April 30 Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Open Meeting
The upcoming Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Open Meeting will consider a proposal to update the “Audible Text Crawl Rule” so that broadcast emergency alerts remain accessible to people who are blind or visually impaired.
Right now, broadcasters must provide an aural description of visual emergency graphics (like radar maps) on the secondary audio stream. However, no practical technical solution exists, so the FCC has been granting repeated waivers.
The new proposal would allow compliance by:
- Showing a text crawl with the same emergency information as the graphic, and
- Conveying that text aurally on the secondary audio stream.
This change would keep emergency graphics on screen for everyone while ensuring that people who are blind or have low vision still receive the same critical information.
Meeting Date: Thursday, April 30, 2026
Time: 10:30 AM Eastern Time
Watch live: FCC.gov/live
Link to Announcement of the April Open Meeting Agenda: bit.ly/4e5Ueto.
Draft of the rule: bit.ly/4cDgB73.
English