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.

Captioning

COAT recommendation: Extend closed captioning obligations contained in Section 713 of the Communications Act to previously captioned video programming that is re-distributed over the Internet; extend captioning obligations to certain other web-based video programming.

Expand the Scope of the Television Decoder Circuitry Act

Captioning

COAT recommendation: Expand the scope of devices that must display closed captions under the Television Decoder Circuitry Act from the present requirement of television sets with screens that are 13 inches or larger, to include video devices of all sizes, including recording and playback devices, that are designed to receive or display analog, digital and Internet programming.

Hooray! FCC Releases Television IP Captioning Rules

COAT is enormously pleased that on Friday January 13, 2012 the FCC released the long-awaited rules for Internet Protocol (IP) TV captioning. This rule is a major component of the 21st CVAA implementation. You can see the FCC Order and accompanying statements by the Commissioners online here. Deeply involved in the rulemaking process were many leading COAT

National Association of Deaf Opposes Stop Online Piracy Act; Could Chill Captioning and Video Description

Noovember 22, 2011. Leading COAT affiliate The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) sent a letter to the House Committee on the Judiciary Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX) and Ranking Member John Conyers (D-MI) opposing the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA). SOPA is currently under consideration in Congress and is a bill intended to combat the dissemination of pirated copyrighted content on the Internet, such as Hollywood videos published online without permission.

Court Reporters Support TV Captioning on Internet: Quality Essential

October 18, 2011. Along with other stakeholders, COAT affiliate, the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA), has filed comments in the FCC's IP captioning rulemaking. In addition to raising quality issues, NCRA makes the point that the intent of the captioning rulemaking is to carry forward into the new century long-standing Congressional and Commission efforts to ensure that video information and programming is accessible to the 36 million Americans who are deaf or have hearing loss.

COAT Groups Beat Back Attempts to Weaken TV Internet Captioning

November 2, 2011. COAT groups filed additional comments into the FCC's docket addressing captioning of TV programming on the Internet. These comments advocated that the FCC:

COAT Affiliates Comment to FCC in TV IP-Captioning Rulemaking: 21st CVAA Implementation Continues

October 27, 2011. This week all Comments were due at the FCC for implementation of Closed Captioning of Internet Protocol Delivered Video Programming (or TV-to-Internet captioning). This is the most recent proposed rule issued by the FCC to implement the 21st CVAA. A 60-page set of Comments was submitted by some Consumer Groups, many of whom are COAT affiliates. COAT also submitted a Reply Comment in support of these Consumer Group comments. There are numerous other comments in this docket (Media Bureau 11-154) from individuals and from other stakeholders.