COAT advocates for accessibility and usability of technology for people with disabilities. Enacting the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (21st CVAA) was a huge step forward and we are working to implement this new law. COAT’s overall aim is to ensure accessibility, usability, and affordability of all broadband, wireless, and Internet technologies for people with disabilities.

FCC Enforces HAC Filing Requirement: Fines Apple $5K

On December 2, 2009 the FCC sent a Notice of Apparent Liability (NAL) for a fine of $5,000 to Apple for not fully complying with the wireless handset hearing aid compatibility (HAC) status reporting rules.

Apparently, Apple was five months late in filing a required status report, waiting until July 15, 2009 for a report that covered July 1 -December 31, 2008. Under FCC rules certain benchmarks for HAC must be reached and companies must report on their efforts. For more information, check out the following:

Hearing Aid Compatibility of Wireless Phones

Apple Accessibility efforts

FCC Hearing Aid Compatibility website

FCC Notice Fining Apple

COAT applauds FCC enforcement actions that lead to better implementation of the many disability accessibility mandates in the Communications Act.

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Andrew Phillips, National Association of the Deaf; Eric Bridges, American Council of the Blind; Mark Richert, American Foundation for the Blind; and Jenifer Simpson, American Association of People with Disabilities, outside the FCC building, Washington DC, after meetings on pending rules under 21st CVAA.

Celebration of the bill's final passage

Rep. Ed Markey and Legislative Director Mark Bayer celebrate the bill’s final passage on September 28, 2010, in front of the Helen Keller statue, with the leaders from the Coalition of Organizations for Accessible Technology: Karen Peltz Strauss, formerly with Communication Service for the Deaf; Jenifer Simpson, American Association of People with Disabilities; Rosaline Crawford, National Association of the Deaf. Their hands symbolize clapping in sign language.

Congressman Ed Markey in photo of Congressional hearing room dais. Congressman Ed Markey (D-MA), center, introduced the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2009 (H.R. 3101) on June 26, 2009.

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President Obama signs the Accessibility Act

President Obama signed the 21^st
Century Communications & Video Accessibility Act into law on October 8, 2010, with many key advocates and lawmakers in attendance.

Senator Mark Pryor (AR) received AAPD’s Justice For All Award July 26, 2011 for his leadership with Senate passage of the 21st CVAA.

Key FCC Staff working on 21st CVAA

Key FCC staff working on 21st CVAA: Karen Peltz Strauss, Rosaline Crawford, Eliot Greenwald

Sesame Street video with captioning and description.

Closed Caption button on remote.

FCC Enforces HAC Filing Requirement: Fines Apple $5K

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21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act

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