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.
Hearing Aid Compatibility
COAT Position Statement: Mandate Hearing Aid Compatibility for End-User Voice Equipment Used with Internet-Based Technologies
COAT recommendation: Extend current federal law requiring hearing aid compatibility on newly manufactured and imported telephones to end user VoIP and other Internet-enabled telephone products that, like telephones used over the public switched telephone network, have acoustic handsets or headphones and that enable voice communication over the Internet.
COAT Affiliate HLAA Surveys Hearing Aid Compatible Cell Phones: Annoying Interference and Bad Customer Service
March 13, 2011. A recent survey by COAT leading affiliate Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) finds many difficulties with purchase of hearing aid compatible (HAC) wireless phones despite a strong law in place for over 7 years. In January 2011, over 700 consumers responded to HLAA's survey of their consumer experiences. While HLAA's survey found that manufacturers and service providers are making and selling HAC mobile phones, problems remain. For instance, information about HAC mobile phones is not readily available to consumers, the task of finding and purchasing a HAC mobile phone is arduous, and consumers often feel “stuck” with mobile phones they do purchase.
21st Century Communications & Video Accessibility Act of 2010 Passed by U.S. House of Representatives September 28, 2010
On Tuesday September 28, 2010, 9:28 p.m., the "21st Century Communications & Video Accessibility Act of 2010" passed by a voice vote in the U.S. House of Representatives. This was the last legislative hurdle for a bill that all of us began working on several years ago. Next stop is the White House when President Obama will sign the measure, putting it into law. After that, implementation and enforcement processes start at the Federal Communications Commission, the federal agency with most responsibility.
FCC Clarifies Hearing Aid Compatibility Rules & Asks For Comment on New Rules
On August 5, 2010, the Federal Communications Commission issued an Order clarifying its hearing aid compatibility (HAC) rules and seeking comments on some new regulations. In the clarification the FCC says their HAC rules:
U.S. Senate Passes S.3304 by Unanimous Consent!
August 5, 2010, Washington, D.C.:-- COAT celebrates the passage of the "Twenty-first Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010" (S. 3304) by the U.S. Senate today by unanimous consent. Due to the extraordinary efforts of advocates across the country and in Washington, D.C., COAT has secured a monumental step forward in accessible technology.
U.S. House of Representatives Votes For H.R. 3101, Passes With Large Majority!!
July 26, 2010. COAT is delighted that, on the 20th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), 348 Members of the U.S. House of Representatives voted for H.R. 3101, "The Twenty-First Century Communications & Video Accessibility Act." In summary 220 Democrats and 128 Republicans voted for H.R. 3101. See who voted how here.
National Association of the Deaf: H.R. 3101 Heads to House Floor for Vote, Asks Senate for Same
NAD Statement July 22, 2010.
The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) applauds and thanks the House Energy and Commerce Committee for voting favorably on July 21, 2010, for the “Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010” (H.R. 3101). Next, H.R. 3101 will be voted on by the members of the U.S. House of Representatives. After that, the NAD will ask the U.S. Senate to promptly pass H.R. 3101.
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