Goto Section: 68.110 | 68.160 | Table of Contents
FCC 68.112
Revised as of October 1, 2008
Goto Year:2007 |
2009
Sec. 68.112 Hearing aid-compatibility.
(a) Coin telephones. All new and existing coin-operated telephones, whether
located on public property or in a semi-public location (e.g., drugstore,
gas station, private club).
(b) Emergency use telephones. Telephones “provided for emergency use”
include the following:
(1) Telephones, except headsets, in places where a person with a hearing
disability might be isolated in an emergency, including, but not limited to,
elevators, highways, and tunnels for automobile, railway or subway, and
workplace common areas.
Note to paragraph(b)(1): Examples of workplace common areas include
libraries, reception areas and similar locations where employees are
reasonably expected to congregate.
(2) Telephones specifically installed to alert emergency authorities,
including, but not limited to, police or fire departments or medical
assistance personnel.
(3) Telephones, except headsets, in workplace non-common areas. Note:
Examples of workplace non-common areas include private enclosed offices,
open area individual work stations and mail rooms. Such non-common area
telephones are required to be hearing aid compatible, as defined in Sec. 68.316,
by January 1, 2000, except for those telephones located in establishments
with fewer than fifteen employees; and those telephones purchased between
January 1, 1985 through December 31, 1989, which are not required to be
hearing aid compatible, as defined in Sec. 68.316, until January 1, 2005.
(i) Telephones, including headsets, made available to an employee with a
hearing disability for use by that employee in his or her employment duty,
shall, however, be hearing aid compatible, as defined in Sec. 68.316.
(ii) As of January 1, 2000 or January 1, 2005, whichever date is applicable,
there shall be a rebuttable presumption that all telephones located in the
workplace are hearing aid compatible, as defined in Sec. 68.316. Any person who
identifies a telephone as non-hearing aid-compatible, as defined in Sec. 68.316,
may rebut this presumption. Such telephone must be replaced within fifteen
working days with a hearing aid compatible telephone, as defined in Sec. 68.316,
including, on or after January 1, 2000, with volume control, as defined in
Sec. 68.317.
(iii) Telephones, not including headsets, except those headsets furnished
under paragraph (b)(3)(i) of this section, that are purchased, or replaced
with newly acquired telephones, must be:
(A) Hearing aid compatible, as defined in Sec. 68.316, after October 23, 1996;
and
(B) Include volume control, as defined in Sec. 68.317, on or after January 1,
2000.
(iv) When a telephone under paragraph (b)(3)(iii) of this section is
replaced with a telephone from inventory existing before October 23, 1996,
any person may make a bona fide request that such telephone be hearing aid
compatible, as defined in Sec. 68.316. If the replacement occurs on or after
January 1, 2000, the telephone must have volume control, as defined in
Sec. 68.317. The telephone shall be provided within fifteen working days.
(v) During the period from October 23, 1996, until the applicable date of
January 1, 2000 or January 1, 2005, workplaces of fifteen or more employees
also must provide and designate telephones for emergency use by employees
with hearing disabilities through one or more of the following means:
(A) By having at least one coin-operated telephone, one common area
telephone or one other designated hearing aid compatible telephone within a
reasonable and accessible distance for an individual searching for a
telephone from any point in the workplace; or
(B) By providing wireless telephones that meet the definition for hearing
aid compatible for wireline telephones, as defined in Sec. 68.316, for use by
employees in their employment duty outside common areas and outside the
offices of employees with hearing disabilities.
(4) All credit card operated telephones, whether located on public property
or in a semipublic location (e.g., drugstore, gas station, private club),
unless a hearing aid compatible (as defined in Sec. 68.316) coin-operated
telephone providing similar services is nearby and readily available.
However, regardless of coin-operated telephone availability, all credit card
operated telephones must be made hearing aid-compatible, as defined in
Sec. 68.316, when replaced, or by May 1, 1991, which ever comes sooner.
(5) Telephones needed to signal life threatening or emergency situations in
confined settings, including but not limited to, rooms in hospitals,
residential health care facilities for senior citizens, and convalescent
homes:
(i) A telephone that is hearing aid compatible, as defined in Sec. 68.316, is
not required until:
(A) November 1, 1997, for establishments with fifty or more beds, unless
replaced before that time; and
(B) November 1, 1998, for all other establishments with fewer than fifty
beds, unless replaced before that time.
(ii) Telephones that are purchased, or replaced with newly acquired
telephones, must be:
(A) Hearing aid compatible, as defined in Sec. 68.116, after October 23, 1996;
and
(B) Include volume control, as defined in Sec. 68.317, on or after January 1,
2000.
(iii) Unless a telephone in a confined setting is replaced pursuant to
paragraph (b)(5)(ii) of this section, a hearing aid compatible telephone
shall not be required if:
(A) A telephone is both purchased and maintained by a resident for use in
that resident's room in the establishment; or
(B) The confined setting has an alternative means of signalling
life-threatening or emergency situations that is available, working and
monitored.
(6) Telephones in hotel and motel guest rooms, and in any other
establishment open to the general public for the purpose of overnight
accommodation for a fee. Such telephones are required to be hearing aid
compatible, as defined in Sec. 68.316, except that, for establishments with
eighty or more guest rooms, the telephones are not required to be hearing
aid compatible, as defined in Sec. 68.316, until November 1, 1998; and for
establishments with fewer than eighty guest rooms, the telephones are not
required to be hearing aid compatible, as defined in Sec. 68.316, until November
1, 1999.
(i) Anytime after October 23, 1996, if a hotel or motel room is renovated or
newly constructed, or the telephone in a hotel or motel room is replaced or
substantially, internally repaired, the telephone in that room must be:
(A) Hearing aid compatible, as defined in Sec. 68.316, after October 23, 1996;
and
(B) Include volume control, as defined in Sec. 68.317, on or after January 1,
2000.
(ii) The telephones in at least twenty percent of the guest rooms in a hotel
or motel must be hearing aid compatible, as defined in Sec. 68.316, as of April
1, 1997.
(iii) Notwithstanding the requirements of paragraph (b)(6) of this section,
hotels and motels which use telephones purchased during the period January
1, 1985 through December 31, 1989 may provide telephones that are hearing
aid compatible, as defined in Sec. 68.316, in guest rooms according to the
following schedule:
(A) The telephones in at least twenty percent of the guest rooms in a hotel
or motel must be hearing aid compatible, as defined in Sec. 68.316, as of April
1, 1997;
(B) The telephones in at least twenty-five percent of the guest rooms in a
hotel or motel must be hearing aid compatible, as defined in Sec. 68.316, by
November 1, 1999; and
(C) The telephones in one-hundred percent of the guest rooms in a hotel or
motel must be hearing aid compatible, as defined in Sec. 68.316, by January 1,
2001 for establishments with eighty or more guest rooms, and by January 1,
2004 for establishments with fewer than eighty guest rooms.
(c) Telephones frequently needed by the hearing impaired. Closed circuit
telephones, i.e., telephones which cannot directly access the public
switched network, such as telephones located in lobbies of hotels or
apartment buildings; telephones in stores which are used by patrons to order
merchandise; telephones in public transportation terminals which are used to
call taxis or to reserve rental automobiles, need not be hearing aid
compatible, as defined in Sec. 68.316, until replaced.
[ 49 FR 1362 , Jan. 11, 1984, as amended at 55 FR 28763 , July 13, 1990; 57 FR 27183 , June 18, 1992; 61 FR 42186 , Aug. 14, 1996; 61 FR 42392 , Aug. 15,
1996; 62 FR 43484 , Aug. 14, 1997; 62 FR 51064 , Sep. 30, 1997]
Goto Section: 68.110 | 68.160
Goto Year: 2007 |
2009
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