FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 11, 2010

TIA Supports FCC Launch of Accessibility and Innovation Forum

Recommendations Given for Online Informational Clearinghouse, Ongoing Workshops, Field Events and Dialogues, Expanding Issues Blog and Creation of Chairman's Award

Washington, D.C. – The Telecommunications Industry Association, which represents manufacturers of broadband equipment, products and services, today filed comments with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regarding the launch of its Accessibility and Innovation Forum.

TIA provided suggestions to aid the Commission in its plans to establish an online informational clearinghouse; conducting ongoing workshops, field events, and facilitated dialogues; expanding its blog presence on accessibility issues; and the creation of a Chairman's Award and an online problem-solving commons. TIA announced its support of these FCC proposals and provided feedback on how they can be implemented in a manner that is manageable and promotes a broad range of participation.

Specifically, TIA recommends:

• Using a three step process to create a voluntary online clearinghouse to act as a portal to direct consumers to currently available accessible technologies via an accessible Web site
• A Chairman's award should focus on positive on-going innovations that can act as solutions to accessible communications challenges
• Ongoing workshops, field events, and facilitated dialogues to be used to promote innovative accessibility solutions and which should be collocated with events "outside the beltway" to encourage participation from a broader community

"TIA member companies design, produce, and deploy a wide variety of devices with the goal of making technology accessible to all Americans – an objective we share with the Commission," said TIA Vice President for Government Affairs Danielle Coffey. "TIA has been actively involved in the Commission's efforts to eliminate barriers to communications technology by people with disabilities and looks forward to continuing this discussion."

Read TIA's comments filed with the FCC on its FCC filings page at tiaonline.org.

Sign up for RSS feeds on government policy and other TIA news.

About TIA
The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) represents the global information and communications technology (ICT) industry through standards development, advocacy, tradeshows, business opportunities, market intelligence and world-wide environmental regulatory analysis. Since 1924, TIA has been enhancing the business environment for broadband, mobile wireless, information technology, networks, cable, satellite and unified communications. Members' products and services empower communications in every industry and market, including healthcare, education, security, public safety, transportation, government, the military, the environment and entertainment.

TIA is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Visit tiaonline.org.

TIA's Board of Directors from includes senior-level executives from ADTRAN, Alcatel-Lucent, ANDA Networks, AttivaCorp, Cisco Systems, Ericsson, Inc., GENBAND, Inc., Henkels & McCoy, ILS Technology, Intel Corporation, Intersect, Inc., LGE, Microsoft, Motorola, Nokia Siemens Networks, OneChip Photonics, Openwave, Inc., Panasonic Computer Solutions Co., Powerwave Technologies, Qualcomm, Research In Motion, Sumitomo Electric Lightwave Corporation, Tellabs, Tyco Electronics, Ulticom, Inc., Walker & Associates and WirefreeCom, Inc. Advisors to the Board include FAL Associates and Telcordia Technologies.

##