The FCC wants to know what's stopping accessible technology from reaching people

The rules that shape our phones and video calls are open for a fresh look, and the disability community gets a say.

The Federal Communications Commission on Oct. 29 approved a proposal to take a fresh look at its accessibility rules, so they keep up with new devices and services. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking asks how the agency can encourage accessible design early in product development, remove marketplace barriers that keep new accessibility tools from emerging, clear the way for One Device and One Number solutions for people with disabilities, and improve the accessibility of multifactor authentication.

It also asks how to increase the accessibility of customer service and the use of Direct Video Calling, and how to streamline rules that may be outdated or duplicated. This is a proposal that seeks comment. No rule has changed yet.

Multifactor authentication and customer service are on that list, and I am living why. For the last two months I have been locked out of most of my 18-plus Meta accounts, including Threads. Threads says it is going to send me a code. The code never shows up on my phone. I have spent more than 40 hours trying to get enhanced support, and I pay for Meta One Premium and have verified accounts.

Before I turned on two-factor authentication, I could move quickly between my accounts. Now when I switch, I get locked out and sent into what's called a cooldown period. I think the whole thing is made up and it's extremely frustrating.

When I do reach someone, they can only handle one account at a time. The answer I keep getting from reps is to cancel my verified service, undo the two-factor authentication and try to get verified again. That is not a solution. That's not accessibility for anyone.

One rep was really persistent and finally got through to me by phone, and we had a nice conversation, but I was told there was nothing I could do but wait out the cooldown. I even sent a DM to Instagram's head, hoping it would help. It didn't.

Therefore some two-factor authentication is just nonsense. It's nonsense.

Here is what I keep coming back to. I don't have a disability that I'm aware of that keeps me from doing this, and I have exhausted every bit I have in me and I'm still locked out. Now imagine a person who has a disability, or accessibility needs beyond mine.

Think about the puzzles where you have to find all the fire hydrants and all the buses. That is the worst level of accessibility. Then there is the one where you turn the picture until it fits the frame. Without my glasses, I cannot even do that.

There have been some system improvements overall, but what if I have a cognitive disability and I struggle to understand what tier one support is telling me? Even the AI automation support keeps repeating a script and doesn't give enough time and space for people who need more time to understand and to respond. It does not work.

Tech Equity

The accessibility piece is missing from the majority of products, especially when it comes to tech support. The FCC is asking how to make multifactor authentication and customer service more accessible, and the people who get stuck in those loops are the ones who can answer that best.

If security locks out the very people it is meant to protect, who is it working for? Will someone who needs more time, a different format, or a support person beside them be able to get back into their own account? Access, choice and dignity have to include the moment something goes wrong.

Source: fcc.gov