Update: IFE Accessibility for Sensory-Impaired Passengers
Share
Dear APEX Members,
This is to provide you with an update on the status of the APEX White Paper titled “Current and Future State of Airline Industry Capabilities to Deliver Closed Captions for Video Content” that was submitted to the U.S. Department of Transportation last November (2014) in response to certain specific questions that DOT had raised with us. The DOT, as it had done previously in 2006, declared in 2013 its intention to issue rules that would require that video content on aircraft flying in and out of the U.S. be closed captioned. In response, APEX researched and developed the white paper.
As previously reported to you, shortly after the White Paper was submitted DOT advised that the document had been reviewed by the agency and that it definitely covered the subjects in which they are interested. DOT indicated that it would be responding to APEX with questions and we originally anticipated that these would be forthcoming early in 2015.
This week we learned that staff shortages at DOT have slowed their review process considerably, including the need for an economist to assess the economic impact of any rulemaking. In addition, the government’s ability to issue proposed and new rulemakings in general are being hampered by staff shortages at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). DOT has provided no timeframe for when it might get back to APEX and move forward with a rulemaking process. We will continue to monitor this situation and report on new developments.
In the meantime, the Closed Caption Working Group (CCWG) of the APEX Technology Committee will continue its initiatives under CCWG chair Jon Norris and APEX Technical Director Bryan Rusenko to establish updated specifications for the delivery of closed captions in IFE.
The TC and the CCWG welcome the input and participation of APEX members in these initiatives.
Sincerely,
Russ Lemieux
APEX Executive Director
Michael Childers
APEX Board Member
Chair, APEX Technology Committee