Alert: Changes to ACMA labelling arrangements from 1 March 2013.New single compliance mark – RCM. Further information is available. |
Legislation
- Telecommunications Act 1997
- Telecommunications (Consumer Protection and Service Standards) Act 1999
- Disability Discrimination Act 1992
- AS/ACIF S040:2001 Requirements for Customer Equipment for use with the Standard Telephone Service - Features for special needs of persons with disabilities
Guidelines
- Guidelines on the requirements for supply of disability customer equipment
- T003 - Supplier's declaration of conformity - disability customer equipment
Fact sheets
- Compliance arrangements for medical devices
- Your rights to a telephone service-the universal service obligation
- Labelling of telecommunications customer equipment and customer cabling
- National relay service
Other information
The NRS allows people who are Deaf or have a hearing or speech impairment to use the telephone. Messages are sent by voice, modem, speech to speech or telephone typewriter (TTY).
Links to other relevant organisations
Australia
Australian Communications Consumers Action Network (previously CTN)
The Consumers' Telecommunications Network (CTN) was established in 1989 as an independent, non-profit association with the purpose of being a national coalition of consumer and community organisations to represent community interests in the national policy arena on telecommunications issues. The former ACA commissioned CTN to carry out an in-depth study of the needs of people with disabilities, with a view to influencing the development of the section 380 standard, which culminated in the CTN report 'Technical Standards for Disability Needs'.
Communications Alliance Ltd
Communications Alliance is an industry owned, resourced and operated company established by the telecommunications industry in 1997 to implement and manage communication self-regulation within Australia. The Communications Alliance Disability Advisory Body (DAB) provides advice to Communications Alliance regarding the implications for disabled consumers of Communications Alliance's proposed Codes and Standards.
In September 2001 the former ACIF released a new publication titled 'ACIF G586: 2001 Access to Telecommunications for People with Disabilities-Industry Guideline'. This Guideline was developed by the DAB to assist Communications Alliance and its Reference Panels and Working Committees to meet their responsibilities under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and the Telecommunications (Consumer Protection and Service Standards) Act 1999. It is also intended to assist Communications Alliance and its Reference Panels and Working Committees to provide equity in access to telecommunications for people with disabilities.
Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy (DBCDE)
Humans Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC)
Telstra
The following are links to some Australian disability organisations:
- Association of Consultants in Access
- Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations
- Blind Citizens Australia
- Carers Australia
- Council on the Ageing
- Disability Council NSW
- Mental Health Council of Australia
- National Council on Intellectual Disability
- National Disability Services
- National Ethnic Disability Alliance
- Physical Disability Australia
- Spinal Cord Injuries Australia
- Women With Disabilities Australia
Overseas
Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
The FCC is an independent government agency of the United States of America and is responsible for regulating communications by radio, television, wire, satellite and cable. The FCC administers the US Telecommunications Act 1996 , which is also referred to as Title 47 of the United States Code (47 USC). Section 255 of the US Telecommunications Act 1996 provides for telecommunications access for people with disabilities. www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/section255.html
The 'Telecommunications Act Accessibility Guidelines' (Part 1193 to Chapter XI of title 36 of the Code of Federal (36 CFR Part 1193)) have been made under section 255(e) of the US Telecommunications Act 1996.
OFTEL
The Office of Telecommunications (Oftel) is the regulator for the UK telecommunications industry.
COST (www.cost.eu)
COST is a framework for scientific and technical co-operation in Europe, the main aspect of which is the co-ordination of national research on a European level. The COST co-operation consists of the European Commission, the fifteen EU Member States and ten non-member states. COST is based upon a flexible set of arrangements enabling different national organisations, institutes, universities and industry to join forces and make concerted efforts in a broad range of scientific and technical areas.
PhoneAbility (www.tiresias.org/phoneability)
PhoneAbility is the independent UK focal point for telecommunications and the needs of disabled and elderly people. The group acts as a catalyst in this area by organising conferences and seminars on telecommunications and disability. It also acts as the UK reference group to the European project COST 219bis on telecommunications: Access by Disabled and Elderly People.
Trace (www.trace.wisc.edu)
The Trace Research & Development Center is a part of the College of Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison. The Trace Center is currently working on ways to make standard information technologies and telecommunications systems more accessible and useable by people with disabilities. The website contains guidelines for the design of consumer products to increase their accessibility to people with disabilities or who are aging.
