Urgent Action Needed: Access Ready and Clear2Connect Coalition call on stakeholders to address FCC’s proposed IP CTS compensation rate cuts, threatening essential services for 600,000 Americans with hearing loss. These reductions risk the quality and viability of real-time captioned phone conversations, crucial for veterans and individuals with disabilities. Join the effort to advocate for sustainable compensation rates to maintain high-quality, accurate services. Support this initiative by raising awareness and engaging with FCC Commissioners and Congress members. For more details, contact Douglas George Towne or Allison Wohl.
NEWS PROVIDED BY:
Access Ready, Inc.
July 28, 2024, 6:00 AM GMT
Washington, D.C., USA, July 28, 2024 — AT-Newswire.com / TopTechTidbits.com — Access Ready, Inc. and the Clear2Connect Coalition, representing over 30 national disability advocacy groups and Veterans Service Organizations, urgently call upon stakeholders to address the potential reduction in compensation rates for Internet Protocol Captioned Telephone Service (IP CTS) providers being considered by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
“Ensuring high-quality, accurate captioning for phone conversations is not just a service; it’s a lifeline for many veterans and individuals with hearing loss. The FCC must recognize the long-term implications of their decisions.”
Key Concerns and Call to Action: The FCC’s proposed compensation rate reductions threaten the economic viability of IP CTS providers, which could significantly impact the approximately 600,000 Americans who rely on this essential service. IP CTS enables individuals with hearing loss to read real-time captions of phone conversations, ensuring equitable and effective communication access. The potential rate cuts jeopardize the ability of providers to maintain high-quality, accurate services, which are crucial for those with communications-related disabilities, including many veterans experiencing tinnitus alongside conditions such as PTSD, depression, and anxiety.
Clear2Connect Coalition’s Stand: The Clear2Connect Coalition commends the FCC’s acknowledgment of quality metrics for automatic speech recognition (ASR)-only captioning and the potential bias affecting caption quality. However, they caution that a single compensation formula for both ASR-only and Communications Assistant (CA)-assisted IP CTS may favor the less expensive ASR-only mode, threatening service quality. Current ASR-only captioning, with 25 percent of calls consisting of error rates as high as 16 percent, is insufficient to ensure functional equivalence required by law.
Access Ready, Inc.’s Advocacy: Access Ready, Inc., founded on October 17, 2018, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting ICT accessibility. Through initiatives like the proposed Tax Recovery Act (TRA), which suggests tax credits to offset ICT accessibility costs, Access Ready aims to make accessibility a fundamental aspect of technology development. Their strategic guidance and policy advocacy work, supported by civil rights legal counsel and public policy consultants, aim to eliminate barriers and incentivize the development of accessible technologies.
Joint Efforts and Legislative Advocacy: Both organizations urge the FCC to consider the long-term implications of rate reductions on IP CTS providers and consumers. They request stakeholders to engage with FCC Commissioners and Congress members, advocating for compensation rates that sustain high service standards and support the economic viability of providers.
Call for Public Support: The Clear2Connect Coalition and Access Ready, Inc. encourage the public to raise awareness about the critical importance of IP CTS. They provide ready-to-share content and a media kit to help spread the message across social media platforms. Public support is crucial in urging the FCC to maintain rates that allow IP CTS providers to continue offering reliable and accurate services.
Contact Information: For more information or to support this initiative, please contact: Douglas George Towne Chair and Chief Executive Officer Access Ready, Inc. +1 (727) 452-8132 📱️ chair-ceo@accessready.org 📧️. Allison Wohl On behalf of the Clear2Connect Coalition +1 (301) 767-7547 📱️ info@clear2connect.org 📧️.
About Access Ready, Inc.: Access Ready, Inc. is an independent, nonprofit, cross-disability rights advocacy organization founded to prioritize the accessibility of information and communications technologies (ICT). Their mission is to ensure ICT accessibility for all, envisioning a society where such accessibility is inherent. For more details, visit Access Ready.
About Clear2Connect Coalition: The Clear2Connect Coalition is dedicated to ensuring that Americans with hearing loss can access critical communication services. They advocate for policies that support the continued availability and quality of IP CTS, emphasizing the importance of accurate and accessible captions. For more details, visit Clear2Connect.