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From: Jack.O'keeffe@f26.n129.z1.fidonet.org (Jack O'keeffe)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: ANSI A117 standard
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Date: 22 Mar 91 05:50:46 GMT
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Index Number: 14126

[This is from the Silent Talk Conference]

Wayne, these are a few points worthy of comment in the public review
draft of ANSI A117 (enroute to you via snailmail, even as we type).

4.32 Auditorium and Assembly areas.  Editorial committee had deleted
requirement for assistive listening system (ALS) where amplification
(PA system) is provided for hearies.  Also they have altered wording
of 4.32.6 to prohibit locating fixed seats served by ALS more than
more than 50 feet from stage. (50 ft. viewing distance is great for
speechreading oral presentations, but everything isn't oral, and it
may be too close for movies, sports, concerts, etc.)  Also the 50'
MAXIMUM provision could be interpreted to outlaw whole house ALS in
movie theaters, churches, etc.

4.29.5 Telephones, Equipment for HI people.  After committee rejected
reasonable proposal from AV task force, secretariat and editorial
committee went thru cycles of confusion finally reverting to the
archaic and inadequate language of the 1986 standard.  We don't
need A117 for a "magnetic field in the area of the receiver cap".
Hearing aid compatibility is now required by federal law for all
corded phones, with cordless soon to follow.  We DO need amplified
phones with minimum of +18dB, and accessible TDDs.  The draft
standard does not presently require thess, even for "accessible"
public phones.

4.10.1.4 Elevators.  A minor point perhaps, but shouldn't the visible
signals provide all the same information that audible signals give?
Wouldn't it be nice to know whether the elevator is going up or down
before boarding it?

4.26.3 Visual Alarms.  This is a well researched proposal developed
by ATBCB based on work done by Applied Concepts.  There was opposition
in committee from NATO (no not the NATO you thought, this was the
National Association of Theater Owners), but the proposal was adopted
after a bit of struggle.  Opposition may re-surface, so affirmative
comments on this item would be most appropriate.

A117 standard is open for comments until April 22.  Whatever is
adopted, we'll be stuck with for the next five years.  Remember the
disability advocates are outnumbered 3:1 in the voting membership
of the committee, so we must depend on comments to make our
position known.  So everybody speak out - NOW!

... lllegitimii non Carborundum!

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