Cellular Phone Access - Part 5
December 2005
Editor: The 2005 FCC Hearing Aid Compatibility (HAC) deadline
specifies that, beginning last September, all cell phone providers had
to distribute a minimum number of HAC phones. It further requires that,
beginning in September 2006, they must provide a minimum number of
telecoil-compatible phones. Here's a press release from an industry
group called the Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Standards (ATIS)
with a status report on industry efforts to comply with these
regulations.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
November 21, 2005, Washington - Despite challenges, to date the
wireless industry has made tremendous progress in satisfying the Federal
Communications Commission's (FCC) hearing aid compatibility rules. More
than 60 wireless devices with M3 or M4 (microphone/radio frequency
emissions (RF)) ratings are available on the market, according to a
status report ATIS filed late last week on behalf of the industry
members of the ATIS Hearing Aid Compatibility Incubator.
Significant challenges remain for the ATIS Incubator and the industry
to ensure compatibility testing of devices is accurate and that results
provide consistent and meaningful measures for consumers. This is of
critical importance, as the industry needs to develop products and
services in a short timeframe to comply with an evolving standard.
"The large number of wireless devices that are hearing aid compatible
demonstrates the effectiveness of the ATIS Incubator," said Susan
Miller, president and CEO of ATIS. "By working together through the
Incubator, the wireless carriers, device manufacturers, and
representatives of the hard of hearing community are identifying and
addressing the technical challenges."
Work has begun to measure wireless devices for magnetic (T-coil)
compatibility in advance of the September 2006 FCC requirements for
compatibility with T-coil hearing aid devices. The ATIS Incubator will
apply technical review and methodology similar to that used to evaluate
RF emissions, applying lessons learned from the past year's experience.
The ATIS Incubator anticipates that similar issues to those
identified in the RF emissions procedure may arise with the
interpretation of the C63.19 Standards' measurement and testing setups
for T-coil compatibility, and is committed to recommending updates to
the Standard to eliminate any possible discrepancies or
misinterpretations.
This is the fourth Status Report filed by AISP.4-HAC. It represents
collective inputs from ATIS Incubator members and, pursuant to the FCC's
March 8, 2004, Public Notice, is submitted in lieu of individual status
reports from those members.
About ATIS
ATIS is a technical planning and standards development organization
that is committed to rapidly developing and promoting technical and
operations standards for the communications and related information
technologies industry worldwide using a pragmatic, flexible and open
approach. Participants from more than 350 communications companies are
active in ATIS' 23 industry committees and Incubator Solutions Program.
http://www.atis.org
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
May 2006
Most
wireless carriers and manufacturers are confident they can meet the
upcoming deadlines for new FCC requirements on hearing aid compatibility,
including those dealing with both RF emissions and telecoil coupling.
That's becaue most major carriers and manufacturers, including Cingular
Wireless, T-Mobile USA, Verizon Wireless, Motorola, Nokia, LG Electronics
MobileComm and Sony Ericsson, already have at least some RF-emission
compliant handsets on the market.
Full Story
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
June 2006
A report
filed with the Federal Communications Commission on May 18, 2006 by the
Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS) says that more
than 160 wireless devices on the market today are compatible with hearing
aids at the M3 rating or higher. The industry says that significant
challenges remain in meeting the requirements for T-coil compatibility.
This fifth report was made on behalf of wireless handset device
manufacturers and service providers.
Full Story
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Editor: Here are several useful tips on buying a
hearing aid/CI compatible cell phone from the folks at NVRC.
~~~~~
Check the Cellular Telecommunications and Internet
Association's Access Wireless website at www.accesswireless.org
Some of the helpful information at this website
includes:
Brochure: What You Need to Know About Cell Phones and
Hearing Aids http://www.accesswireless.org/brochure/audiologist_brochure.htm
Product Guide for Wireless Consumers who are Deaf or
Hard of Hearing This page lists features that can make products and
services easier to use, and has links to manufacturers who have a product
with the feature. http://www.accesswireless.org/product/Users_with_Hearing_Impairments.htm
Wireless Phones and Hearing Aid Accessibility After
reading a disclaimer, click on the button and you'll find a series of
questions and answers related to hearing aids and wireless phone
interactions, get a list of wireless phones that may offer t-coil coupling
and/or may have potentially lowerlevels of interfernce, and obtain a list
of useful accessory options. http://www.accesswireless.org/reference/WirelessPhonesandHearingAidAccessibi
lity.htm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
April 2007
Industry and disability groups reached agreement on
an alternative approach to a federal mandate requiring half of the
cellphones offered by national wireless carriers to be hearing-aid
compatible (HAC) by Feb. 18, 2008. The
consensus accord calls for additional microphone-rated and telecoil-rated
HAC handsets than is currently required, support for refreshing HAC
product availability, a study on audio output and volume control and a
re-examination of HAC milestones in February 2010. The
Federal Communications Commission’s 2003 wireless HAC ruling set in
motion a phased-in implementation plan that included manufacturing
labeling and carrier reporting requirements, but failed to increase the
number of T-rated phones needed by consumers with the greatest hearing
loss. Full
Story
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
July 2007
Here's a really comprehensive article on hearing aid
compatibility for cell phones. Written by Linda Kozma-Spytek, a Research
Audiologist at the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on
Telecommunications Access and the Technology Access Program at Gallaudet
University, it discusses sources of interference, various applicable
standards, compatibility requirements, how testing is done, and more!
Full Story
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
September 2007
A group representing people with a hearing loss
filed complaints with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission last month,
accusing Apple Inc. of not making its iPhone compatible with hearing aids.
The Hearing Loss Association of America, a Bethesda, Md., advocacy group,
filed formal complaints with the FCC in August, Brenda Battat, the HLAA's
associate executive director, said in e-mailed comments about Apple's iPhone.
"The phone [is] not usable with a hearing aid, either on the microphone or
telecoil setting," said Battat. "Clearly, it was not designed to be hearing
aid compatible. It should have been." Under its Section 255 regulations, the
FCC requires phone manufacturers, including those selling mobile handsets,
to make their products accessible to people with disabilities, if such
access is "readily achievable." That standard is defined by the agency as
"easily accomplishable without much difficulty or expense." The FCC has also
set benchmarks that spell out what percentage of a handset maker's line must
be HAC. Currently, each manufacturer must offer at least two HAC models.
Full Story
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
October 2007
It's a federal regulation. You'd think Steve Jobs,
or at least Apple's legal department, would know that but obviously,
something slipped between the cracks during the early development phase of
the iPhone. It doesn't work with a hearing aid! Ooops. The Federal
Communications Commission maintains a set of regulations, one of which
requires that telephone manufacturers, including cell phone makers (that's
the iPhone) must make their products accessible to people who experience
hearing loss. Section 255 of the FCC's regs state that telecommunications
products must be accessible to people with disabilities if that access is
"readily achievable," which is defined by the FCC as "easily accomplishable
without much difficulty or expense." Okay, somewhat ambiguous but the intent
is clear and clearly, Apple just plain forgot.
Full Story
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
November 2007
While mobile-phone carriers and manufacturers face a
key hearing-aid compatibility deadline in early 2008, Apple's Inc. wildly
popular iPhone will get a pass on a major government disability access
mandate that wireless companies already have spent significant resources to
meet. The situation does not sit well with the Hearing Loss Association of
America, which alleged in an informal complaint that the iPhone is not
hearing-aid compatible. "There were high expectations from Apple as an
innovator of cool technology and because of their past record with screen
readers. There was all the secrecy and hype [in the lead up to the iPhone
launch]. So there was disappointment when it was released and found to be
inaccessible to people with vision and hearing loss," said Brenda Battat,
associate executive director of HLAA and a driving force since the mid-1990s
to get cellphones covered by the Hearing Aid Compatibility Act of 1988 and
disability access requirements of the 1996 telecom act.
Full Story
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
February 2008
Here's an interesting and comprehensive review of
how people with disabilities use cell phones, what they see as limitations
of current devices, and how they could be modified to improve accessibility.
It includes information on folks with a range of disabilities, including a
lot of information on people with hearing loss.
Full Story
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
February 2009
The Wireless Rehabilitation Engineering Research
Center (Wireless RERC) and CTIA - The Wireless Association(r) present
Hearing Aid Compatibility: Choosing a Cell Phone That Works For You. This is
a five-part video series to help consumers choose a hearing aid compatible
wireless device that meets their needs. Each video breaks down the
information consumers need into easy to understand segments. The first
segment presents information regarding Hearing Aid Compatibility (HAC) and
wireless devices as told by a certified audiologist. The second segment
demonstrates a suggested "try and buy" process between a customer
representative and a customer at an actual wireless carrier's retail store.
Full Story
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
January 2010
Having a hearing aid shouldn't keep you from
enjoying the convenience of a cell phone. Although incompatibility of the
two technologies is still an issue, cell phones and hearing aids are getting
along better than ever. The following edited podcast, one in a series from
the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), taps the expertise
of Hearing Loss Association of America Executive Director Brenda Battat,
Ph.D., and U.S. Access Board Senior Accessibility Specialist Tim Creagan,
Ph.D., to discuss the compatibility of cell phones and hearing aids. This
podcast was moderated by Joseph Cerquone, director of Public Relations for
ASHA.
Full Story
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
January 2010
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) posted
an Enforcement Advisory January 15, 2010 stating that they have "taken
action against several companies for their failure to provide information
that helps individuals with hearing disabilities fully utilize phone
services - allowing them to communicate effectively on their wireless phones
without excessive feedback and noise." The current actions total $87,000
against seven companies, with an additional two companies being issued
Citations. The FCC reports that since May, 2007, they have issued 31 Notices
of Apparent Liability for Forfeitrue and Consent Decrees totaling $665,500
for violations of the hearing aid compatibility handset, labeling and
reporting requirements.
Full Story
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
September 2010
SUMMARY: In this document, the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) adopts final rules governing wireless
hearing aid compatibility that are intended to ensure that consumers with
hearing loss are able to access wireless communications services through a
wide selection of handsets without experiencing disabling interference or
other technical obstacles.
EFFECTIVE DATE: Effective October 8, 2010, except
for the amendments to [Section] 20.19(f) which contain information
collection requirements that have not been approved by the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB). The Commission will publish a document in the
Federal Register announcing the effective date of these amendments. On June
6, 2008 (73 FR 25566, May 7, 2008), the Director of the Federal Register
approved the incorporation by reference of a certain publication listed in
this final rule.
Full Story
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
December 2010
In response to comments filed with the FCC by HIA
and a group of consumer advocate groups including Hearing Loss Assn of
America (HLAA) and Alexander Graham Bell Assn for the Deaf and Hard of
Hearing (AG Bell), urging that hearing compatibility (HAC) requirements be
applied to new telephone technologies, the Consumer Electronics Retailers
Coalition (CERC) and the Cellular Telephone Industries Assn (CTIA) have
submitted reply comments opposing any curtailment of previous exemptions and
waivers. They also opposed any in-store testing mandate for cell phones sold
in retail stores and would thus force hearing aid users to shop only at cell
phone company stores if they want to try a phone with their hearing aid.
Several satellite service providers also opposed HAC requirements for mobile
satellite telephones, even though AT&T recently started marketing satphones
to consumers. CTIA and CERC both referred directly in their FCC comments to
HIA's comments to FCC of October 25.
Full Text of Comments (Comments on in-store testing begin on page
6)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
November 2011
Current cellphones are tested for hearing aid
compatibility based on a FCC standard adopted in 2007 that doesn't account
for interference with newer technologies, such as the 700MHz band used for
4G LTE by Verizon and AT&T. As a result, the FCC recently made a proposal
for adopting the 2011 revision of the ANSI Standard, which uses a different
method of measuring RF interference and has been expanded to include all
bands from 698MHz to 6GHz, as opposed to the 2007 version, which only
covered devices in the 800MHz to 950MHz and 1.6GHz to 2.5GHz spectrums.
Full
Story
