Welcome to our disabilities issues home page. It is a very high priority with us that people with disabilities--such as a hearing, visual, speech, or other types of disability--get the same opportunities as everyone else to telecommunicate. This website features information and resources on:

DISABILITY-RELATED HEADLINES
This page contains the latest notices, public notices, orders, and news releases at a glance.

TRS
One of the major programs we enforce under the rules of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) is a nationwide system of telecommunications relay services (TRS). TRS permits people who are not hearing impaired to talk to those with hearing disabilities, and vice versa. Speech-to-Speech is one of many services of TRS.

SECTION 255
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has rules requiring telecommunications manufacturers and service providers to make their products and services accessible to people with disabilities, if readily achievable. Our rules implement Section 255 of the Communications Act.

CLOSED CAPTIONING
The FCC implements the Closed Captioning requirements of the Telecommunications Act, found in Section 713, to make sure that more and more television is made accessible for people who are hard of hearing or deaf. Closed captioning is a technology that provides visual text to describe dialogue, background noise, and sound effects on television programming.

SECTION 504/HANDBOOK
The FCC Section 504 Programs & Activities Accessibility Handbook (Section 504 Handbook) is a collection of guidelines, information, and procedures to ensure that the Commission is accessible to individuals with disabilities. The content of this handbook is designed to assist Commission personnel in their efforts to provide such accessibility.

VoIP
Voice Over Internet Protocol.

DISABILITY INDEX . . . .

MANAGERS
Thomas Chandler, Chief
Cheryl King, Deputy Chief