NENA Accessibility Committee
Subcommittees, Working Groups, (etc.)

Scopes/Goals/Direction/Status - UPDATE 03/31/2016

GROUP NAME: Accessibility Committee (ACC)
STRUCTURE: The Accessibility Committee operates within the NENA Development Group under the direction of the Development Steering Council.
SCOPE/GOAL: The Accessibility Committee addresses accessibility issues as well as offers assistance and resources in regards to technical, operational, policy, regulatory, or any other accessibility related issue that needs attention and to provide subject matter experts to participate in any other NENA Committee or working groups as needed. The Accessibility Committee provides technical assistance and resources on operational, policy, regulatory and procedures to various committees and working groups to ensure that agency systems and programs are accessible and usable by people with disabilities. Also, the Accessibility Committee provides assistance in the development of document as well as deliverance of material for the purpose of protecting the lives and property of people with disabilities. The Accessibility Committee provides technical assistance and resources on operational,policy, regulatory and procedures to various committees and working groups to ensure that agency systems and programs are accessible and usable by people with disabilities. Also, the Accessibility Committee provides assistance in the development of document as well as deliverance of material for the purpose of protecting the lives and property of people with disabilities.
The Accessibility Committee meets once a month to review the updated information, projects, and NENA activities.
DIRECTION: The Accessibility Committee is to provide guidance and recommendations to public safety/emergency response organizations on operations issues, such asHuman Resources, Standard Operating Procedures, Contingency Planning, Public Education, PSAP Operations & Next Generation Integration and Next Generation Transition Planning.
CURRENT STATUS OF WGs as of 03/31/2016:
All Accessibility Committee members are currently involved in one or more of the working groups described in greater detail below.
  • Emergency Notification for Persons with Disabilities
  • Communications Modalities
  • Managers Guide to the ADA Title II: Direct Access
  • TTY Procedures Update
CONTACTS:
Richard Ray: r 213-202-2753
Donna Platt: r 919-578-1262
GROUP NAME: ACC Emergency Notification for Persons with Disabilities Working Group
STRUCTURE: The Emergency Notification for Persons with Disabilities Working Group operates under the Accessibility Committee.
SCOPE/GOAL: The Emergency Notification for Persons with Disabilities Work Group is currently developing an information document on access to emergency warning and information visually through text, graphics, or other means of communication for persons with disabilities, especially individuals who are Deaf, Deaf-Blind, Hard of Hearing or have vision and speech disabilities.
DIRECTION The Emergency Notification for Persons with Disabilities WG Co-Chairs are cleaning up the draft before calling a meeting
CURRENT STATUS as of 03/31/2016:
The document is being revised.
Estimated Completion Date of WG Draft for DSC submission: 12/31/2016
CONTACTS:
Jim House:
Mark Fletcher:
GROUP NAME: ACC Emergency TTY Procedures UpdateWorking Group
STRUCTURE: The Emergency TTY Procedures Update Working Group operates under the Accessibility Committee.
SCOPE/GOAL: The Emergency TTY Procedures Update, a joint NENA/APCO group, is nearing completion of updating a document to serve as a model standard operating procedure to provide a consistent approach to the delivery of TTY training to 9-1-1 Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) personnel.
This standard identifies the minimum training requirements for Telecommunicators specific to providing direct and equal access to public safety services to people who use a TTY/TDD to communicate, in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Department of Justice requirements. This document seeks to define the knowledge, skills, competencies, and minimum training requirements of individuals who receive emergency telephone calls from the public as well as the agency’s responsibilities for providing training, written directives, and testing in this critical function
DIRECTION:The TTY/TDD Training Standards Workgroup developed this document on the premise that training should be standardized across public-safety organizations to ensure consistent compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Title II requirements for telephone emergency services. This document includes combination of APCO and NENA documents. It was agreed by NENA and APCO Officials that all documents from APCO and NENA to become one document in order to avoid duplication.
The Emergency TTY Procedures UpdateWG has included recommended standards developed by the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International and National Emergency Number Association (NENA). This standard should be viewed as independent and stand-alone from standards addressed elsewhere. Telecommunicators should be cognizant of other relevant standards, mandates, and legislation.
CURRENT STATUS as of 03/31/2016:
On March 22nd, during the NENA Development Steering Council weekly call, Roger Hixon reported that he sent an email to APCO requesting the addition of references to theold NENA documents in the APCO/NENA joint document Minimum Training Standard for TDD/TTY Use in the Public Safety Communications Center, which is missing the NENA references.
APCO/NENA ANS 3.105.1-2015 (originally NENA 52-001 & 52-003)
APPROVED BY ANSI 2/24/2015
CONTACT:
Kerry Coward (NENA): or 512-305-6919
Sherry Taylor (APCO): r 317-327-6070
GROUP NAME: ACC Communications Modalities Working Group
STRUCTURE: The Communications Modalities Working Group operates under the Accessibility Committee.
SCOPE/GOAL:The Communications Modalities Work Group isupdating a chart that lists various communication modalities that would meet the needs of people with disabilities, especially with individuals who are deaf, deaf-blind, and hard of hearing as well as speech disabilities to call9-1-1 directly using multi-media communications, which includes combination of video, voice and text via different network systems.
DIRECTION: The Communications Modalities WG developed a chart on various types of communication modalities, which includes combination of video, voice and text depending on the communication needs of the caller and/or other party such as family member, caretaker, friend or others. These communication modalities would allow people with disabilities as well as hearing loss and speech disabilities to call 9-1-1 directly and to communicate with telecommunicators, which includes combination of video, voice and text via different network systems in NG9-1-1 environment.
Participants in this call are:
  • caller who are Deaf, Deaf-Blind, Late Deafened, Hard of Hearing, or have speech disability or other disabilities
  • relay service agent
  • telecommunicator
  • appropriate personnel, and/or family member, caretaker, friend or others.
The type of calls should not be limited and should be able to be modified based on the communication needs of people with disabilities. Emerging technologies are expanding and changing often and they should not be limited to aforementioned communication modalities. The chart specifics can always be updated whenever new technologies emerge.
CURRENT STATUS OF WGs as of 03/31/2016:
The WG meeting was held on March 16th. The first two columns of chart were still being reviewed. The revised chart was sent to the WG members for review and input.
Estimated Completion Date of WG Draft for DSC submission: 12/31/2016
CONTACTS:
Joshua Howell:
Connie Phelps:
GROUP NAME: ACC Managers Guide to the ADA Title II: Direct Access Working Group
STRUCTURE: The Managers Guide to the ADA Title II: Direct Access Working Group operates under the Accessibility Committee.
SCOPE/GOAL:The Managers Guide to the ADA Title II: Direct Access Work Group will be reviewing and updating the standard document to ensure that information from amendments of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other essential federal rulings on providing direct and communication access to callers with disabilities are included.
DIRECTION: The Managers Guide to the ADA Title II: Direct Access document was published in 2005. Several rulings have been developed since then. For example: The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Public Law 101-336 which was enacted on July 26, 1990, had Part 35 Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability in State and Local Government Services amended on Sept. 15, 2010. One of the amendments requires public entities to provide communication services with callers using different telecommunication system other than TTY via telephone.
The WG This session will update the Managers Guide to the ADA Title II: Direct Access document in order to comply with Federal current mandates reflecting technological changes.
Participants in this call are:
  • caller who are Deaf, Deaf-Blind, Late Deafened, Hard of Hearing, or have speech disability or other disabilities
  • relay service agent
  • telecommunicator
  • appropriate personnel, and/or family member, caretaker, friend or others.
The type of calls should not be limited and should be able to be modified based on the communication needs of people with disabilities. Emerging technologies are expanding and changing often and they should not be limited to aforementioned communication modalities. The chart specifics can always be updated whenever new technologies emerge.
CURRENT STATUS OF WGs as of 03/31/2016:
Several WG members reviewed and provided feedback on that document. The document was being revised. The WG had a meeting on March 30th to review that document.
Estimated Completion Date of WG Draft for DSC submission: 12/31/2016
CONTACTS:
Wrentree Kelly-King:
Kerry Coward:

Old Documents to be Reviewed:

Doc # / Doc Name (ALL CURRENT NENA DOCUMENTS AS OF 08/29/2014) / Approved
Date / Estimated
Completion Date / Actual
Completion Date
52-001 / TTY Training Operational Standard / 2/1/2005 / Information from that document is included in the APCO/NENA ANS 3.105.1-2015, Minimum Training Standard for TDD/TTY Use in the Public Safety Communications Center / ANSI APPROVED 2/24/2015
52-002 / Managers Guide to the ADA Title II: Direct Access / 2/1/2005 / 12/31/2016
52-003 / TTY Call Taker Proficiency and Quality Assurance E9-1-1 Operational Standard/ModelRecommendation / 12/6/2005 / Information from that document is included in the APCO/NENA ANS 3.105.1-2015, Minimum Training Standard for TDD/TTY Use in the Public Safety Communications Center / ANSI APPROVED 2/24/2015
52-501 / TTY Phone Pals Program Operational Information Document / 7/29/2004
52-502 / Video Relay Service & IP Relay Service PSAP Interaction Operational Information Document / 2/12/2008 / 12/31/2014 / APPROVED 06/27/2015

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