The FCC has submitted a Biennial Report to Congress about accessibility of telecommunications and advanced communications devices. Following the 2022 CVAA Assessment Public Notice and 2022 CVAA Tentative Findings Public Notice released earlier this year, the report affirms the findings in the Tentative Findings Public Notice, concluding that while improvements have been made for the accessibility of communication technology, obstacles still remain. Features such as recognition of facial gestures to control wireless devices and “spotlighting” a sign-language interpreter or speaker for video conferencing assist people with disabilities, but obstacles such as delayed or incomplete transcripts in video conferencing platforms continue to pose challenges for users with disabilities.
The Report addressed accessibility for new technologies and detailed both the number of and actions taken to resolve violations of three sections concerning accessibility within the Communications Act of 1934. The Biennial Report is mandated by the Twenty-First Century Communications Video Accessibility Act (CVAA) of 2010.
