FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 4, 2008

Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) Announces Updated Accessibility Standards

TEITAC Final Report Released to U.S. Access Board

Washington, D.C. - After over a year and a half spent tackling the complicated process of updating accessibility standards, the Telecommunications and Electronic and Information Technology Advisory Committee (TEITAC) presented its final report to the U.S. Access Board on April 3, 2008. The report addresses how federal agencies and private industry are expected to make electronic and information technology accessible to people with disabilities.

TEITAC members include industry, disability groups, standards-setting bodies in the U.S. and abroad, and government agencies. The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) was represented by Mary Brooner, Motorola, who worked diligently with TIA member companies to convey industry point of view. TIA member companies sell telecom products to federal agencies and to consumers.

"The issues tackled by this report are very complicated but extremely important not only to TIA member companies, but to the many Americans living with disabilities," said TIA President Grant Seiffert, "TIA commends the hard work of the Committee and is committed to continuing an open dialogue between industry and the disability community."

TEITAC was formed on July 6, 2006 by the Access Board and was tasked with providing recommendations for updates of accessibility standards issued under section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act and section 255 of the Telecommunications Act. The Committee was divided into sub-committees, such as Web and Software, Telecommunications, Audio Video, etc. Products and services covered by these committees include everything from Web sites to multimedia to office products, such as fax machines and telephones.

The recommendations issued in the report are advisory, and the Access Board will initiate a formal rulemaking process before adopting regulations. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which regulates privately manufactured telecommunications, interconnected Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), and customer premises equipment, likewise has no obligation to implement the TEITAC report. The FCC will take under advisement the recommended regulations of the Access Board when it reviews its own Section 508 regulations.

For a full copy of the report please see: www.access-board.gov/sec508/refresh/report.

TIA represents the information and communications technology industry, and its members represent the entire telecommunications supply chain, from infrastructure provider to device maker. TIA members include many of the manufacturers of the equipment needed to offer video services and upgrade broadband networks.

For more information about TIA's advocacy efforts, please contact Danielle Coffey at dcoffey@tiaonline.org. For information about TIA, contact twalsh@tiaonline.org.

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About TIA
The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) represents the global information and communications technology (ICT) industries through standards development, advocacy, business opportunities, market intelligence and world-wide environmental regulatory compliance. With support from its 600 members, TIA enhances the business environment for companies involved in telecommunications, broadband, mobile wireless, information technology, networks, cable, satellite, unified communications, emergency communications and the greening of technology. TIA is accredited by ANSI. TIA's policy team opened its Washington, D.C., headquarters on Capitol Hill in January 2008. Visit www.tiaonline.org for details.

TIA's Board of Directors includes senior-level executives from ACS, ADC, ADTRAN, Alcatel-Lucent, ANDA Networks, ArrayComm, AttivaCorp, Avaya, Bechtel Communications, Inc., Cam Communications, Cisco Systems, Corning Incorporated, Ericsson, Inc., Graybar, Henkels & McCoy, Intel Corporation, LGE, Microsoft, Motorola, Nokia Siemens Networks, Nortel, OneChip Photonics Inc., OnSite Systems, Panasonic Computer Solutions Co., Research In Motion, Sumitomo Electric Lightwave Corporation, Telcordia Technologies, Tellabs, Tyco Electronics, Ulticom, Inc., Westell Technologies, Inc. and Zebra Technologies Corporation. Advisors to the Board include FAL Associates, ILS Technology and Orca Systems.