1193.43(d) Availability of auditory information
Explanation
Provide auditory information through at least one mode in visual form and, where appropriate, in tactile form.
Strategies
1. Individuals who have hearing disabilities are unable to
receive auditory output, or mechanical and other sounds that are emitted by a
product. These sounds are often important for the safe or effective operation of
the product. Therefore, information which is presented auditorial [sic] should
be available to all users.
2. Some strategies to achieve this include the following:
- Provide a visual or tactile signal
that will attract the person's attention and alert the user to a call, page, or
other message, or to warn the user of significant
mechanical difficulties in the product.
- In portable products, a tactile signal such as vibration is often more effective
than a visual signal because a visual signal may be missed. An auxiliary
vibrating signaler might be effective if it is not readily achievable or
effective to build vibration into a portable product.
- For stationary products, a prominent visual indicator in the field of vision
(e.g., a screen flash for a computer, or a flashing light for a telephone) is
effective. To inform the user of the status of a process (e.g., line
status on a telephone call, power on, saving to disk, or disconnected), text
messages may be used. It is also desirable to have an image or light that is activated whenever
acoustic energy is present on a telephone line.
- Speech messages should be portrayed
simultaneously in text form and displayed where easily seen by the user.
Such captions should usually be verbatim and displayed long enough to be easily
read. If the product provides speech messages and the user must respond to those
messages (e.g., interactive voice response and voice mail), a TTY accessible
method of accessing the product could be provided.
- TTY to TTY long distance and message unit calls from pay telephones are often
not possible because an operator says how much money must be deposited. Technology exists to have this information displayed on
the telephone and a test installation is currently operating at the Butler plaza
on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. In addition, if the product provides interactive communication using
speech and video, it would be helpful to provide a method and channel for allowing
non-speech communication (e.g., text conversation) in parallel with the video.
- Certain operations of products make sounds that give status information,
although these sounds are not programmed signals. Examples include the whir
of an operating disk drive and the click of a key being pushed. Where
sounds of this type provide information important for operating the product,
such as a "beep" when a key is activated, provide a light or other visual
confirmation of activation.
Features that Address this Guideline
Caller ID on Call Waiting.
Speech recognition of incoming spoken content.
Text communication option.
Vibrating alert.