02/01/02 -  2002 Blue Book on its Way!!!
                Let the FCC Know About Your Experiences with Section 255

2002 Blue Book on its Way!!!

TDI is pleased to announce that the 2002 National TTY Directory and Resource
Guide is now on its way from the printers to our members and subscribers who
have supported TDI in the past year.  Commonly referred to as the Blue Book,
TDI has provided this extensive collection of contact information for
individuals, businesses, organizations and government agencies for 34 years.
In 1968, the Blue Book was first published with only 174 TTY listings in
America.  Today, our listings span the globe from the United States and
Canada throughout Europe, Asia and South America.  The 35,000 plus listings
represent the wide variety of telecommunication methods we enjoy today such
as fax, e-mail, web addresses, pagers, and now for the first time, Instant
Messaging, or IM.

The Blue Pages is divided into four sections with chronologies on the
history of TDI, Telecommunications Access, Media Access and Policy/Advocacy.
In the heart of the Resource Guide is our expanded listing of TRS numbers -
five pages, including a separate page for Spanish TTY users.  Find your
favorite national consumer group in our revamped National Organizations
list. The ever-popular FCC Glossary of Telecommunications Terms concludes
the Resource Guide.

The 2002 Blue Book is also available for sale at the retail price of $20
plus shipping.  Individuals with active memberships or are renewing their
membership with TDI may purchase extra copies of the Blue Book for half
price at $10.  Corporations and agencies may purchase them for $15 either as
an active subscriber or as part of their renewal.  You may download and
print order forms from www.tdi-online.org. Individuals and
businesses/agencies wishing to join or renew their membership or
subscription, please click on HOW TO JOIN.  Others wishing to purchase the
Blue Book alone without membership or subscription, please click on
PUBLICATIONS.

Let the FCC Know About Your Experiences with Section 255

Have you recently tried to buy a phone or some other telecommunication
product or services?  Were you able to find a device that meets your needs
or a service that you can fully use?  Did you know that there is a law that
requires telecommunications products and services to be accessible to people
with disabilities if readily acheivable?  It is called Section 255 of the
Telecommunications Act of 1996.

Examples:

1 - Were you able to buy a digital cell phone and make voice AND text calls
     using your hearing aid or TTY?
2 - Were you able to call your bank via TTY or via relay and get the services you
     needed easily through their interactive menu?
3 - Were you able to order new or additional service from any phone company
     large or small?
4 - When someone calls your home, were you able to use your caller ID?
5 - Were you able to understand your telephone bill - is it clear?

If you have had a good experience, please let us know.  If you had any type
of problem using new telecommunications products and services, the Federal
Communications Commission needs to hear from you.  Please send your comments and mention that it is related to Section 255 to fccinfo@fcc.gov AND send a copy to info@tdi-online.org.

Below is an excerpt from the FCC Consumer Fact Sheet on Section 255 at
www.fcc.gov/cib/consumerfacts/section255.html

How Can Consumers File a Section 255 Complaint with the FCC?

Although Section 255 does not permit consumers to file Section 255
complaints in the federal courts, consumers may file informal or formal
Section 255 complaints with the FCC. Informal complaints may be given to the
FCC by any reasonable means, including letter, fax, voice or TTY, e-mail,
audiocassette recording, and Braille. Although there is no time limit for
filing complaints, consumers should try to file shortly after they discover
the access problem. Informal complaints should include the following
information:

· Name and address of the person complaining;
· Name and address of the manufacturer or service provider;
· Details about the equipment or service about which the complaint is made;
· Date the equipment or service was purchased, acquired or used, or the
       complainant attempted to purchase, acquire, or use the item;
· Statement of facts supporting the allegation that the item is not accessible;
· The specific relief requested; and
· The complainant's preferred method of response (from the company)
       - e.g., letter, fax, TTY, Braille, etc.

If a consumer wishes to file a formal complaint, he or she must (1) certify
that a good faith effort has been made to work out the problem with the
company and (2) submit detailed, factual, and legal documents in support of
his or her position.

The FCC has the authority to impose a variety of penalties against companies
that do not comply with Section 255, including damages (against common
carriers only), license revocations, cease and desist orders, and
retrofitting in extreme cases. A company required to retrofit a product
would need to go back and make the product accessible to people with
disabilities.

Is There a Way for Consumers to Contact Manufacturers and Service Providers
about Access Concerns?

Although not required to do so, consumers may wish to first contact a
manufacturer or service provider before bringing a complaint to the FCC.
Under the FCC's rules, manufacturers and service providers have provided the
FCC with contact information for the individuals and offices within their
companies that are responsible for handling accessibility concerns and
grievances. Consumers can find this contact information on the FCC's
Disability Rights Office Web site at www.fcc.gov/cib/dro/section255.html.

For further information about Section 255 or other disability issues, please
visit the FCC's Disabilities Rights Office (DRO) Web site at
www.fcc.gov/cib/dro. Requests for written materials or alternate formats can
be sent by mail to: The Federal Communications Commission, Consumer
Information Bureau, 445 12th Street, SW, Washington, DC 20554, or emailed to
fccinfo@fcc.gov. Additionally, you can call the Commission's toll-free
Consumer Center, 1-888-225-5322 (voice), 1-202-418-0189 (TTY), to place your
request by phone.

Consumer Information Bureau
445 12th Street, SW
Washington, DC 20554
1-888-CALL-FCC (1-888-225-5322) voice
1-888-TELL-FCC (1-888-835-5322) TTY
www.fcc.gov/cib