Accessibility

Overview

As information and communications technology (ICT) rapidly develops and advances, access to advanced communications services (ACS) is increasingly important for those with disabilities. TIA and our member companies are long-standing supporters of inclusion for all populations in access to ACS, and we specifically support Congress's goal to increase access to and ease of use of ICT products and services by persons with disabilities. Our 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, and compliant with relevant laws including the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990, Section 255 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, and - most recently - the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010.

TIA regularly represents ICT industry consensus accessibility-related positions to Congress, the Federal agencies (such as the Federal Communications Commission [FCC], the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board [also known as the Access Board], the Department of Justice, and others), civil society, and other stakeholders. We also serve our member companies by providing a forum for addressing existing and emerging accessibility-related issues and events for member companies, as well as a conduit for constructive dialogues with the disability community. We serve this role via our own activities, as well as through participation in government-housed efforts, such as the FCC's Emergency Access Advisory Committee (EAAC), which TIA co-chairs.

In addition, as an American National Standards Institute (ANSI)-accredited standard development organization, TIA 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.

We recommend that you contact us if you would like to speak with us about, or need any further information on, TIA's accessibility-related policies or efforts.

Recent Activity

  • The M-Enabling Summit Gains Widespread Industry and Community Support. TIA is a proud sponsor of the M-Enabling Summit.
  • TIA hosts the FCC for a webinar on its Accessibility and Innovation Initiative (video)
  • TIA TR-41.3 Chair Al Baum of Uniden Corporation discusses ANSI/TIA-1083, a standard created to reduce electromagnetic interference experienced by hearing aid users - not only on cordless phones, but on VOIP and WIMAX devices as well (video)
  • TIA members speak at the Hearing Loss Association of America 2011 Convention about TR-41.3 standards ANSI/TIA-1083 and ANSI/TIA-4953 (video)
  • TIA hosts webinar on Compliance with the FCC's regulations pursuant to the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010 (press release)

Recent Filings

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