WPC 2B<W Z 3|P cpi)Courier 12pt (10cpi)Times New RomanTimes New Roman (Bold)HP LaserJet 5PHPLAS5P.WRSx  @,,,&QX@2C%S D3|j Courier 12pt (10cpi)Times New RomanHPLAS5SI.PRSx  @\&RX@CourierTimes New RomanTimes New Roman BoldTimes New Roman Italic2f X-UxKK?xxxXڞXx6X@JQX@ DPC2XWXP7  PT6QXP, DUC2X%YXU7  pTQXj DPC2X<ܒXP7  xTQXXd|DdpL|Dd~4ddC$CWxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxNHxxH\dDXddddd8@d<@d<DDXXdDDxddxHxxHvppDXd<"dxtldpxxdCourier 12pt (10cpi)Times New RomanTimes New Roman (Bold)Times New Roman (Italic)7jC:,ynXj\  P6G;XP7nC:,d<d<CCYYdCCddCYCdYzzzzCCCCqodYYYYYYYYYYY8888dddddddnddddddd"5@^2Coddȧ8CCdr2C28ddddddddddCCrrrdzNdzoȐC8CtdCdoYoYCdo8Co8odooYNCodddYO,Oh2CC!CCPRCdodddddȐYYYYYN8N8N8N8oddddooooddoddddzodddYYYYYYddddooPoNoNCNodo8RoodȐYYoNoNNF2ldCddddddd<d<CCoodCCddCoCddzzzzzzzzzzCCCCozdddddddYYYYY8888dddddddndddddYd e4#XP\  P6QWXP# &Y[DRAFT 7/14/99]  e4pp  *xxXJuly 14, 1999 ` `  hhC  e45K Press Statement of ~%Commissioner Susan Ness  eH4  e 4 "Re:XIn the Matter of Implementation of Sections 255 and 251(a)(2) of the Communications Act  "Xof 1934, as enacted by the Telecommunications Act of 1996; Access to  "Telecommunications Service, Telecommunications Equipment, and Customer Premises  e 4Equipment by Persons with Disabilities(#  x8For the nondisabled, it takes little effort to dial a telephone number on a telephone touchpad;  xcscroll through an automatic voice response system to check your bank account balance; leave a  xEsimple voicemail message on a colleague's or friend's answering machine; or even to scan a  xmobile phone's visual display to ascertain who is calling you or whether you dialed the correct  xtelephone number. Unfortunately, in this day and age, the same cannot be said for people who  xIare disabled. Accessing telecommunications equipment or services to perform these seemingly  xroutine tasks that most of us take for granted is a frustrating exercise at best and potentially a lifethreatening barrier at worst for people who are disabled.  xIn this respect, as in others, passage of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 marks a new  x'beginning. Section 255 requires telecommunications equipment and services to be made  x~accessible to the disability community, and today we adopt implementing rules to fulfill Congress' intent.  xThese accessibility rules could not have been adopted at a better time. We are in the midst of  xIa revolution that is reshaping not only telecommunications but our economy and society as well.  xThe timing of this ruling is fortuitous because these accessibility rules will apply to the next  x}generation data networks that are on the drawing boards today. If accessibility can be designed  xlin from the "getgo," it will be easier and more cost effective than trying, later in the process, to make compensating or retrofitting adjustments.  xRelated to the design of the next generation data networks are the individual telecommunications  x products and services that will communicate with and provide services using those data networks.  xEIn concept, our action today adopts the universal design or the socalled "product approach,"  xlrather than the "product line" approach, to making telecommunications products and services  xVaccessible. The goal is to ensure that as many products as possible will be accessible, if readily achievable.  xI have been delighted by the cooperation we have seen between the disability community and the  x&manufacturers and service providers to reach a common understanding. The key insight on which  xwidespread agreement has been achieved is that manufacturers and service providers must"(0*0*0*&"  e4 x_consider accessibility concerns in designing all products and services, not just relegate such  x~considerations to a narrow subset of models or services, even if ultimately a particular  x_accessibility feature cannot practically be incorporated in any given product or service. This  xfundamental change in the mindset of manufacturers and service providers will open product and service design to new and exciting possibilities.  xThe benefits to the disability community will be substantial. But just as with curb cuts, closed  xcaptioning, and volume controls on pay phones, the nondisabled will benefit too. Indeed, in  xexamining one manufacturer's Section 255 offerings during the CTIA convention, I was struck  xby the utility of a mobile phone with the microphone suspended around the neck. This "hands xfree" unit would be ideal for many of us, disabled or not. And now we can reasonably expect  xthat the future will be brightened by many other similar examples, with products and services competing on the basis of their accessibility features.  xMoreover, the nondisabled will benefit in other ways as well. Metcalfe teaches that the value  x"of a network is directly related to the number of users. Making telecommunications accessible  xVwill facilitate access by the estimated 54 million people who are disabled, thereby increasing the  ey4value of the network for everyone disabled and nondisabled alike.  xI want to thank the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board ("the Access  xBoard"), the disability community, the manufacturers, the service providers, and our own staff for all the hard work that has culminated in this order.