August 30, 1996

Chairman Reed E. Hundt
Federal Communications Commission
1919 M Street, N.W., Room 0101
Washington, DC 20554

Dear Chairman Hundt:  

	The U. S. Architectural and Transportation Barriers 
Compliance Board (Access Board) is pleased to be working with 
the Federal Communications Commission to implement the 
provisions of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 pertaining 
to accessibility for persons with disabilities.  As you know, 
section 255(e) of the Act directs the Access Board to develop 
accessibility guidelines for customer premises equipment and 
telecommunications equipment by August 1997.  The Commission, 
of course, has the authority to regulate telecommunications 
services.  As technology becomes more sophisticated, and it 
becomes increasingly difficult to differentiate functions of 
services from equipment, it is important that our efforts be 
closely coordinated.  We are, therefore, very supportive of 
any actions by the Commission to assist the Board in its 
efforts.

	When the Access Board originally began to explore 
options for completing its work, it considered issuing an 
Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) to obtain 
information from the public on access issues involving 
customer premises equipment and telecommunications equipment.  
The Board also believes in the use of Federal Advisory 
Committees to bring affected parties together to develop 
recommendations for proposed regulations.  Since the Board 
must complete its work by August 1997, it was not feasible to 
convene an advisory committee and issue an ANPRM.  The Board 
was pleased with the suggestion by Commission staff that it 
would develop a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on 
telecommunications services and ask a series of questions on 
access issues involving customer premises equipment and 
telecommunications equipment and that the resultant material 
would be shared with our advisory committee.

	Board and Commission staff members have been 
coordinating efforts to achieve this mutually beneficial 
result.  Commission staff members attend the Board's advisory 
committee meetings and their ability to provide information 
on Commission activities has been invaluable to the 
committee.

	The statutory deadline imposed on the Board's efforts 
has severely constrained the time allotted for our committee 
to meet.  Therefore, it is critical that the comments 
anticipated from the Commission's NPRM be available to the 
committee as soon as possible.  We understand that the 
Commission is to decide on the NPRM at its next meeting.  We 
urge you to proceed with the publication of that notice as 
soon as practicable.  The Access Board, the 
telecommunications industry and the disability community will 
be positively served by that action.


Sincerely,  



Lawrence W. Roffee			Roberta E. Breden
Executive Director			Chair
Access Board				Telecommunications Access 
                                        Advisory Committee