FAAST News

Headlines

Sprint WebCapTel(r) Solution Shows Captions over the Internet During Phone Calls;  Facilitating Easier Conversations

OVERLAND PARK, Kan.- March 5, 2008 - Sprint (NYSE:S) today released Sprint WebCapTel(r), a new free web-based service that allows a person who can speak but has challenges hearing over the phone, to read word-for-word captions of their calls on a web browser. This new service is expected to help an estimated 23 million Americans with hearing loss, who may face challenges hearing over the telephone. To Read the full story, click here

The Access Board's Telecommunications, Electronic/Information Technologies Advisory Committee (TEITAC) has released the third draft of the TEITAC standards. Once TEITAC Final Recommendations are received by the Access Board, the material will form the Board's guidance on the update/refresh of Section 508, Rehabilitation
Services Act (1998) and Chapter 255, Telecommunications Act (1996). The Board plans to harmonize these Standards to insure a uniform, effective application of the Standards and uniform administration.

The standards are located on the TEITAC Wiki. Click these links for more information:

SubPart A
G:Draft_July_6_Subpart_A

Technical Provisions

Additionally, the TEITAC's Editorial Working Group has created a link
that strictly lists the provisions without discussion or meta data. Click here to view 

SILC Emergency Management Policy
FEMA Administrator David Paulison announced that Cindy Lou Daniel will fill the new FEMA Disability Coordinator position established by the Post Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006.  The Disability Coordinator will be responsible for providing guidance and coordination on national emergency planning and relief efforts for individuals with disabilities.  No stranger to the advocacy community, Cindy is a former staff member of The Arc of Northern Virginia and most recently worked at the National Organization on Disability (NOD) on their Emergency Preparedness Initiative.  She conducted research on the effects Hurricane Katrina had on people with disabilities and created an informational help desk for emergency agencies on various disability-related subjects.  The press release announcing the appointment is available at: http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=37220.

APD Launches Toll-Free Number
The agency’s new phone number is 1-866-APD-CARES or 1-866-273-2273.  It will be manned Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. (EDT). The phone operators will answer questions directly.  For more complex questions, however, the caller will be transferred to the best person to respond in a timely manner.  The goal is to answer a citizen’s question quickly and accurately while not making the citizen incur long distance phone charges.

Stay Informed

View the Florida Department of Education's memorandum explaining the Interagency Agreement for the Transfer of Assistive Technology. This interagency agreement meets the requirements of Senate Bill (SB) 2550 passed by the 2005 Legislature, creating Section 1003.575, Florida Statutes, “Assistive technology devices; findings; interagency agreements,” regarding the transition of assistive technology.

The interagency agreement is required to provide a mechanism by which a young person, or his or her parent, may request that an assistive technology device remain with the young person as he or she moves through the continuum from home to school and to post-school. In addition, a procedure is established to ensure the young person and all individuals who assist in the transition of a young person are informed of assistive technology devices and services that may meet the transition needs. To read the memo, click here

Forehead Retinal System to Assist People with Visual Disabilities

Researchers at the University of Tokyo and EyePlusPlus, a Japanese firm, have been developing a forehead retinal system (FRS) that will enable individuals with visual impairments to maneuver and be able to avoid objects.

The FRS system is described as "using a small camera implanted in a pair of sunglasses and 512 electrodes placed inside a headband, converts visual information into tactile sensations." For instance, one researcher wore the device, and having two sticks waved in front of him, could feel the sensation of two sticks on his forehead.

The researchers hope that the FRS will become a surgery-free alternative to an artificial retina. However, according to the article there are still some issues that need to be resolved before it is ready for consumers.

To read the full article, click here