. The report is called Connected Nation. Last week, the FCC had a preview event in Washington, DC specifically addressing the role of accessibility in the Plan. The FCC chairman spoke at the preview event and pointed out that of the 54 million Americans with disabilities only 42% of people with disabilities use broadband at home, compared with 65% of people nationwide. “An astounding 39% of all non adopters have a disability.” Chairman Genachowski went on to point out that “high speed Internet is essential to an individuals’ ability to participate in our economy and our democracy.”
So, over the next months and years, the FCC hopes to introduce regulatory changes and share best practices. It also hopes to spur a wider, US Government focus, and encourage action in Department of Justice and in Congress to update accessibility laws and policies. Here’s a preview of the recommendations in the national broadband plan, Connected Nation.
- The FCC should establish an Accessibility and Innovation Forum to allow manufacturers, service providers, technology companies, and others to learn from consumers about their needs, to share best practices and to demonstrate new products, applications, and assistive technologies. The FCC hopes to have the first such forum in the summer of 2010.
- The FCC should extend its Section 255 rules to require that advanced services and related equipment and software be accessible to people with disabilities and should extend its Hearing Aid Compatibility rules to all devices that provide voice communications via a built-in speaker and are intended for use to the ear. The FCC should also open a proceeding to implement a standard for real time text any time that VoIP is available and supported.
- The FCC should review its regulations and consider establishing separate subsidy programs to fund broadband services and assistive technologies under the Telecommunications Relay Services program
- Congress should consider authorizing the FCC to use Universal Service Funds to provide or facilitate development of assistive technologies for persons who are deaf – blind to access broadband services
- The Executive Branch should convene a Broadband Accessibility Working Group to coordinate federal efforts to maximize broadband adoption by persons with disabilities. This group would be tasked with ensuring federal government compliance with section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, coordinating policies across departments and agencies and developing funding priorities.
