Celebrating a 30-Year Evolution for Accessible Communications

One of the many things we take for granted in life is the ability to make a simple phone call.  For tens of millions of individuals who were deaf, hard of hearing, deafblind, or had a speech disability thirty years ago, that was not always the case.  This all changed with the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) enacted on July 26, 1990.

Title IV of the ADA directed the Federal Communications Commission to ensure that Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS) are available to individuals with hearing and speech disabilities in the United States.  This new civil right shattered many previously insurmountable obstacles to employment, health care, emergency communications, and much more.  As a result, individuals with disabilities are now able to place calls to others directly, independently, and effectively. 

On the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, we pause to reflect on the evolution of Telecommunications Relay Servies (TRS). As a result, individuals with disabilities are now able to place calls to others directly, independently, and effectively.

[Patrick Webre is Chief of FCC's Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau]