FCC declines to exclude VoIP from new accessibility rules for disabled persons

The Federal Communications Commission has declined to exclude VoIP from new disabled-person access rules for the protocol and the advanced devices that use. Exemptions or waivers from the rules had been requested by the National Cable and Telecommunications Association.

The FCC decisions, announced over the weekend, did give Cable operators additional time to implement the rules and opportunities to obtain waivers.

The rules stem from the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA). The FCC had been given a year from the Act’s October 2010 passage to come up with implementation rules.

The law reinstates video-description rules that were struck-down in a 1992 appellate court decision, and the application of closed-caption rules for on-line video.

The FCC has asked for the submission of additional comment on the need for exempting small businesses from the ruling.

The FCC made blog posts, on-line comments and social-networking site messages exempt from the new rules.

However, the agency said i will not grant “class” waivers for digital video players or other IP-enabled devices; gaming services or software.

The new rules call fro fines of up to $100,000 per day or $1 million per incident.