public

accommodation.

the

We hope and believe that it is committees ' intent to remove as many of these discriminatory barriers as are within their reach. To enhance chances of coming about, we make the following recommendations:

1. At Section 8(h)(3)(A) TYPES OF REQUIREMENTS--add
"hearing aid-compatible telephones." This will assure
that places of public accomodation, transportation
terminals and facilities, employers and others will
provide usable voice telephones to patrons, travelers
and employees, thereby rectifying present serious

discrimination.

2. At Section 8(h)(3)(C)--Please make stronger the
language requiring assistive listening systems,
particularly induction loop amplification (ILA).
People who need and use telecoil-equipped hearing aids
in order to hear in hearing rooms and other facilities
where public business is conducted and decided upon,
conference rooms, auditoria, theaters, houses of
worship, etc. are denied access to these places by the
absence of assistive listening systems. ILA is the
least expensive of the more desirable systems and the
only system which can be used without an external
receiver. The listener merely flips the hearing aid
switch from M (microphone)
to T (telephone) and
receives a clear, sharp signal. External ILA
receivers are available for people who do not have
telecoil-equipped aids. (See attachment B)

3. At Section 8(h) (3) (E)--delete "handsets" at end of
paragraph. Amplifiers no longer are confined to
handsets: one piece phones have built-in amplifiers,
public payphones have case-mounted amplifiers; many
phones still use amplifier handsets. The use of
"telephone handsets" will limit the applicability of
the provision. (See attachment C)

4. We urge you to consider some such word as
"effective" or "required" or "necessary" in place of
"reasonable" when used in the phrase "reasonable
accommodation." "Reasonable" gives to anti-consumer
regulatory agencies broad leeway for interpretation.
In some cases, you will find your actual intent
thwarted by convoluted interpretation which barely
stays within the letter of the law. The legislation
needs a more specific and stronger word than
"reasonable."

this

In summary, we urge you to make more specific, at least as

(Note: In the interest of economy, appendix material accompanying this statement was retained in the files of the committee.)

Senator HARKIN. The hearing will be adjourned. We will see you early next year, when we really start moving this.

[Whereupon, at 1:06 p.m., the subcommittee hearing was adjourned.]Folios 174 to 176 Insert here

O

OVERSIGHT HEARING ON H.R. 4498, AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT OF 1988

HEARING

BEFORE THE

SUBCOMMITTEE ON SELECT EDUCATION

OF THE

COMMITTEE ON

EDUCATION AND LABOR
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

ONE HUNDREDTH CONGRESS

SECOND SESSION

HEARING HELD IN BOSTON, MA, OCTOBER 24, 1988

Serial No. 100-109

Printed for the use of the Committee on Education and Labor

91-523

U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

WASHINGTON: 1989

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, Congressional Sales Office
U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402

COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND LABOR

AUGUSTUS F. HAWKINS, California, Chairman

SUBCOMMITTEE ON SELECT EDUCATION

MAJOR R. OWENS, New York, Chairman