FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                          CR
TUESDAY, JUNE 24, 1997                             (202) 616-2765
                                               TDD (202) 514-1888
                                 
     SOUTH CAROLINA COUNTY REACHES AGREEMENT WITH THE JUSTICE
   DEPARTMENT TO ENSURE 9-1-1 SERVICES FOR PERSONS WHO ARE DEAF
                                 
     WASHINGTON, D.C.--Calls to 9-1-1 by people who are deaf,
hard of hearing, or who have speech impairments will no longer go
unanswered in Charleston, South Carolina under an agreement
reached today between North Charleston County and the Justice
Department.

     Today's agreement stems from a Justice Department review of
the 9-1-1 agency in North Charleston, which serves six 9-1-1
providers in Charleston.  Because 9-1-1 services are so critical,
the Justice Department has made access to emergency services for
users of telecommunications devices for the deaf (TDDs) a high
priority.  It has implemented a nationwide review program to
determine if the services are complying with the requirements of
the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). 
  
     "When a 9-1-1 call goes unanswered, it may mean the
difference between life and death," said Acting Assistant
Attorney General Isabelle Katz Pinzler.  "We are pleased with
Charleston's cooperation in working with us to ensure that all of
its citizens have full access to critical services."

     A TDD is a device used in a similar manner as a telephone
except that it allows individuals to type their communications
into a keyboard and read responses on a display.  Each letter is
transmitted by an electronic code over the telephone line. Both
parties must have TDDs in order to communicate. 

     In the fall of 1996, the Justice Department initiated a
compliance review of Charleston's 9-1-1 services to ascertain the
centers' ability to handle calls from individuals who use TDDs.
Under the agreements signed today, the North Charleston agency 
will ensure that the services provided to individuals who use
TDDs are as effective as those provided to others. 

     The county has agreed to:

*    install additional equipment so that each answering position
     has TDD response capability;

*    establish procedures for effective processing of TDD calls 
     and provide training for emergency dispatchers to handle TDD
     calls, including considering "silent" calls as possible
     calls from TDD users and sending out a TDD message in
     response;

*    develop and implement a public education program to promote
     the use of 9-1-1 by individuals who use TDDs; and

*    conduct semi-annual audits of the quality of service
     provided to TDD users.

     The ADA prohibits discrimination against persons with
disabilities and requires local governments to ensure that their
telephone emergency services, including 9-1-1 services, provide
direct access to individuals who use TDDs.  

     "These agreements will ensure that calls to 9-1-1 from
people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or who have speech
impairments will not go unanswered," added Pinzler.    

     The Department can seek relief in federal court if North
Charleston fails to comply with the terms of the agreement.

     The Department's nationwide compliance review program has
resulted in similar settlements in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania;
Indianapolis, Indiana; Cleveland, Ohio; Bartlesville, Oklahoma;
Hempstead, New York; Arlington Heights, Illinois; and the State
of California.  In addition, the Justice Department has
intervened in a private lawsuit involving the District of
Columbia' 9-1-1 emergency services provider.

     Today, the Justice Department also reached a similar
agreement with Erie County, New York, ensuring that the 9-1-1
emergency services in the Buffalo area comply with the law. 

     The Department has established an ADA Home Page and hotline
that provide information about the ADA and the Department's ADA
responsibilities.  The Home Page is located on the World Wide Web
at http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/adahom1.htm and the hotline can
be accessed by calling (800) 514-0301 (voice) and (800) 514-0383
(TDD).    
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