Telecommunications Relay Services, and the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990

Notice is hereby given that in an Order on Telecommunications Relay Services (``TRS'') and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (``Order''), CC Docket No. 90-571, adopted on August 20, 1997 and released on August 21, 1997, the Common Carrier Bureau (``Bureau'') suspended enforcement of the requirement that the TRS be capable of handling coin sent-paid calls for one additional year until August 26, 1998. Because the existing technology to provide coin sent-paid calls through the TRS centers has serious deficiencies and no technological solution appears imminent, the Bureau recommended that the Commission conduct a rulemaking during the one year suspension to gather information sufficient to ensure that the Commission's final decision on whether the TRS must be capable of handling coin sent-paid calls is based on a complete and fresh record. During the suspension period, the Bureau directed carriers to continue to make payphones accessible to TRS users under the ``Alternative Plan.'' The Alternative Plan has enabled TRS users to make relay calls from payphones using alternative payment methods since 1995 and has educated TRS users about their abilities to make such calls. In addition, because parties disagree over the effectiveness of the Alternative Plan, the Bureau directed carriers to comply with several additional consumer education requirements designed to improve TRS users' awareness of their ability to make relay calls from payphones.