Rosenworcel Warns Disability Committee ACP's Time Is Running Out

FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel warned the FCC’s Disability Advisory Committee Tuesday that despite the FCC’s best efforts, the affordability connectivity program will run out of funding in April (see 2401250075). DAC approved a report from its Audio Description File Transmittal to IP Video Programming Working Group. The other four commissioners also spoke Tuesday.

Since Congress has not yet provided additional funding for extending the ACP, so “we have to take steps to start winding it down,” Rosenworcel said in her prerecorded remarks, noting that enrollments won’t be accepted after Feb. 7. She also highlighted the work the FCC is doing on disability issues. “We want our communications efforts to reach 100% of us, those with disabilities included.”

Similarly, Alejandro Roark, chief of the FCC Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau, said, “We know that oftentimes broadband affordability is a significant barrier for members of the disability rights community.” Winding down ACP is a “worst-case scenario,” he added.

Commissioner Nathan Simington urged DAC to look more closely at direct video calling as an alternative to the video relay service (VRS). Simington also encouraged Rosenworcel to raise direct calling as an option for further study.

Some companies and government agencies are starting to use direct video calling with positive reactions from users of American Sign Language, Simington reported. “A relay service is exactly that, including a third person in a relay in an otherwise one-to-one conversation, whereas direct video calling is precisely that -- direct,” he said. VRS will remain an important service, and some agencies and companies don’t have the scale to implement direct calling, he added. “This isn’t a solution that is right for every organization or every user.”

Commissioner Geoffrey Starks noted the FCC approved an NPRM in December seeking comment on implementing a 100% hearing aid compatibility (HAC) requirement for wireless handsets (see 2312130019). “Reaching 100% compatibility will give hearing-impaired consumers more choice, and that’s reason enough to invest in this reality,” Starks said. The agency’s work on HAC “shows we can absolutely achieve equal access to communications without compromise.”

Commissioner Brendan Carr told DAC he sees movement away from “expensive custom equipment to, at least in some cases, the ability to rely much more on software to drive accessibility features.” One area where the FCC could improve is captioning, which could potentially be improved with AI, he said.

“Technological innovation” should benefit all consumers, said Commissioner Anna Gomez. “Everyone, everywhere” should have access to “reliable, high-speed connectivity and broadband internet access,” she said. “I want to make sure that we’re taking everyone with us,” she added. “The disability community faces specific technology challenges to which we are entrusted to pay attention and to address.”

Gomez acknowledged she is in learning mode on some items and her office is hosting “cafecitos,” informal coffee hours, with various groups. “I would love to hold a cafecito for the disability community this year,” she said.

DAC heard a briefing on the audio description report by WG co-Chair Tom Wlodkowski, Comcast vice president-accessibility, later approving the report on a unanimous vote. It said that time-coded description scripts, along with narration-only audio description files, may help facilitate editing audio description when video has been recut for length, content or advertising reasons, Wlodkowski said.

The WG recommends encouraging vendors to release unmixed audio files to streamers, Wlodkowski said: “This will facilitate the creation of audio in the diverse formats currently, or prospectively, used on streaming platforms and digital broadcasts.” The FCC should also “facilitate” a workshop including content creators, audio-description vendors, distributors and consumer groups, “to discuss potential solutions for tracking and cataloging the creation, ownership and availability of [audio-description] assets across platforms, services and distribution channels,” he said.