Access Board Hearings

[Splinter]

From the USA Access Board (in charge of development and implementation of ADA regulations):

 

The U.S. Access Board is pleased to announce...

a hearing concerning a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Accessibility Guidelines for Passenger Vessels.

 

This hearing will take place on July 10, 2013 from 9:30 to Noon at:

 

Access Board’s Conference Center

1331 F Street, NW

Suite 800

Washington, DC 20004

 

There are three ways you can participate in the hearing about the proposed regulations, which can be viewed here: http://www.access-board.gov :

 

• First, you may participate in person. Although we willingly accommodate “walk-in” witnesses, having a clear idea of the number of individuals we can expect allows us to better plan for the event. We strongly encourage witnesses to sign up in advance of the hearing. Those wishing to provide testimony may pre-register by emailing us at: baes@access-board.gov or calling (202) 272-0011 (v), or (202) 272-0082 (TTY). Please be advised that witnesses will be allotted approximately 5 minutes each to address the Board.

 

• Second, witnesses can “call in” their testimony. Please email the Board at: baes@access-board.gov and you will be assigned a time-slot and you will receive a toll-free number that you can call in to the hearing. When you call in, please tell the operator that you plan to provide testimony. At the appropriate time, a Board staff member will recognize you so that members of the Board can hear your testimony. Call-in witnesses will be allotted approximately 5 minutes to address the Board, just like those witnesses who are addressing the Board in person.

 

• Finally, you may “listen-in” to the hearing. The first 100 people who are unable to travel to the hearing can join via a listen-only capacity. For this listen only option, please dial: (517) 308-9247 or (888) 469-2078 (toll-free) and enter passcode: 4144. Remote Communication Access Real-time Translation (CART) will be available; on the day of the hearing go to http://www.access-board.gov/pvag for the link.

 

Access Board meetings are accessible to persons with disabilities. An assistive listening system, Communication Access Real-time Translation (CART), and sign language interpreters will be provided. Persons attending Board meetings are requested to refrain from using perfume, cologne, and other fragrances for the comfort of other participants.

[RLM77]

Thanks for this info!

[whiterose]

I sure hope this is the final public hearing. I've been waiting 15 years or more for them to do something to make cruise ships accessible. Years ago I submitted testimony and waited and waited for something to change.

 

I skimmed through all the pages of new requirements trying to pick out the tiny bit related to hearing disabilities. Not much but better than what we have now which is almost nothing. However, it seems like a lot of stuff will only be for "new" ships so some of us may never get to sail on a ship that is fully accessible.