FCC to form advisory committee to better serve people with disabilities

The Federal Communications Commission is forming an advisory committee to help keep video programming and other communications accessible to people with disabilities. 

Created under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the FCC is accepting nominations for the Disability Advisory Committee until Jan 12.

{mosads}The first meeting will be held in the first quarter of 2015; telecommunications relay services, closed captioning, video description, access to emergency information on television and telephone emergency services are among the issues to be discussed. 

In a news release, FCC said the committee will be taking recommendations and feedback from interest groups and the public to help the agency stay on top of new disability accessibility issues that arise. 

2015 marks the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the fifth anniversary of the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act, which ensures people with disabilities have access to broadband, digital and mobile services.