[Billing Code:  8150-01-P]

ARCHITECTURAL AND TRANSPORTATION BARRIERS COMPLIANCE BOARD
Telecommunications Access Advisory Committee; Meeting

AGENCY:	Architectural and Transportation Barriers 
Compliance Board.

ACTION:	Notice of meeting.

SUMMARY:  The Architectural and Transportation Barriers 
Compliance Board (Access Board) gives notice of the dates and 
location of the meetings of the Telecommunications Access 
Advisory Committee.

DATES:  The Telecommunications Access Advisory Committee will 
meet on December 16, 17, and 18, 1996 beginning at 9:00 a.m. 
each day.

ADDRESSES:  The meetings will be held at the Steptoe & 
Johnson building, 1330 Connecticut Avenue, NW., Washington, 
DC on the concourse level.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  For further information 
regarding the meetings, please contact  Dennis Cannon, Office 
of Technical and Information Services, Architectural and 
Transportation Barriers Compliance Board, 1331 F Street, NW., 
suite 1000, Washington, D.C. 20004-1111.  Telephone number 
(202) 272-5434 extension 35 (voice); (202) 272-5449 (TTY). 
Electronic mail address: cannon@access-board.gov.  This 
document is available in alternate formats (cassette tape, 
braille, large print, or computer disk) upon request.  It is 
also available on the Internet at http://www.access-
board.gov/notices/taacmtg.htm.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On May 24, 1996, the Access Board 
published a notice appointing members to its 
Telecommunications Access Advisory Committee (Committee).  61 
FR 26155 (May 24, 1996).  The Committee will make 
recommendations to the Access Board on accessibility 
guidelines for telecommunications equipment and customer 
premises equipment. These recommendations will be used by the 
Access Board to develop accessibility guidelines in 
conjunction with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) 
under section 255 (e) of the Telecommunications Act of 1996.  
The Committee is composed of representatives of manufacturers 
of  telecommunications equipment and customer premises 
equipment; organizations representing the access needs of 
individuals with disabilities; telecommunications providers 
and carriers; and other persons affected by the guidelines.

At its first meeting on June 12-14, 1996, the Committee took 
the following actions:

-	The statutory definitions of telecommunications, 
telecommunications equipment and customer premises equipment 
are to be construed broadly.

-	Providing access is not a "change in form" of 
information within the meaning of the statute's definition of 
telecommunications and, therefore, not excluded.

-	A listserv was created through the Trace Center: taac-
l@trace.wisc.edu.  To subscribe, send e-mail to 
listproc@trace.wisc.edu with the message subscribe taac-l 
<first-name last-name>.

-	Accepted the application of the American Speech-Language 
and Hearing Association and Motorola to join the Committee.

At its second meeting on August 14-16, 1996, the Committee 
agreed on the following points:

-	In customer premises equipment (CPE), it is not always 
possible to separate the effects of software from hardware 
and one manufacturer may choose to perform the same function 
with one or the other.  Therefore, the guidelines must cover 
both.

-	It is not always possible to determine whether a 
particular function resides with the CPE, the 
telecommunications carrier, or the source material.  
Therefore, the guidelines will be developed with the 
assumption that the function resides in the CPE and urge the 
FCC to apply the same guidelines to entities and services 
under its jurisdiction.

-	The Committee also agreed that the existing definitions 
of CPE and telecommunications equipment are sufficient.

-	While the definition of "readily achievable" in the 
Telecommunications Act is the same as in the Americans with 
Disabilities Act (ADA), the term is applied differently.  In 
the ADA, the term applies to barrier removal in existing 
facilities whereas the Telecommunications Act applies the 
term to the manufacture of new equipment.  An ad hoc task 
group was formed to develop criteria to assess "readily 
achievable" in this new context.

-	Subcommittees on Compliance Assessment and Guidelines 
Content were created.  Discussions will be conducted 
primarily by e-mail.  To participate in a subcommittee, send 
e-mail to cannon@access-board.gov.

At its third meeting on September 25-27, 1996, the Committee 
took the following actions:

-	Accepted the application of Microsoft to join the 
Committee.

-	The subcommittee on Compliance Assessment reviewed and 
revised a draft list of criteria for an effective conformity 
assessment model, then developed consensus around fifteen of 
these criteria, with another five criteria needing further 
clarification or discussion.  The subcommittee divided into 
two work groups: Consumer Information/Verification and 
Coordination Point/Practitioners Qualifications.

-	The subcommittee on Guidelines Content divided into two 
work groups: Process Guidelines, and Performance and Design 
Guidelines.  Each work group developed a set of principles 
and criteria for further discussion.  Draft products are 
posted on a Trace-sponsored Web site.  Discussion will be by 
e-mail (via the main TAAC-L listserv) and by teleconference 
call.  The URL for the Web site is 
http://trace.wisc.edu/taac/workdoc.htm.

At its fourth meeting on November 6-8, 1996, the Committee 
took the following actions:

-	Accepted the application of Netscape to join the 
Committee.

-	Agreed to exchange information with European experts 
working on similar issues to help promote consistency.

-	The Compliance Assessment subcommittee worked through 
its draft document and flagged and prioritized issues.  
Additional issues were also raised and will be addressed in 
the coming weeks.  Issues include: (1) should the guidelines 
require manufacturers to follow specific steps but give 
suggested strategies; (2) can the use of "Access Engineers" 
be required or only suggested; (3) how to make the process 
clear and understandable; (4) content of a Declaration of 
Conformity; (5) how to deal with the transition from now 
until "Access Engineers" are available.  The Process work 
group of the Guidelines Content subcommittee met with the 
Compliance Assessment subcommittee to discuss overlapping 
issues including documentation, product testing and 
specialized CPE.

-	The Guidelines Content subcommittee draft contains 
performance guidelines, including goals and strategies, 
followed by a rationale.  The document also includes 
definitions and suggested techniques for providing access in 
specific cases.  The document also suggests a current list of 
strategies and techniques for access.

The Committee will meet on the dates and at the location 
announced in this notice.  The meetings are open to the 
public.  There will be a public comment period each day for 
persons interested in presenting their views to the 
Committee.  The facility is accessible to individuals with 
disabilities.  Sign language interpreters, assistive 
listening systems and real time transcription will be 
available.  The Committee will meet for the final time on 
January 14-15, 1997 at a location to be announced.

Lawrence W. Roffee,
Executive Director