National Association of the Deaf

Last week, the NAD, along with other consumer groups, met with representatives of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to advocate for stable rates for video relay services (VRS) for the 2009-2010 rate period; for a summit to address continuing issues with the 10-digit numbering system for VRS and IP Relay services; and for FCC action on relay services, closed captioning, and other issues.

Descriptions of the meetings held on September 2, 2009 and September 3, 2009 were filed with the FCC.

The NAD, along with other consumer groups, was also invited to meet one of the newly appointed FCC Commissioners, Mignon Clyburn, on September 9, 2009. We provided Ms. Clyburn with a brief overview of the history of telecommunications access laws, our collaborative relationship with the FCC, pending FCC actions, and future outlook for ensuring equal access by people who are deaf, hard of hearing, late deafened, and deaf-blind.

Earlier this year, the FCC asked whether the compensation rate for VRS should be re-calculated for the 2009-2010 rate period that started July 1, 2009. The NAD urged the FCC to (1) adopt the proposed VRS rates for July 2009 through June 2010; (2) ask for comments about rates for the next multi-year rate period that begins July 2010; and (3) ask for additional comments about any alternative rate plans that may be proposed. The NAD reiterated its support for this FCC action at the meetings held last week.

The NAD also supports a VRS rate that permits all reasonable expenses of VRS providers to be covered. The FCC should consider marketing and consumer outreach costs, research and development costs, and equipment costs, as well as all other reasonable costs, in its VRS rate methodology. With these objectives in mind, the FCC can ensure that functionally equivalent telephone service through VRS is available to consumers who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Click here to read the comments filed June 26, 2009.