Telecommunications Industry
Association Presentation:
DevelopingStandardsforAccessibility
November6,2013
TIA Government Affairs
BrianScarpelliSr.Manager,GovernmentAffairs+1‐703‐907‐[email protected]://www.tiaonline.org/policy/accessibility
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Agenda■ Introductions■ TR‐41’sNewNameandIncreasedFocusonAccessibility
■ TR‐41andFCCCollaboration■ BriefReviewofTR‐41AccessibilityRelatedStandards TIA‐504 ANSI/TIA‐1083‐A ANSI/TIA‐4965 ANSI/TIA‐4953
■ QuestionsandDiscussion■ Adjournment
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About the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA)
■ Representsover500informationandcommunicationtechnology(ICT)companies
■ ActivitiesInclude: Technologyandstandardsdevelopment Policyandadvocacyleadership Networking Businessopportunitydevelopment Accesstocuttingedgemarketintelligence Sustainabilitypractices U.S.andinternationalAdvocacyandLobbying IndustryTradeEvents …andmuchmore
■ AmericanNationalStandards(ANSI)accreditedstandardsdevelopmentorganizationwith11engineeringcommitteesand12internationaladvisorygroups
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TIA’s Accessibility Mission■ Encouragecollaborationamongstakeholders
Developmentofvoluntary,consensus‐basedstandards Increasetheaccessibilityoftechnologyforthosewithdisabilities
Encourageinnovation Harnesstechnologytoopenupnewcommunicationsopportunities
■ Proactiveconsultationwiththedisabilitycommunity UnderstandtheneedsrelatedtoICTproducts Encourageaccessibilitysolutionsintomembercompanies’productdevelopmentprocesses
■ Workwithgovernmentregulatoryagencies Developtechnicalstandardsforuseingovernmentruleswhenneeded
Encouragetheuseofvoluntary,consensus‐based,industrystandardstoaddressaccessibilityneeds
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TIA TR-41PERFORMANCE AND ACCESSIBILITY FOR COMMUNICATIONS PRODUCTS
SteveWhitesellPresident,WhitesellConsultingLLCTIATR‐41Chair+1‐732‐751‐1079(voice)[email protected]
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TIA TR-41PERFORMANCE AND ACCESSIBILITY FOR COMMUNICATIONS PRODUCTS■ TR‐41’sNewName■ Developandmaintainstandards:
Coveringvoluntaryrequirementsforcommunicationsproducts’performance
Addressingnewlyidentifiedperformanceissues ForreferenceinFCCregulations
■ Strongfocusonequipmentusedforvoiceservices,integratedvoiceanddataservices,andInternetprotocol(IP)applications
■ Intenttoincreasefocusonstandardsrelatedtocommunicationsproducts’accessibility
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TIA TR-41.3.14“Accessibility Working Group”
■ Standardsfortelephonedevices,includinghandsets,headsets,andspeakerphones
■ Performanceoffeaturesusedbypersonswithhearingimpairmentsandotherdisabilities
■ Participantsfromacrosstheindustryincludingaccessibilityconsumerinterests(suchasGallaudetUniversity)
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Summary of Current TR-41 Related Accessibility Standards
■ TIA‐504(EIARS‐504) AdoptedastheFCC68.316rules
■ ANSI/TIA‐1083‐A Inresponsetocomplaintsofcordlesstelephones“buzzing”forsomehearingaidtele‐coils(voluntarystandard)
■ ANSI/TIA‐4965 InresponsetooutdatedreferencesinFCC68.317
■ ANSI/TIA‐4953 Inresponsetoamplifiedtelephoneindustryrequestforastandardformeasurementandperformanceof“highgainamplifiedtelephones”(voluntarystandard)
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TR-41 Working With The FCCExample: ANSI/TIA-631
■ FCCreceivedcomplaintsof“voices,radiostations,andnoise”heardontelephonehandsets(early1990s) TheFCCrequestedtechnicalassistancefromTIATR‐41
■ TR‐41foundtheissuewaspoortelephonedesignfor“RadioFrequencyImmunity” WellknowndesigncriteriaintheAT&T/WEdays Canbeamajorproblemfortelephoneusers
■ TR‐41developedANSI/TIA‐631“RadioFrequencyImmunityRequirements”(voluntarystandard)
■ FCChasreportedthecomplaintshavedecreaseddramaticallyandthatTIA‐631asavoluntarystandardisagreatsuccess(paraphrasedfromCatherineDeatonfromtheFCCLosAngelesfieldoffice)
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TR-41 Working With The FCCOther Examples
■ TIAstandardsandFCCPart‐68rules UsedasthetextforFCCrules(TIA‐504) ReferencedinFCCrules(TIA‐470andTIA‐579) Addresschangesneededbasedonconsumerortelephoneequipmentindustryneeds(TIA‐4965)
■ Inresponsetoconsumercomplaints Raiseawarenessinthetelephoneequipmentindustry Voluntarystandards(TIA‐631andTIA‐1083)
■ Inresponsetoaccessibilitygroupsneeds Provideguidancetothetelephoneequipmentindustry
Voluntarystandards(TIA‐4953)
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FCC Part-68 Rules for“Hearing Aid Compatibility”
■ TheFCCassociatesthephrase“hearingaidcompatibility”withbothmagnetic(t‐coil)andacoustic(volumecontrol)requirements
■ CFRFCC68.316“Hearingaidcompatibility:
Technicalrequirements”■ CFRFCC68.317“Hearingaidcompatibilityvolumecontrol:
technicalstandards”
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What is Telephone Hearing Aid Compatibility?
■ AlltelephonesmanufacturedorimportedforuseintheU.S.arerequiredtobehearingaidcompatible(HAC)since1988.
■ “HAC”meansprovidingamagneticfieldthatcomplieswiththeFCC'sadoptedtechnicalstandard(TIA‐504).
■ Improvedperformanceforhearingaidusers Thetelephone’smagneticfieldisusedbyhearingaidsequippedwithatelecoil.
Useofahearingaid’stele‐coilreducesbackgroundnoiseheardbythehearingaiduser.
Source: FCC13
CFR FCC 68.316“Hearing aid compatibility:
Technical requirements”
■ “Atelephonehandsetishearingaidcompatibleforthepurposesofthissectionifitcomplieswiththefollowingstandard,publishedbytheTelecommunicationsIndustryAssociation,copyright1983,andreproducedbypermissionoftheTelecommunicationsIndustryAssociation:
ELECTRONICINDUSTRIESASSOCIATIONRECOMMENDEDSTANDARDRS–504MAGNETICFIELDINTENSITYCRITERIAFORTELEPHONECOMPATIBILITYWITHHEARINGAIDS”
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Telephone Volume Control
■ Volumecontrolrequirementsaddresstheacousticoutputfromthetelephonehandsetcoupledtothemicrophoneofahearingaid,ordirectlytotheear HACmagneticcoupling telecoil(T)mode HACvolumecontrol microphone(M)modeor
usewithouthearingaid
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CFR FCC 68.317“Hearing aid compatibility volume control:
technical standards”
■ ReferencesoutdatedTIAstandardsfor: Measurementmethods Establishingthe“normalunamplifiedlevel”
■ ANSI/EIA–470–A–1987(AnalogTelephones)■ ANSI/EIA/TIA–579–1991(DigitalTelephones)
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HAC Related Issues
■ Consumercomplaintsofhearingaidtele‐coil“buzzing”fromcordlesstelephones AddressedbyANSI/TIA‐1083(voluntarystandard)
■ Telephonedesignperformanceoften compromisedtocomplywithFCC68.317rules(“HACVolumeControl”) AddressedbyANSI/TIA‐4965whichisproposedtobethenewreferenceintheCFRFCC68.317rules
Currentrulesencouragemanufacturerstotrade‐offbetterperformancefor“meetingtherules”
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TIA-504
■ TIA‐504HACPerformanceCategories 4.2AxialFieldIntensity 4.3RadialFieldIntensity 4.4InducedVoltageFrequencyResponse
■ OKforstandardanalogcordedtelephones■ Technologyadvancementsnotaddressed
Digitaltelephones Differenttestingmethods
Cordlesstelephones Potentialformagneticnoise
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ANSI/TIA-1083-AHandset Magnetic Measurement
Procedures and Performance Requirements
TonyJasionowskiPanasonic– NorthAmericaSeniorGroupManager,Accessibility201‐348‐7777(voice)[email protected]://www.panasonic.com/about/accessibility/
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ANSI/TIA-1083-AHandset Magnetic Measurement
Procedures and Performance Requirements
■WhyisANSI/TIA‐1083needed?
■ Howshould/couldANSI/TIA‐1083affectFCCPart‐68rules?
■WhatdoesANSI/TIA‐1083meantothetelephonepublic?
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Enhanced HAC Magnetic Coupling Requirements
■ TheFCC’sHACmagneticcouplingrequirements FCC47CFR68.316(isthesameasTIA‐504) Onlyaddressesthedesiredsignalrelatedtospeechanddoesnotconsiderpossibleimpactofmagneticallycouplednoise
■ ANSI/TIA‐1083(March2007) VoluntarystandarddevelopedbyTIATR‐41.3 Addressescomplaintsof“buzz”noiseinterferenceoftencausedbycordlesstelephones
■ ANSI/TIA‐1083‐A(November2010) VoluntarystandardrevisedbyTIATR‐41.3 Addedrequirementsfortelephoneswithdigitalnetworkinterfaces,suchasVoIPtelephones
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ANSI/TIA-1083 and FCC Regulations■ ANSI/TIA‐1083‐AisnotdirectlyincludedaspartoftheFCCrules(voluntarystandard)
■ FCCcomplaintsforhearingaidtele‐coilbuzzingduetocordlesstelephoneshavedecreaseddramaticallysinceANSI/TIA‐1083waspublished
■ FCCtookanactiveroleingettingtelephoneequipmentmanufacturer“buy‐in”tocompliancewithANSI/TIA‐1083earlyinthedevelopmentofthestandard
■ NewregulationsarenotneededduetothesuccessoftheANSI/TIA‐1083voluntarystandard
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How ANSI/TIA-1083 Affects The Telephone Using Public
■WhenpurchasinganewwirelinetelephonelookforthefollowinglogotoensureHACmagneticcompatibility
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ANSI/TIA-4965Receive Volume Control Requirements for
Digital and Analog Wireline Handset Terminals
■WhyisANSI/TIA‐4965needed?
■WhyshouldtheFCCupdatetheCFRFCC68.317rulestoreferenceTIA‐4965?
■ HowwilladoptingTIA‐4965improvetelephonesforconsumers?
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Wireline Telephones Volume Control Requirements NOW
■ Currently,theFCCCFR.68.317 rulesreferenceolderTIAstandards: Minimum12dBgainrelativeto“normalunamplifiedlevel” Automaticresetifgainexceeds18dB GainisspecifiedaschangeinReceiveObjectiveLoudnessRating(ROLR)levelandreferstotwooutdatedTIAstandards. NormalunamplifiedlevelmustalsomeetROLRrequirementsspecifiedinthesetwooutdatedstandards.
ROLRandassociatedtestingrequirementshavebeenreplacedbynewerTIAstandardswithanimprovedmethodofmeasuringvolumecontrolwhichisapplicabletonewertelephonehandsetdesigns
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Conversational Gain■ Anew,morerationalandintuitivewaytomeasurevolumecontrol
■ Thereference:Twopeopletalkingface‐to‐face,1meterapart ConversationalGain=Howloudavoiceiscomparedtoatypicalface‐to‐faceconversation
■ 0dBconversationalgainmeansthespeechheardfromthetelephoneisthesamelevelaswouldbeheardifspeakingface‐to‐faceabout1meterapart
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Conversational GainReference Level
■ Face‐to‐faceconversationatadistanceof1meterproducesanaveragelevelof64dBSPLateachear.
■ Thelevelneedstobeincreasedby6dBtosoundequallyloudwhenlisteningwithonlyoneear.
■ The0dBConversationalGainreferenceis: 64dBSPLfortwo‐earlistening(i.e.,speakerphone) 70dBSPLforone‐earlistening(i.e.,handset)
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How is Conversational Gain Measured?
■ Usingcommerciallyavailabletestingequipment
ITU P.57 Type‐3.3 Ear SimulatorHead And TorsoSimulator (HATS)
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The Transition from ROLR to Conversational Gain
■ Astandardunamplifiedtelephone(theWesternElectric500‐typetelephoneandequivalentmodelsbyothermanufacturers)providesabout6dBofConversationalGaineventhoughithasnovolumecontrol.
■ ThecurrentFCCROLR‐basedrequirementforatleast12dBofgainabovethenormalunamplifiedlevelthusbecomesaminimumof18dBofConversationalGain.
■ TherequirementtoautomaticallyresetiftheROLR‐basedgainexceeds18dBbecomes24dBofConversationalGain.
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How Conversational Gain Affects Consumers
■ Usesamorerelevantreference 20dBgainmeanshearingspeech20dBlouderthanifspeakingface‐to‐face
■ Abetterwaytocompareconsumerproducts Permitsavalidcomparisontothesoundlevelsproducedbydifferentdevices
■ Telephoneequipmentvolumecontrolclaimseasiertoverify Bringsfairnesstothemarketplaceforequipmentmanufacturers
■ Telephoneequipmentdesignsdonotneedtobe“compromised”justtomeettheoldandoutdatedrule
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TIA’s Conversational GainProposal to the FCC
■ ANSI/TIA‐4965,ReceiveVolumeControlRequirementsforDigitalandAnalogWirelineTerminals,wasdevelopedbyTIATR‐41.3andpublishedpubliclyonOctober24,2012.
■ October25,2012:TIAfiledaPetitionforRulemakingwiththeFCCrequestingthatitupdateoutdatedreferencestoTIAstandards(seehttp://bit.ly/10ah86B). WouldeffectivelyshiftwirelinetelephonevolumecontrolfromROLRtoConversationalGain
■ Inmid‐March2013,theFCCgaveTIA’sPetitionaformalrulemakingnumber(CGDocketNo.13‐46).
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TIA’s Conversational GainProposal to the FCC
■ PublicNoticeonTIA’sPetitionreleasedonJuly19,2013.
■ CommentsweredueAugust19,2013andreplycommentsweredueSeptember9,2013.
■ TherecordshowssupportfromtwostakeholdergroupsimpactedbyTIA’srequestandthehearingaidindustry,andnotablycontainsnooppositiontoTIA’srequestoftheCommission.
■ HeldexpartemeetingwithrepresentativesfromFCCDisabilityRightsOfficeonOctober25,2013.
■ AwaitingFCCaction.
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Performance Standard for Amplified Telephones
(ANSI/TIA-4953)JamesBressPresident,ASTTechnologyLabsChair,TIATR‐41.3+1‐321‐254‐8118x100(voice)[email protected]
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What was the problem?
■ Nostandardmethodtomeasureandevaluateatelephone’sacousticgainrelatedtohearinglossneeds
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Who Asked for TIA-4953?■ TEDPA(TelecommunicationsEquipmentDistributionProgramsAssoc.) Stateprogramsthatbuyanddistributeequipmenttopeoplewithdisabilities
Collectivelythelargestpurchasersofhigh‐gainamplifiedtelephonesintheUS
■ Amplifiedtelephonemanufacturers Managingclaimsof“gain”fromcompetitors BringsanitytotelephoneRFPrequirements
■ Amplifiedtelephoneconsumers Needtoknowifanamplifiedtelephonewillmeettheneedsoftheirhearinglosslevel
Needtoknowifanamplifiedtelephonewillworkwellwhenusedwithahearingaid
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Who Needs an Amplified Telephone?
■ Peoplewithvaryingdegreesofhearingloss Mild Moderate Severe
■ Peoplewithhearingaids Telephonetohearingaidcouplingissues(microphonemode)
Magneticsignalperformancefort‐coiluse(HAC)(TIA‐4953requirestelephonestomeetTIA‐1083)
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ANSI/TIA-4953Amplified Telephone Measurement
Procedures and Performance Requirements
■ DevelopedbyTIATR‐41.3 PublishedinMay2012 AdoptedbyANSIinAugustof2012
■ TIA‐4953RequirementsSummary ConversationalGain ToneControl Acousticringerlevelandtone Acousticandmagneticperformanceforhearing‐aidusers
Noise,distortion,stability(nohowling),transmitlevels
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Why is Tone Control Important?
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TIA-4953 Summary
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How ANSI/TIA-4953 Affects Consumers
■Whenpurchasinganamplifiedtelephone,consumerswillbeabletousethefollowingtomakethemostinformeddecision
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TR41’s Current Activities Related to Accessibility Standards
■ Currentprojectsopen: ReviseANSI/TIA‐1083A:
Includewidebanddigital(VoIP) Userealspeechtestsignals
■ PossiblenewprojectstorevisecurrentTIATR‐41standardstoaddressspecificissues: ReviseANSI/TIA‐1083‐AtoinformoftheneedtomeettherequirementsincludedinFCC68.316?
ReviseTIA‐4953(high‐gainamplifiedtelephoneswithtonecontrol): Includedigitaltelephones(VoIP) Speakerphones Mobilehandsets?
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Where Do We Go From Here?
■ FCC,DRO,AccessBoardparticipationinTIATR‐41’sdevelopmentofvoluntarystandardsforaccessibility?
■ IdentifyFCCaccessibilityrulesforwhichTIATR‐41coulddevelopvoluntarystandards?
■ Inputandparticipationfromindustryaccessibilitygroups?
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Questions?
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Thank you!
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