The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) appears to be on the verge of developing accessibility requirements applicable to videoconferencing platforms and software.
According to a press release issued by the Commission, FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel has recently shared with her fellow Commissioners a proposal that would require videoconferencing platforms to comply with current FCC accessibility requirements and other FCC rules applicable to interoperable video conferencing services.
The details of Rosenworcel’s proposal as presented in the press release reference prior FCC-issued documents, including a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that would amend Part 14 of Commission rules to include specific performance objectives for making interoperable videoconferencing services accessible to all regardless of their abilities. Enhancements specified in that NPRM include speech-to-text and text-to-speech capabilities and enabling the use of American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation.
Read the press release announcing Rosenworcel’s plans for implementing accessibility requirements for videoconferencing platforms and applications. We’ll provide additional details on Rosenworcel’s proposal as they become available.
