I do not quite grok why the FCC finds touch-screen only phones incompatible with 911. Can anyone provide an authoritative citation with an explanation? I believe it, since I have read that a few places now, I just am skeptical that I will find the rational convincing.
It is not like the government lines up all its problems and then works on them one at a time. Sure, accessible Electronic and Information Technology may not be worlds most pressing problem, it is reasonably important, and people are passionate about working on it. This is time and energy that might not otherwise go toward an equally nobel cause. My understanding is that the FCC position on providing readily achievable accessibility has more to do with the public trust and an obligation for the commercial marketplace to consider people with disabilities as part of fulfilling their civic responsibilities. (Not the expectation that in an emergency a Deaf or blind person should be able to use some random phone to dial 911.) Televisions, and now almost all broadcast programming are required to provide closed captions. That has nothing to do with emergency preparedness, it is part and parcel of getting access to the public airwaves! You apparent missed it the first time, so I will repeat the key sentence. This is something many of us believe: Accessible electronic information and technology is an essential component of civil rights for persons with disabilities.
