Internet Protocol (IP)

On June 4, 2010, twenty-two organizations signed on to a letter to U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to ask for the proposed health care web portal to be usable by and accessible to all users. Among these were five COAT affiliates -- AAPD, AADB, NAD, NCIL and WID.

On Thursday June 3, 2010, two COAT affiliate leaders -- Jim Tobias of Inclusive Technologies and Alexandra Enders of the University of Montana Rural Institute -- participated in “The Broadband Researchers’ Data Workshop” run by the National Telecommunications & Information Administration (NTIA),

On May 20, 2010, COAT leader Mark Richert of American Foundation for the Blind, briefed the Media & Democracy coalition (MADco) leaders about disability issues in regard to the Internet. He talked about our COAT coalition and the provisions found in H.R. 3101 and S. 3304.

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)

On May 18, 2010, several representatives from COAT organizations -- AAPD, AFB, NAD -- met with representatives from industry for almost two hours to discuss some of the video programming provisions in H.R. 3101 (and S. 3304).

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.

May 14, 2010. Consumers can now search the recently launched FCC searchable database for contact information at TV companies for closed captioning concerns and complaints. The information in the database is required by the FCC from the video programming distributors, that is, the TV stations, cable TV, satellite TV, and phone company TV service providers. These TV distributors must provide a name, phone number and email address. There are no exemptions to provision of this information.

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).