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 Report Shows TV Accessibility Complaints Continue to Climb

On August 13, 2010, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued its first quarter 2010 Consumer Complaints Report. Among the general complaints, the quarterly report shows some disability-related consumer complaints/inquiries regarding video description, closed captioning, and emergency access to video programming, as follows:

January, 58
February, 62
March, 108
TOTAL = 228

Complaints about hearing aid compatibility, accessible phones and services (Secs. 255 and 251), relay services and other disability requirements are not included in this report. COAT notes -- not for the first time-- that the FCC reporting about disability complaints/inquiries does not state any trends, outcomes or resolutions of these television complaints, or if further investigatory steps were taken. Hopefully, the new reporting requirements in S.3304, once enacted, will stimulate the FCC's Enforcement Bureau to more action.

Read full FCC report.

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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 Report Shows TV Accessibility Complaints Continue to Climb

COAT

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21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act

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