National Association of the Deaf

On March 9 and 10, the NAD participated in two Federal Communications Commission (FCC) events related to the National Broadband Plan. At each of these events, the availability, affordability, and accessibility of broadband and the Internet were highlighted and promoted. With these factors in place, the ultimate goal of broadband adoption and use across America can be achieved. Each of these events also highlighted and promoted H.R. 3101.

America's Digital Inclusion Summit: Working Together To Expand Opportunity Through Universal Broadband Access
March 9, 2010 – Washington, DC

This event, sponsored by the FCC and the Knight Foundation, was held at the Newseum and made available for viewing on the Internet through a live webcast. The captioned event video can now be watched at http://www.fcc.gov/live.

Speakers included Alberto Ibarguen, President and CEO of the Knight Foundation; Julius Genachowski, FCC Chairman; Shaun Donovan, Secretary of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development; FCC Commissioners Meredith Baker, Michael Copps, and Mignon Clyburn; Representatives Lee Terry (R-NE), Edward Markey (D-MA), Doris Matsui (D-CA), and Xavier Becerra (D-CA); and others. In addition, several consumers shared their personal experiences about becoming “computer literate” and how broadband has changed their lives.  These personal stories were inspiring.

The remarks by Commissioner Copps were also inspiring.  He said, “Broadband is important . . . because it can be our Great Enabler.”  He went on to say:

Think with me for a moment about just one group – our brothers and sisters who live with disabilities – to realize the importance of digital inclusion and broadband openness.  . . . This is our responsibility. It’s not something that would be nice for us to do; it is these people’s right – and I think it is a civil right – to have this kind of access, because access denied is opportunity denied.

Commissioner Copps then introduced Representative Markey, who “has introduced the ‘Twenty-first Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act’ (HR 3101) to help ensure that as technology changes, our nation’s commitment to ensuring access for all keeps pace.”  Mr. Markey said the National Broadband Plan is not just a report.  It takes a broad view of broadband and is a pragmatic and aspirational plan to afford high speed Internet access to all Americans.

The NAD thanks Commissioner Copps and Representative Markey, champions for accessibility, for their continued support.

Conference on National Broadband Plan Recommendations: Increasing Access to Broadband for People with Disabilities
March 10, 2010 – Washington, DC

This event, sponsored by the FCC, Silicon Flatirons Center, American Association of People with Disabilities, and the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, was held at the Martin Luther King Library and made available for viewing on the Internet through a live webcast.  The captioned event video can now be watched at http://www.fcc.gov/live.

Speakers included Kareem Dale, Special Assistant to the President on Disability Policy; Julius Genachowski, FCC Chairman; Joel Gurin, Chief, FCC Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau; and Elizabeth Lyle, Policy Advisor, FCC Omnibus Broadband Initiative.  A panel of consumer and industry representatives responded to the plans for broadband access announced by the speakers and to questions from the audience.  The NAD was represented by Rosaline Crawford, Director of the Law and Advocacy Center.  Also participating on the panel was Leah Katz-Hernandez, a student at Gallaudet University.

The remarks by FCC Chairman Genachowski highlighted the need for broadband access:

Few populations stand to benefit more from broadband than persons with disabilities.  Broadband has the potential to bridge gaps and provide opportunities that were inconceivable in the past.  . . . Unfortunately, the promise of broadband for the 54 million Americans with disabilities is falling short of the reality.  . . . The costs of this digital exclusion are great and getting greater. In the 21st century, high-speed Internet is essential to an individual’s ability to participate in our economy and our democracy. Rather than closing the opportunity gap for people with disabilities, the Internet has the potential to exacerbate inequality – if we do nothing.  This is not acceptable.  And we have a Congressional mandate to take action to ensure that people with disabilities are not left behind.

Chairman Genachowski described three key recommendations of the National Broadband Plan:

• forming a federal interagency working group to coordinate policies that promote broadband adoption by people with disabilities and to ensure the federal government leads by example;
• establishing an ongoing Accessibility and Innovation Forum; and
• updating accessibility laws and policies and ensuring they are enforced.

Specifically, Chairman Genachowski said,

I believe that legislation introduced by Congressman Ed Markey (D-MA) – the "21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act" (H.R. 3101) – should be a starting point for legislative discussions to achieve many of these updates.

He also mentioned the remarks made by Marlee Matlin, NAD spokesperson for accessible broadband services and Internet media, at the FCC’s field hearing in November at Gallaudet University about the lack of captioning on the Internet:

I’m happy to report that . . . [Disney has] committed to captioning all of its long form programs that it puts on its online player at ABC.com, including reality and live shows like “Dancing With The Stars.”  . . . We must embrace the cause and understand that if 39 percent of [broadband] non-adopters have a disability, we will not close the adoption gap until we address the barriers faced by people with disabilities.  We must make clear that building in accessibility at the design and development stage is cost-effective, and that all of society benefits from the widespread use of accessibility features such as captioning, speech recognition, and speech output.

In response to the National Broadband Plan accessibility recommendations, NAD Law and Advocacy Center director, Rosaline Crawford, said, “To the extent that the FCC has acknowledged, publicly, the need for a lot of what is in [H.R. 3101], I think it is incumbent upon us to ensure that the bill passes and to ensure that the FCC has the authority it needs to ensure access to the Internet and broadband for everyone. We are thrilled with this kind of support and acknowledgment of this need.”

Advocates can tell their Representatives and Senators that we need to pass H.R. 3101 to make sure the FCC has the authority it needs to implement the access recommendations in the National Broadband Plan.

Rosaline, Leah, and other panelists also highlighted the need for high speed broadband services with sufficient bandwidth to support video communication.

For additional background information about NAD broadband advocacy and these events, see NAD to Participate in National Broadband Plan Events.

On March 16, 2010, the FCC submitted the National Broadband Plan to Congress.  For more information about the National Broadband Plan, visit http://www.broadband.gov/.  Many of the recommendations about broadband accessibility are in Chapter 9.