Hearing Aid Compatibility

On June 30, 2010, almost one hundred people attended the long-awaited markup of H.R.

June 29, 2010. COAT is pleased to see a markup of H.R. 3101 has been scheduled. The House Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet will meet in open markup session on Wednesday, June 30, 2010, at 2:00 p.m. in room 2123 Rayburn House Office Building, to consider H.R. 3101, the “Twenty-first Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2009.” TV monitors will display captions. The markup will also be streamed live online with captions.  More info will be posted at http://bit.ly/9E3upA.

On June 22, 2010, the Bay Citizen, a non-profit news organization located in San Francisco, included a story "Smartphones Flunk for Blind Users: Blind users see digital divide in new generation phones," by Jessica Portner, a free lance writer.

On June 10, 2010 the Coalition of Organizations for Accessible Technology (COAT) was very pleased to sponsor two witnesses from leading COAT affiliates to testify at a U.S. House Subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet hearing on the "21st Century Communications & Video Accessibility Act" (H.R.

May 21, 2010. COAT is delighted to learn that Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) will chair a hearing Wednesday May 26 on legislation that would require technology companies,  phone manufacturers & services providers to ensure accessibility of their products for deaf, blind, deaf-blind & other customers with disabilities. The focus of the hearing will be the "Equal Access to 21st Century Communications Act," (S.3304) which Kerry co-sponsored along with Sen. Mark Pryor (D-AR)

May 18, 2010, Washington, D.C.-- COAT commends the FCC for again issuing Public Notices about the number of disability-specific complaints it receives per quarter.  However, COAT remains very concerned about the lack of reporting about resolution of these concerns or if any are moved for further action to the FCC's Enforcement Bureau. COAT expects and demands better enforcement of the longstanding federal requirements for accessibility of communications technologies, especially now, in a world of a great technological change.

On May 13, 2010, the FCC held a workshop on expanding disability access in wireless technologies. The workshop consisted of two panels, with leading representatives from COAT affiliates speaking on a panel raising concerns about consumer needs.

In a letter on May 12, 2010, COAT wrote to the four U.S. Senators -- Kerry (MA), Pryor (AR), Dorgan (ND), Conrad (ND) -- who introduced the "Equal Access to 21st Century Communications Act" (S. 3304).