The Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) announces the appointment of members for the fourth two-year term of the Commission’s Disability Advisory Committee (DAC or Committee) and announces the first meeting of the new DAC term. The DAC is organized under, and operated in accordance with, the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) and provides advice and recommendations to the Commission on a wide array of disability matters specified by the Commission. 5 U.S.C. App. 2. The Commission announced the establishment of the DAC on December 2, 2014. FCC Announces the Establishment of the Disability Advisory Committee and Solicits Nominations for Membership, Public Notice, 29 FCC Rcd 14484 (CGB 2014).

On July 13, 2020, the Commission solicited applications for membership for this term of the DAC, which runs from December 17, 2020, through December 17, 2022. FCC Announces Anticipated Renewal of Its Disability Advisory Committee and Solicits Applications for Membership on the Committee, Public Notice, 35 FCC Rcd 6973 (CGB 2020).

After review of the applications and nominations for membership received, the Chairman has selected 34 members and 4 ex officio members, as listed below. The membership consists of a diverse mix of organizations representing individuals with disabilities, the communications and video programming industries, the public safety industry, trade associations, researchers, and other stakeholders.

Debra Patkin, Attorney Advisor, Disability Rights Office (DRO), Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau (CGB), will serve as the Designated Federal Officer (DFO) of the DAC, and Will Schell, Attorney Advisor, DRO, CGB, will serve as the deputy DFO of the DAC.
During the Committee’s fourth term, it is anticipated that the members of the Committee will attend a minimum of three (3) one-day plenary meetings per year, either in-person, or, if appropriate, by teleconference. In addition, as needed, working groups or subcommittees will be established to facilitate the Committee’s work between meetings of the full Committee on accessibility-related matters that include, but are not limited to: communications transitions, telecommunications relay services, emergency access, and video programming accessibility.

The DAC will hold its first meeting of the fourth term on Thursday, February 18, 2021, at 1:30 p.m. The meeting will be held remotely, with video and audio coverage at www.fcc.gov/live. DAC members will discuss (i) the roles and responsibilities of the Committee and its members; (ii) issues that the Committee will address; (iii) meeting schedules; and (iv) any other topics relevant to the DAC’s work. The meeting will be led by the DAC co-chairs: Brian Scarpelli, Senior Policy Counsel of ACT | The App Association, and Isidore Niyongabo, Director of Advocacy and Public Engagement of National Black Deaf Advocates.
The DAC may also receive briefings from Commission staff on issues of interest to the Committee and may discuss topics of interest to the Committee, including, but not limited to, matters concerning communications transitions, telecommunications relay services, emergency access, and video programming accessibility. This agenda may be modified at the discretion of the DAC Chairs and Designated Federal Officer (DFO).

The DAC meeting will be open to the public and has been moved to a wholly electronic format due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During the meeting, members of the public may submit questions and comments to the DAC via email: [email protected]. These comments or questions may be addressed during the public comment period.

Open captioning will be provided for this event. Other reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities are available upon request. Requests for such accommodations should be submitted via e-mail to [email protected] or by calling the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau (CGB) at (202) 418-0530 (voice). Such requests should include a detailed description of the accommodation needed and specify how the FCC should contact the requester if more information is needed to fill the request. Please provide at least five business days’ advance notice of accommodation requests; last-minute requests will be accepted but may not be possible to accommodate.

To obtain further information about the Committee, visit www.fcc.gov/dac, or contact: Debra Patkin, DFO, (202) 870-5226, or [email protected]; or Will Schell, Deputy DFO, (202) 418-0767.

MEMBERS OF THE DISABILITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE
FOURTH TERM

Debra Patkin, Designated Federal Officer
Will Schell, Deputy Designated Federal Officer

Co-Chairs:

Brian Scarpelli, Senior Global Policy Counsel
ACT | The App Association

Isidore Niyongabo, President
National Black Deaf Advocates

Individual Name, Title, and Organization Represented:

Brian Scarpelli, Senior Global Policy Counsel
ACT | The App Association

Clark Rachfal, Director of Advocacy and Governmental Affairs
Alternate: Anthony Stephens, Director of Development
American Council of the Blind

Sarah Malaier, Public Policy and Research Advisor
Alternate: Stephanie Enyart, Chief Public Policy and Research Officer
American Foundation for the Blind

Maria Kirby, Senior Policy Counsel
Alternate: Sarah Herrlinger, Director, Global Accessibility Policy and Initiatives
Apple, Inc.

Abe Rafi
Senior Director, Technology Strategy & Programs
The Arc

Linda Vandeloop, Assistant Vice President, External Affairs and Regulatory
Alternate: Susan Mazrui, Director of Public Policy
AT&T

Wendy Sapp, Director of Research
Alternate: Matthew Kaplowitz, President/CEO
Bridge Multimedia Corporation

Mark Hill, President
Cerebral Palsy and Deaf Organization

Carl Richardson, Member of Mayor’s Commission for Persons with Disabilities Advisory Board
City of Boston

Michael Strecker, Vice President of Regulatory and Strategic Policy
Alternate: Matthew Palmer, Senior Compliance Manger
ClearCaptions

Thomas Wlodkowski, Vice President, Accessibility and Multicultural Technology and Product, Comcast
Alternate: Angela Ball, Vice President, Regulatory Affairs, NBCUniversal
Alternate: Jerry Parkins, Senior Director of Technology and Standards, Comcast Cable
Alternate: Chris Wendt, Director of Technical Research and Development, System Engineering, Comcast Cable
Comcast Corporation and NBCUniversal Media, LLC

Juli Robinson, Vice President, CSD Contact Centers
Alternate: Pat Myers, President, CSD Global Contact Centers
Communications Service for the Deaf, Inc.

Rachel Nemeth, Senior Director, Regulatory Affairs
Alternate: Jamie Susskind, Vice President, Policy and Regulatory Affairs
Consumer Technology Association

Amanda Montgomery, Chief Legal Officer
Convo Communications, LLC

Kara Graves, Assistant Vice President, Regulatory Affairs
Alternate: Sarah Leggin, Director, Regulatory Affairs
CTIA – the Wireless Association

George Stern, Vice President
Alternate: Divya Goel, Member
DeafBlind Citizens in Action

Maria Victoria Diaz, President
Alternate: Judy Mathews, Dicapta Advisory Committee Member
Dicapta

Beth Slough, Director of Account Management and Compliance Manager
Alternate: Dixie Ziegler, Vice President of Relay
Hamilton Relay, Inc.

Lise Hamlin, Director of Public Policy
Alternate: Barbara Kelley, Executive Director
Hearing Loss Association of America

Mary Jo Mueller, Accessibility Standards Program Manager
Alternate: Pamela Siebert, Software Engineer
IBM

Cristina O. Duarte, Director of Regulatory Affairs
Alternate: Joseph C. Duarte, Co-Chief Executive Officer
Mezmo Corporation dba InnoCaption

Travis Dougherty, Maryland Relay Manager
Alternate: Rebecca Rosenthal, Telecommunications Resources Program Manager, State of North Carolina Division of Services for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
National Association for State Relay Administration

Joshua N. Pila, General Counsel, Local Media and Video, Meredith Corporation
Alternate: Larry Walke, Associate General Counsel, National Association of Broadcasters
National Association of Broadcasters

Zainab Alkebsi, Policy Counsel
Alternate: Howard Rosenblum, Chief Executive Officer
National Association of the Deaf

Isidore Niyongabo, President
Alternate: Usherla DeBerry, Director of Advocacy and Public Engagement
National Black Deaf Advocates

Richard Ray, Accessibility Committee Member
National Emergency Number Association

Everette Bacon, President of the National Federation of the Blind of Utah and National Board Member
National Federation of the Blind

Jared S. Sher, Chief Counsel, Program Network Policy & Deputy General Counsel
Alternate: Jacqueline Clary, Vice President and Associate Counsel, Program Network Policy
Alternate: Radhika Bhat, Vice President & Associate General Counsel
NCTA – The Internet & Television Association

Kristyn Leigh, Manager, Massachusetts & Rhode Island, National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program
Alternate: Marcia Brooks, Director, Perkins National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program
Perkins School for the Blind

Michael D. Maddix, Director of Government and Regulatory Affairs
Alternate: Bruce Peterson, Vice President of Government and Community Relations at CaptionCall
Sorenson Communications, LLC

Eric Kaika, Chief Executive Officer, Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Inc.
Alternate: Blake Reid, Clinical Professor, Director, Samuelson-Glushko Technology Law & Policy Clinic, Colorado Law
Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Inc.

Shellie Blakeney, Director, Government Affairs Department
Alternate: Dennis Selznick, Business Development Manager
T-Mobile US, Inc.

Zachary Bastian, Manager, Strategic Alliances
Alternate: Ian Dillner, Associate General Counsel and Director, Federal Regulatory
Verizon Communications, Inc.

Gregory Hlibok, Chief Legal Officer
Alternate: Mark Stern, Director, Product Management
ZP Better Together, LLC

 

 

Ex Officio Federal Government Representatives (Non-Voting Members)

Timothy P. Creagan, Senior Accessibility Specialist
Alternate: Bruce Bailey, Accessibility IT Specialist
U.S. Access Board

Brianne Burger, Director and Liaison to the Special Institutions
Alternate: Tara Courchaine, Education Program Specialist
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services

Stephen Bauer, Program Officer, National Institute on Disability Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research
Alternate: Lisa Bothwell, Program Analyst, Office of Policy Analysis and Development
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Community Living

Aaron Kubey, Communications Access Specialist, External Affairs
Alternate: Gay Jones, Strategic Communications Access Specialist, Office of Disability Integration and Coordination
U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency 

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