36 CFR Part 1194 - Proposed Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Standards and Guidelines NPRM - Preamble

C101.1 Purpose (Section-by-Section Analysis)

In keeping with the Board’s statutory charge under the Communications Act, this section states that the purpose of the proposed 255 Guidelines is the provision of scoping and technical requirements for telecommunications equipment and customer premises equipment to ensure that such equipment is accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities. This section also emphasizes, moreover, that the proposed guidelines are to be applied to the extent required by regulations issued by the Federal Communications Commission under the Telecommunications Act of 1996 (47 U.S.C. 255). As noted previously, the FCC has exclusive authority to enforce Section 255 and issue implementing regulations; the FCC may—but is not required to—adopt the proposed guidelines when finalized as enforceable accessibility standards for manufacturers of telecommunications equipment and customer premises equipment.