Saturday, August 17, 2013

FCC Request for comment: Coalition Seeks Waiver re accessibility of E-readers

RantWoman for once is going to post a request for feedback in one post and her opinion in a separate post. Here is the request for feedback

Request for Comment on Petition for Class Waiver of Accessibility Rules for ACS


On August 1, 2013, the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) released a Public Notice requesting comment on a petition filed by the Coalition of E-Reader Manufacturers. The Coalition requests that the Commission waive its rules requiring equipment used for advanced communications services (ACS) to be accessible by people with disabilities. The Coalition states that, although e-readers are equipment that consumers can use for ACS, they are designed primarily for reading.

To distinguish e-readers from tablets and other devices that would not be subject to the waiver request, the Coalition requests a waiver for e-readers that have the following features:

(1) they have no LCD screen;

(2) they have no camera;

(3) they are not offered or shipped to consumers with built-in ACS client applications and their manufacturers do not develop ACS applications for their respective devices, though the devices may include a browser and social media applications; and

(4) they are marketed to consumers as reading devices and promotional material does not tout the capability to access ACS.

Comment Deadline: September 3, 2013

Reply Comment Deadline: September 13, 2013

Links to the Public Notice (including filing instructions):

(PDF) http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-13-1686A1.pdf

(Word) http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-13-1686A1.doc

(Text) http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-13-1686A1.txt


Link to the Coalition Petition (May 15, 2013):

http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs/document/view?id=7022314526


Link to the Letter Supplementing the Coalition Petition (July 17, 2013): http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs/document/view?id=7520931307

For further information, please contact
Eliot Greenwald at (202) 418-2235 orEliot.Greenwald@fcc.gov  or Rosaline Crawford at (202) 418-2075 orRosaline.Crawford@fcc.gov

Jonnie Appleseed

With His
Hands-On Technolog(eye)s
touching the internet
Reducing Technology's disabilities
One Byte At a time

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