FIRMR BULLETIN C10
GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION Washington, DC 20405
TO: Heads of Federal agencies
SUBJECT: Telecommunications accessibility for hearing
and speech impaired individuals
1. Purpose
This bulletin provides guidelines for acquiring products and services that provide telecommunications accessibility for hearing and speech impaired individuals for communication with and within Federal agencies. This bulletin also provides general information regarding responsibilities for accommodating the needs of those with hearing and speech impairments.
2. Expiration date
This bulletin contains information of a continuing nature and will remain in effect until canceled.
3. Contents
Topic Paragraph
Related material 4
Information and assistance 5
Acronyms 6
Definition 7
Background 8
General 9
GSA responsibilities and actions 10
Agency responsibilities 11
Cancellation 12
Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) Attachment A
Federal Telecommunications Devices for
theDeaf(TDD) Directory Attachment B
Agency Telecommunications
Accessibility Planning Attachment C
4. Related material
a. FIRMR 20118.002
b. FIRMR 20120.1037
c. FIRMR Bulletin C8
5. Information and assistance
a. General inquiries about the contents of this bulletin or information concerning updates should be directed to:
General Services Administration
Regulations Branch (KMPR)
18th and F Streets, NW
Washington, DC 20405
Telephone: (202) 5013194 or FTS 241-3194 (v).
(202) 5010657 or FTS 241-0657 (tdd).
b. For technical advice and assistance regarding accommodation strategies for employees with disabilities, contact:
General Services Administration
Clearinghouse on Computer Accommodation
18th and F Streets, NW
Washington, DC 20405
Telephone: (202) 5014906 or FTS 2414906 (v/tdd).
c. The FIRS staff may be contacted regarding information on FIRS or the Federal TDD Directory at:
General Services Administration
Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS)
National Capital Region 7th and D Streets, SW
Washington, DC 20407
Telephone: (202) 7086100 or FTS 4586100 (v/tdd).
6. Acronyms
ATBCB Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board
COAT Council on Accessibility Technology
COCA Clearinghouse on Computer Accommodation
FIRS Federal Information Relay Service
Pub. L. Public Law
TDD Telecommunications Device for the Deaf
7. Definition
"Information accessibility" means the application or configuration of FIP resources in a manner that accommodates the functional limitations of individuals with disabilities so as to promote productivity and provide access to workrelated or public information resources.
8. Background
The Telecommunications Accessibility Enhancement Act of 1988 (Pub. L. 100542, 102 Stat. 2721) charged the General Services Administration (GSA) with assuring that the Federal telecommunications system be fully accessible to hearing and speech impaired individuals. Included among the provisions of this law is the requirement that GSA prescribe regulations to help assure such accessibility. In consultation with COAT, GSA has developed these guidelines as well as related regulatory provisions in the FIRMR to comply with this statutory mandate. This bulletin will be revised periodically to keep pace with technological advancements and as dictated by agency compliance with FIRMR policies and procedures.
9. General
a. Individuals with hearing and speech impairments should be provided access to Federal telecommunications services and facilities. Technological advances, such as the TDD, make this possible. A TDD is a machine that uses typed input and output, usually with a visual text display, to enable individuals with hearing or speech impairments to communicate over a telecommunications network.
b. Technological advances for nondisabled individuals may have an even greater longterm effect on improving telecommunications accessibility for those with hearing and speech impairments. Such advances include electronic mail; facsimile; teleconferencing; LANbased video imaging; textbased information services and messaging; and remote, realtime transcription/translation capabilities. Many of these services are available to agencies through FTS2000, GSA's longdistance telecommunications service. GSA's TDD relay service will also improve the ability of those with hearing and speech impairments to access Federal agencies. The flexibility inherent in these new telecommunications capabilities makes it possible to accommodate the special requirements of speech and hearing impaired individuals.
10. GSA responsibilities and actions
a. In accordance with Pub. L. 100542, GSA is required to:
(1) Assume responsibility for the operation of the pilot Federal telecommunications relay system operated by the Department of the Treasury and the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (ATBCB). Attachment A contains information on this system.
(2) Assemble, publish, and maintain a directory of TDD and other devices used by Federal agencies and publish access numbers for TDD's and other devices in Federal telephone directories. Attachment B contains information on the Federal TDD Directory.
(3) In consultation with the ATBCB, adopt the design of a standard logo to indicate the presence of TDD equipment in Federal buildings.
(4) Jointly with the FCC, promote research to reduce the cost and improve the capabilities of equipment for providing telecommunications accessibility for those with hearing and speech impairments.
(5) Consider technological improvements in telecommunications accessibility devices when planning future alterations and modifications to the Federal telecommunications system.
b. GSA solicitations for local telecommunications services or equipment will include specifications that require vendors to provide services or equipment to ensure accessibility for hearing and speech impaired individuals.
c. GSA's COCA staff will assist Federal agencies in identifying strategies to accommodate the telecommunications needs of their employees with disabilities.
11. Agency responsibilities
Agencies are responsible for:
a. Assessing telecommunications accessibility for individuals with hearing and speech impairments and developing specifications for solicitations. Attachment C provides guidance on how to fulfill these responsibilities.
b. Publishing access numbers for TDD and TDDrelated devices in agency telephone directories and providing such numbers to GSA for inclusion in the Federal TDD Directory in accordance with the procedures in Attachment B of this bulletin.
c. Displaying in their buildings or offices the standard logo specified by GSA for indicating the presence of TDD or TDDrelated equipment. In accordance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation, Part 8, the mandatory source of supply for standard logo signs is UNICOR, Federal Prison Industries, Inc. (FPI). Prior approval from FPI is required before using any other source of supply. Purchase Orders should be submitted to: UNICOR, Federal Prison Industries, Inc. 320 First Street, NW., Washington, DC 20534. (202) 7248239.
12. Cancellation
FIRMR Bulletin 63 is canceled.
Original signed by:
Thomas J. Buckholtz
Commissioner
Information Resources
Management Service