The Federal Communications Commission last week approved one of the most important advances in communications technology for deaf and hard of hearing people in decades, in one of the agency's final acts under the leadership of outgoing FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler.
In a move that's being hailed by accessibility advocates and leaders in the deaf and hard of hearing community as a historic step forward, the five-member FCC unanimously adopted rules to facilitate the transition from outdated, analog teletype (TTY) devices to a new, internet-based, real-time text messaging standard (RTT) compatible with the latest smart phones.
As a result of the FCC's action, the nation's wireless carriers and device manufacturers will be required to support RTT functionality, which allows real-time text messaging—without the need to hit "send"—in which the recipient can instantly see letters, characters and words as they are being typed.
[...] This innovation will facilitate more natural, conversation-friendly communication for deaf and hard of hearing people—without the need for separate, specialized hardware. It will also allow 911 operators to receive incomplete messages during an emergency, potentially saving lives. RTT technology is expected to be inter-operable across wireless networks and devices, creating the potential for unprecedented ease of communication between deaf and hearing people.
(Score: 2) by NCommander on Tuesday December 20 2016, @03:53AM
Honestly, I loved living in Rochester, even with the ice and snow. It's always interesting to see how the large minority changed things; before I lived there, I'd never seen a movie theathre with open captions before, and nothing beat Henrietta Hots or Joe's Dinner (on W. Henrietta) as a late night place to go get fat and eat.
Never loved the on campus dining options, though Gracie's waffles were always quite good since you could easily load them with topics.
Still always moving