Broadband is a transformative technology that means as much, if not more, for people with disabilities
Universal Service and the Disability Community:The Need for Ubiquitous Broadband Deployment
Frank G. Bowe, Ph.D., LL.D.
Dr. Mervin Livingston Schloss Distinguished Professor at Hofstra
School of Education and Allied Human Services
223 Hagedorn Hall, 119 Hofstra University
Hempstead, NY 11549-1190
Frank.G.Bowe@hofstra.edu
516-463-5782
This paper explores the need to expand the base of universal service to include broadband, which has become vital for the disability community. Universal service is the bedrock upon which functionally equivalent service for Americans with disabilities has developed. Relay services, accessibility of telecommunications equipment, and hearing-aid compatibility all rest upon the universal service doctrine that was first articulated in the Communications Act of 1934. Today, however, the high-speed, always-on, voice/video data services known as broadband increasingly are required for full and equal access to communications for people with disabilities. Universal service does not reach broadband services and products. Bridging the gap, that is, extending universal service to encompass broadband, will require legislation. This paper explores the benefits of taking that step, including those related to independent living, social interaction, health care, and employment.
For people with disabilities broadband:
- Fosters Effective Communication
- Interpreting Revolutions - Presence of Interpreters: Remote interpreting, an innovative and effective mode of interpreting, has been developed with the assistance of high-speed communications and low-cost digital cameras. Broadband is necessary in this transaction because it provides a sharp and clear image.
- Broadband-based video relay services (VRS) -- These calls connect deaf to hearing and hearing to deaf callers. They enrich daily lives because more than 80% of all Americans who are deaf have hearing parents and/or siblings, many of whom never learned to sign fluently. VRS, too, supports the participation of deaf individuals in conference calls, facilitating employment at middle and upper levels of management.
- Peer-to-Peer signing -- With the use of two-way broadband video, people with hearing disabilities are able communicate in a more clear and visual manner. With broadband, individuals who have may not be literate in e-mail or instant messaging benefit from the visual services of peer-to-peer signing.
- Searchable Text: Broadband technology offers a practical solution for the large amounts of bandwidth that are required for text conversion to audio so that it can be navigated by someone who has vision impairments.
- Expands Opportunities for Employment
- Many people with disabilities do not work because of mobility issues, hearing or vision disabilities and hostile work environments that are not accommodating to the disability community. VoIP, assistive technology devices, video services and other technological advances that broadband supports expand employment opportunities and make it easier for people with disabilities to be more productive and effective in the work place. Broadband could help to generate a larger work force which would create enormous economic benefits for the United States. An increased labor force will mean higher output for the economy as a whole and fewer citizens would have to rely on entitlement and social programs for support.
- Provides Substantial Health Care Benefits
As broadband services continue to evolve, their impact on the disability community and health care costs is likely to be substantial and valuable. Developments like telemedicine, which make it possible for the delivery of healthcare remotely, have a huge impact for the disability community. Specialists who are geographically removed from patients can view very high-quality images, enabling them to consult on specialized care even for rural residents who have disabilities.
- Live more vibrant and independent lives: Some of the most effective tele-medicine applications are home health monitoring and support for self-care. Health monitoring can come in the form of broadband-enabled hand-held devices that enable health practitioners to communicate with their clients at home. These devices will "conduct dialogues" with the patients, ask questions and provide health tips and reminders. In this way, doctors can monitor their patients daily and assess their need for treatment. Small portable or wearable devices are also used to automatically monitor the health of a patient and report back to the doctor's office results. In addition, patient to doctor video conferencing technologies are an effective way to save time and create independence for both patients and doctors. With high-speed video visits and remote consultation, the health professional can examine the patient, test blood pressure, monitor medication intake and observe wound healing among a host of other services.
- Reduction in health care costs: We can anticipate very substantial cost savings with the accelerated deployment of broadband in the U.S. -- 98 billion by 2039 under existing policies. If broadband deployment is accelerated, individuals with disabilities could save an extra $39 billion, bringing the total to $137 billion in medical costs savings
- Improve the Quality of Life for People with Disabilities
Broadband creates communication links, connecting people with disabilities to diverse programs and services and developing important interactions with the surrounding world. Because of broadband, people with disabilities can participate in lifelong learning, independent living and increase their social interactions.- Lifelong Learning: Distance learning, enabled by broadband, can fundamentally change the definition of education. Through advanced communication technologies, individuals with disabilities can earn a degree through online classes and enhance their career skills with guidance from live instructors. For those individuals with disabilities interested in other forms of lifelong learning, broadband provides a medium for self education and personal research through assistive devices and services. Education and lifelong e-learning opportunities provide engaging mental stimulation and a sense of self-reliance. Yet, broadband is needed for valuable e-learning so that it can be conducted in various forms including video or other rich multimedia applications.
- Independent Living: Individuals with disabilities gain immense freedom when they have access to broadband. It enables them to live independently by supporting their daily activities and keeping them closely connected to the outside world. In addition, tele-presence, or having a "continuous window open into another space" drastically improves capabilities for independent living with the option to be online at all times.
- Social Interaction: Whether due to physical or environmental barriers, individuals with disabilities can be disconnected for long periods of time. With high-speed broadband access, people with disabilities could participate in online dialogues and make long-lasting friendships. Also, they could communicate frequently with friends and family in various text and video platforms, enhancing the emotional bandwidth between loved ones. Lastly, broadband would provide individuals with disabilities the opportunity to participate more fluidly in civic activities, like attending town meetings.
Market Forces are not enough to Accelerate Rapid Deployment of Broadband
- A majority of people with disabilities cannot afford high-cost broadband services, although they may be the one community that would benefit the most from its connectivity.
- A 2006 GAO study revealed that approximately 1 out of 10 households with incomes below $30,000 reported having broadband access, while broadband connections were in 6 out of every 10 households with incomes over $100,000. The cost of broadband is keeping low-income individuals on the outskirts of advanced technology benefits.
Universal service is the mechanism that would equalize telecommunications for individuals with disabilities. Universal service today provides funding for traditional phone lines because policymakers understood the necessity of phones in everyone's life, even those who could not afford it. Today, the Internet, and most prominently broadband, is the communication lifeline of choice. Policymakers have an obligation to include broadband in the universal service fund and regard it as a lifeline.
Making high-speed broadband universally available will take a major commitment from the public and policymakers. Broadband services are no longer a convenience, but an essential part of Americans’ daily lives. Policymakers need to act now to:
- Bring universal service in line with the realities and needs of our digital society,
- Continue support for relay services that are critical to people with communication-related disabilities, notably including broadband-enabled VRS,
- Ensure that all telecommunication devices are accessible to and usable by people with disabilities, including not only the traditional products that are covered by section 255 but the advanced devices and services that now escape those rules.
- Subsidize accessible and useable telecommunication devices for people with disabilities, notably including SCPE.