ARLINGTON, Va.-The Telecommunications Industry Association has proposed manufacturer guidelines to the Federal Communications Commission to address telecom equipment accessibility issues.
Section 255 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 states that manufacturers of telecom and customer premises equipment must “ensure that the equipment is designed, developed and fabricated to be accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities, if readily achievable.”
TIA’s proposal states that manufacturers should identify barriers to their equipment’s accessibility, inform employees involved in equipment design and development, consider accessibility early on in the design and development process and evaluate designs to remove barriers.
The group also stated that the FCC should define the term “readily achievable” based on considerations unique to manufacturing telecom equipment, such as technical feasibility, design and development time and expense, maintenance and FCC product requirements. Also, TIA said that accessibility can be accomplished without adjusting all products or models of a line.
TIA also said the FCC should require informal complaint resolution between manufacturers and those with disabilities before involving regulators.
