TRS Advocates Urge New FCC to ‘Step Up’ on Deaf Issues
Reform of the FCC should include more focus on issues important to deaf individuals, said executives from consumer groups and telecom relay service providers. It’s unclear how FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski views TRS issues, because he’s said little about them in public. But some matters, like the November transition to 10-digit phone numbers for Internet-based TRS, could demand significant FCC attention in the next few months.
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“It’s very important that the commission … reassert themselves as stewards for the basic civil rights of deaf and hard of hearing people to ensure communication access,” said Kelby Brick, vice president of relay provider Purple Communications. A number of TRS issues have been “backlogged” for years, Brick said. Many of them have seen long delays because the Disability Rights Office has been “severely understaffed” and because “previous leadership hasn’t had the commitment to ensuring that deaf and hard of hearing people have full access to the telecommunications network,” he said.
“We no longer will tolerate being left behind or forgotten,” said Sheri Farinha, CEO of consumer group the NorCal Center. Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., “was quoted saying to Chairman Genachowski, ‘Fix the FCC or we will fix it for you,'” she said. “I'd like to add, translate your words into action because you don’t have our trust just yet.”
Genachowski doesn’t appear to have much background on TRS issues, said Brick. Purple hasn’t met with the chairman yet, but “people who I trust have indicated that he will do a good job at keeping an open mind and will work hard to learn the various issues involved,” he said. Also, the chairman’s staff has been talking with people in the industry, Brick said. Colin Crowell, Genachowski’s senior counselor, worked on relay issues in a previous job on Capitol Hill, Brick noted. “We are looking forward to actually seeing [Genachowski’s] work.”
Sorenson Regulatory Affairs Manager Mike Maddix said he was encouraged by the new chairman’s testimony before the Senate Commerce Committee. In his opening statement, Genachowski showed an interest in promoting wide access to communications, Maddix said. Genachowski cited as a career inspiration a college engineering project by his father designed to help blind people communicate by translating text into physical signals. “The formulas and drawings didn’t make much sense to me then … but the core lesson has remained with me,” Genachowski said. “Communications technology has the power to transform lives for the better,” he said.
Farinha said she remains skeptical. “All too often I have seen promises made during campaigns and not filled,” she said. “Many of us have high hopes supporting the new FCC chairman, to lead in making such changes. But such changes need to be clearly evident, that these changes will include all Americans, not just those who can hear.” Other consumer groups are also playing wait and see. “Right now things are new and we [will] give them time to work on TRS issues,” said Claude Stout, director of consumer group Telecommunications for the Deaf.
The FCC needs to hire more people “who can be relied upon to understand [TRS] issues” from the perspective of a deaf person, Brick said. “Basically what I mean is they need to hire more deaf people … It’s quite a challenge for people outside that demographic group to make determinations for what is appropriate and what is best if they haven’t lived and breathed those issues on a daily basis.”
Some TRS issues require immediate attention this year, Brick said. The FCC needs to “step up efforts” to educate the deaf community on the upcoming transition to 10-digit phone numbers for Internet-based TRS, Brick said. Many deaf consumers could lose access to relay services this November when the FCC cuts off users who haven’t registered numbers, he said. The FCC already has delayed the date once, to Nov. 12 from June 30 (CD June 16 p6). After monitoring its traffic and talking to other providers, Purple is “still seeing copious numbers of users who still have not registered, regardless of the best efforts at outreach.” The FCC should follow the education model used for the DTV transition, contracting third-party organizations that know the community and specialize in marketing and networking, he said.
“As far as I am aware, there has been zero improvement on consumer education,” Farinha agreed. “I certainly hope that there will not be another extension. What needs to happen is for FCC to call a workshop with the providers to find out where they are at.” The FCC should also address several unanswered petitions on number implementation, she said.
Brick doesn’t want to see another deadline extension, either, he said. “But certainly a lot depends on how much effort the FCC is able to put into [outreach]. … As of now, we're not ready to cut those people off. No way. It would affect too many people.”