Disability Access

Recent Activity:

• TIA Submits Disability Access Initiatives to President-Elect Obama’s Transition Team (January 16, 2009) (PDF, 57 kb)
  TIA sent a letter to then-President Elect Obama's transition team outlining the efforts undertaken by TIA and the ICT industry to voluntarily address and meet the techonological needs of America's disabled.
• TIA Urges FCC to Retain de minimis Exception to Current Hearing Aid Compatibility Requirements
  Responding to a request for more comments, TIA recommends the FCC not alter its de minimis rule on hearing aid compatibility requirements. The rule enables both small and large companies to bring new products for the hearing impaired to market with fewer risks.
  
• New TIA Standard Will Improve Hearing Aid Compatibility with Digital Cordless Phones

• Leading Trade Associations Host Accessible Technology Fair
  TIA co-hosts an Accessible Technology Fair that showcases many of the new digital technologies that provide numerous benefits to the disability community, as well as to all American consumers.
  

• TIA NIDRR Comments Long-Range Plan (PDF, 48KB)
  TIA files comments with the National Institute of Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) encouraging industry input to be included in their Long-Range Plan.
  

• TEITAC presents final report to U.S. Access Board on accessibility refresh.

• TIA HAC Comments WT 07-250 (PDF, 89KB)

Overview

TIA is a long-standing supporter of Congress's goal of increased access to, and ease of use of, information and communications technology (ICT) products and services by persons with disabilities. TIA and its member companies are committed to ensuring that communications equipment and customer premises equipment (CPE) are designed, developed and fabricated to be accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities, if readily achievable, as directed by Section 255 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. TIA, as an ANSI-Accredited Standards Development Organization, also develops standards used to increase accessibility. As a result of the highly competitive nature of communications equipment and CPE markets, TIA's members today manufacture an increasingly broad array of sophisticated communications devices with enhanced capabilities, which have in turn made the devices more accessible to all individuals.

Photos from the Accessible Technology Fair Held on Capitol Hill May 16