Today:  Winners of the FCC Chairman's Awards for Advancement in Accessibility, FCC Commissioner Carr on Rural Telemedicine  

FCC Chairman Pai Announces Winners of Seventh Annual Chairman’s Awards for Advancement in Accessibility

Chairman Pai has announced the winners of the 2018 awards (Chairman’s AAA).  The Chairman’s AAA celebrates outstanding private and public-sector ventures as part of the FCC’s continuing effort to facilitate ongoing exchanges among the telecommunications industry, assistive technology companies, app developers, government representatives, and consumers to share best practices and solutions for accessible communications technologies.  Awards are given based on the inventiveness, affordability, availability, and potential impact of the technology for intended users.  Some of the awards are included below:

Winner: Seeing AI

Description: This free Microsoft app narrates the visual world to improve accessibility and independence for blind and low vision persons. Using deep learning and natural language algorithms, the Seeing AI app describes nearby people, text, and objects with spoken audio, and includes real-time text and handwriting reading.

Winner: Content Clarifier

Description: The IBM AbilityLab Content Clarifier is an innovative accessible technology that uses artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms, machine learning models, and natural language processing to simplify, summarize, and augment digital content to increase comprehension for people with cognitive disabilities, the aging population, or those learning English as a second language. The Content Clarifier can be integrated into any software application and can be used in educational materials, websites, apps, and smartphones.

FCC Commissioner Carr Released Statement on Telemedicine in Rural Areas

Commissioner Carr released a statement that he voted on a draft order that would increase access to telemedicine in rural areas.  Chairman Pai recently announced that he was circulating that draft order to increase the funding cap for the program from $400 million to $571 million. See the Regulatory Mix dated 6/12/18.

 In part, Commissioner Carr stated:

“Too many Americans living in our country’s rural communities are at risk of falling behind when it comes to high-quality, affordable healthcare. It often is difficult to find specialists in many rural communities and even basic care can be out of reach, as we see rural hospitals closing by the dozen. The FCC’s Rural Health Care Program can help make a difference.

 “This broadband connection has eliminated the need for the long and sometimes arduous ambulance ride into bigger cities and gives patients access to specialists that they might otherwise be unable to see. “

 “But the Rural Health Care program is running into a funding shortfall, which is creating uncertainty for participating providers and patients alike.  So I am glad that FCC Chairman Pai circulated a draft order that would address the shortfall and provide longer-term certainty by adjusting the annual funding cap for inflation.  This decision has my support, and I have voted to approve the item.”

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The Regulatory Mix, Inteserra’s daily blog of telecom related regulatory activities, is a snapshot of PUC, FCC, legislative, and occasionally court issues that our regulatory monitoring team uncovers each day. Depending on their significance, some items may be the subject of an Inteserra Briefing.