TTY InfoCenter Meets New FCC Mandates

Telecommunications Act of 1996 Results in Many New Challenges for Telecom Providers

February 10, 1998--The final rules for the 1996 Telecommunications Act's Accessibility Guidelines become effective March 5, 1998. The Act requires manufacturers of telecommunications equipment to ensure that the equipment is designed, developed, and fabricated to be accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities, if readily achievable.

TeleSonic's TTY InfoCenter is already addressing the requirements of the Act.  Individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing, or who have certain speech disabilities or auditory learning disabilities, cannot readily locate or identify controls that require hearing.  Products that provide only audio prompts cannot be used by individuals who have these disabilities. For example, a voice-based interactive product that can be controlled only by listening to menu items and then pressing buttons is not accessible.  TeleSonic's TTY InfoCenter is accessible.

The TTY InfoCenter allows people with auditory disabilities to use their computers (digital access) and TTYs (analog access) to "read" (rather than listen to) the menu choices of automated telephone information systems.  The TTY InfoCenter is a multi-line computer system that can be accessed from TTY equipment and from computer modems.  Any single phone line can service both TTY and computer modem calls - the system automatically detects what type of device is calling. If desired, separate messages can be customized by the System Administrator for each type of call.

A user-friendly interface means the TTY InfoCenter System Administrator does not need any special knowledge about using TTY equipment. And, it provides callers functionally equivalent access to interactive audio telephone information.

For More Information Contact:
Telephone/TTY  410-841-6920
FAX                    410-841-6505
Electronic mail   TTYInfoCenter@telesonic.com