AFB gathering info about using current telecommunications technologies.

YOU'RE INVITED!
Share Your Experience Using Current Communications Technology, and
Shape Future Accessible Technology Policy Making
AFB Gathering Your Input for FCC's Report to Congress on the CVAA

For further information, contact:
Mark Richert, Esq.
Director, Public Policy, AFB
(202) 469-6833
MRichert@afb.net

Background
AFB wants to hear about your experience using communications technologies, such as cellphones, tablets or computers to access the web, email and text messages. We also want to share your information with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The FCC is currently preparing a report for Congress on the extent to which the communications industry is complying with the historic Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA), which became law in 2010. The CVAA requires technologies that provide so-called advanced communications services, such as electronic messaging, to be accessible either out-of-the-box or with inexpensive add-on tools. The CVAA builds on older requirements of law, specifically section 255 of the Communications Act, which requires that traditional telephone technologies also be accessible.

How You Can Help
To assist in the preparation of the FCC's report to Congress, and to help us and the FCC know how well the law is working, we are asking you to tell us about your experiences via email, good and bad, trying to obtain and use accessible advanced communications services, as well as more traditional telephone-like technologies. Please try to keep your comments focused on technologies you've tried to obtain and use in the last two years; we want to provide the FCC with good current information.

By Monday, August 11, send a simple email with your comments to AFB's Programs and Policy Coordinator, Heidi Walters, at:
HWalters@afb.net

Don't worry about making your email a formal communication, and write as little or as much about your experiences as you like. Be sure to include your name and contact information (i.e., physical mailing address). We hope you will help us develop a rich record of comments for the FCC to use, and identifying yourself as a real consumer of these technologies will make a  powerful statement.

However, if you do not wish to be identified in materials we prepare for the FCC but want to tell us about your experiences anyway, please email us your comments but make specific note of your wish not to be identified. The comments we receive may be sent to the FCC in full on their own or as part of a combined set of comments that AFB may prepare.

What Your Email Should Include
Tell us about your experience in trying to obtain and use a mobile phone, tablet or computer that you can use to access the Web, email, text messages and phone calls. Briefly describe your successes or challenges.

Please focus on technologies you tried to obtain in the last two years. The kinds of technologies we're particularly interested in hearing about include:
. Apple iOS mobile devices
. Android mobile devices
. MS Windows mobile devices
. Blackberry mobile devices
. Windows-based laptop/desktop computers
. Apple Mac laptop/desktop computers
. Google, Chrome OS-based devices
. Open Source (e.g., Linux) devices
. Other mobile and/or laptop/desktop devices you prefer
When you write about your experiences using your technology, be careful to
talk about the experiences you have had using the following specific
features:
. accessing the Internet/web
. writing/reading/editing email
. writing/reading/editing text messages
. making and managing phone calls
. navigating to and activating apps
We look forward to your comments. Thank you!
To find out what other newsletters are available from AFB, visit
http://www.afb.org/myafbnewsletter.aspx.