[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 171 (Tuesday, September 3, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46434-46435]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-22336]


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ARCHITECTURAL AND TRANSPORTATION BARRIERS COMPLIANCE BOARD


Telecommunications Access Advisory Committee; Meeting

AGENCY: Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

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SUMMARY: The Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board 
(Access Board) gives notice of the dates and location of the meetings 
of the Telecommunications Access Advisory Committee.

DATES: The Telecommunications Access Advisory Committee will meet on 
September 25, 26, and 27, 1996. The meetings will begin at 9:30 a.m. 
and end no later than 5:00 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held in the Steptoe & Johnson building, 
1330 Connecticut Avenue, NW., Washington, DC on the concourse level. 
The meetings are open to the public. The facility is accessible to 
individuals with disabilities. Sign language interpreters, assistive 
listening systems and real-time transcription will be available.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information regarding the 
meetings, please contact Dennis Cannon, Office of Technical and 
Information Services, Architectural and Transportation Barriers 
Compliance Board, 1331 F Street, NW., Suite 1000, Washington, D.C. 
20004-1111. Telephone number (202) 272-5434 extension 35 (voice); (202) 
272-5449 (TTY). Electronic mail address: [email protected]. This 
document is available in alternate formats (cassette tape, braille, 
large print, or computer disk) upon request.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On May 24, 1996, the Access Board published 
a notice appointing members to its Telecommunications Access Advisory 
Committee (Committee). 61 FR 26155 (May 24, 1996). The Committee will 
make recommendations to the Access Board on accessibility guidelines 
for telecommunications equipment and customer premises equipment. These 
recommendations will be used by the Access Board to develop 
accessibility guidelines under section 255(e) of the Telecommunications 
Act of 1996. The Committee is composed of representatives of 
manufacturers of telecommunications equipment and customer premises 
equipment; organizations representing the access needs of individuals 
with disabilities; telecommunications providers and carriers; and other 
persons affected by the guidelines. At its first meeting on June 12-14, 
1996, the Committee took the following actions:
     The statutory definitions of telecommunications, 
telecommunications equipment and customer premises equipment are to be 
construed broadly.
     Providing access is not a ``change in form'' of 
information within the meaning of the statute's definition of 
telecommunications and, therefore, not excluded.
     A listserv was created through the Trace Center: taac-
[email protected]. To subscribe, send e-mail to [email protected] 
with the message subscribe taac-l .
    At its second meeting on August 14-16, 1996, the Committee agreed 
on the following points:
     In customer premises equipment (CPE), it is not always 
possible to separate the effects of software from hardware and one 
manufacturer may choose to perform the same function with one or the 
other. Therefore, the guidelines must cover both.
     It is not always possible to determine whether a 
particular function resides with the CPE, the telecommunications 
carrier or the source material. Therefore, the guidelines will be 
developed with the assumption that the function resides in the CPE and 
urge the FCC to apply the same guidelines to entities and services 
under its jurisdiction.
     The Committee also agreed that the existing definitions of 
CPE and telecommunications equipment are sufficient.
    The Committee also took the following administrative and procedural 
actions:
     While the definition of ``readily achievable'' in the 
Telecommunications Act is the same as in the Americans with 
Disabilities Act (ADA), the term is applied differently. In the ADA, 
the term applies to barrier removal in existing facilities whereas the

[[Page 46435]]

Telecommunications Act applies the term to the manufacture of new 
equipment. An ad hoc task group was formed to develop criteria to 
assess ``readily achievable'' in this new context.
     Subcommittees on Compliance Assessment and Guidelines 
content were created. Discussions will be conducted primarily by e-
mail. To participate in a subcommittee, send e-mail to cannon@access-
board.gov or [email protected].
    The Committee will meet again on: November 6-8, December 16-18, and 
January 14-15. Subsequent meetings will be held at locations to be 
announced.
    The Committee will meet on the dates and at the location announced 
in this notice. There will be a public comment period each day for 
persons interested in presenting their views to the Committee.
Lawrence W. Roffee,
Executive Director.
[FR Doc. 96-22336 Filed 8-30-96; 8:45 am]
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