{"id":40964,"date":"2020-07-17T15:04:15","date_gmt":"2020-07-17T20:04:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/?p=40964"},"modified":"2020-07-17T15:04:15","modified_gmt":"2020-07-17T20:04:15","slug":"fcc-announces-anticipated-renewal-of-its-disability-advisory-committee-and-solicits-applications-for-membership","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/2020\/07\/17\/fcc-announces-anticipated-renewal-of-its-disability-advisory-committee-and-solicits-applications-for-membership\/","title":{"rendered":"FCC Announces Anticipated Renewal of Its Disability Advisory Committee and Solicits Applications For Membership"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>DA 20-722<\/strong>
\nReleased: July 13, 2020<\/strong><\/p>\n

FCC ANNOUNCES ANTICIPATED RENEWAL OF ITS DISABILITY ADVISORY<\/strong>
\nCOMMITTEE AND SOLICITS APPLICATIONS FOR MEMBERSHIP ON THE COMMITTEE<\/strong><\/p>\n

By this Public Notice, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) announces the anticipated renewal of its Disability Advisory Committee (Committee) and solicits applications for membership on the Committee, subject to renewal of the Committee\u2019s charter. Applications for membership are due by 11:59 P.M. EST on August 13, 2020. The mission of the Committee is to make recommendations to the Commission regarding disability issues specified by the Commission. Some of the issues the Committee has addressed in the past include telecommunications relay services, closed captioning, video description, access to emergency information on television, telephone emergency notifications, device accessibility, technology transitions, and the National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program. For additional background about the Committee, please visit its website: www.fcc.gov\/disability-advisory-committee.<\/p>\n

The Commission seeks applications from interested persons with disabilities, consumer organizations, industry and trade associations, corporations, governmental entities, or other entities from both the public and private sectors that wish to be considered for membership on the Committee. Selections will be based on factors such as expertise and diversity of viewpoints necessary to effectively address the topics before the Committee.<\/p>\n

The Commission will determine the appropriate Committee size necessary to effectively accomplish the Committee\u2019s work. Applicants must be willing to commit to a two-year term of service, should be willing to attend at least three one-day meetings each calendar year, either in-person or, if appropriate, by teleconference, and should expect to participate in at least one working group or subcommittee. Working group deliberations are conducted primarily through email and teleconferences. Meetings and will be fully accessible to individuals with disabilities.<\/p>\n

The Commission does not provide payment or honoraria to members, and generally does not reimburse members for travel expenses, although it may have very limited funds to partially reimburse travel expenses of members who demonstrate need.<\/p>\n

All organizational or individual members of the Committee or its working groups are subject to an ethics review by the Commission\u2019s Office of General Counsel. Some applicants possessing expertise or perspectives of interest to the Committee, and who have been appointed to serve on the Committee in an individual capacity (and not as the representative of a nonprofit organization, corporation, or other entity), are deemed to be Special Government Employees (SGEs). Such individuals are ineligible to serve if they are federally registered lobbyists. SGEs are subject to a variety of restrictions under the conflict of interest statutes, 18 U.S.C. \u00a7 203 et seq., and the Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch, 5 C.F.R. Part 2635. SGEs must file confidential employee financial disclosure forms prior to beginning their service and annually thereafter. SGEs will also be subject to ethics restrictions in section 4(b) of the Communications Act, 47 U.S.C. \u00a7 154(b), and in the Commission\u2019s rules, 47 CFR Part 19 and 5 CFR Parts 3901 and 3902. All members will have an initial and continuing obligation to disclose any interests in, or connections to, persons or entities that are, or will be, regulated by or have interests before the Commission.<\/p>\n

Applications should be submitted via an online application form at https:\/\/www.fcc.gov\/disability-advisory-committee\/membership-application (preferred), via email to DAC@fcc.gov, or via US Mail to the Federal Communications Commission, Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau, Attn: Debra Patkin, 445 12th Street S.W., Room 3-C438, Washington, DC 20554. Starting March 19, 2020, and until further notice, the Commission no longer accepts any hand or messenger delivered filings at the Commission\u2019s headquarters. This is a temporary measure taken to help protect the health and safety of individuals, and to mitigate the transmission of COVID-19. Because mail delivery may be delayed by security screening and precautionary measures due to the COVID-19 pandemic, interested parties are strongly encouraged to submit applications online.<\/p>\n

Organizational Applicants.<\/strong> Applications from nonprofit organizations, corporations, or other entities (\u201corganizational applicants\u201d) should include the following:<\/p>\n