FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                          CR
TUESDAY, JUNE 24, 1997                             (202) 616-2765
                                               TDD (202) 514-1888
                                 
NEW YORK COUNTY ENTERS INTO AGREEMENT WITH JUSTICE DEPARTMENT TO
         ENSURE 9-1-1 SERVICES FOR PERSONS WHO ARE DEAF

     WASHINGTON, D.C.  People who are deaf, hard of hearing, or
who have speech impairments will be able to communicate
effectively with 9-1-1 emergency operators in the Buffalo area,
under an agreement signed today by the Justice Department and
Erie County, New York.

     Today's agreement stems from a Justice Department review of
the Erie County 9-1-1 center, begun in fall 1996, and sets forth
steps the county will take to ensure that people who are deaf,
hard of hearing, or who have speech impairments are able to
access the emergency system.   

     Because 9-1-1 services are so critical, the Justice
Department has made access to services for users of telecommuni-
cations 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).
  
     "Access to emergency services can mean the difference
between life and death," said Acting Assistant Attorney General
Isabelle Katz Pinzler.  "We are pleased with Erie County's
cooperation in working with us to ensure that all the citizens in
the Buffalo community 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.

     Under today's agreement, Erie County will ensure that the
services provided to individuals who use TDDs are as effective as
those provided to others.  They will:

*    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 Erie
County 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 Department has intervened in a
private lawsuit involving the District of Columbia's 9-1-1
emergency services provider.

     Today, the Justice Department also reached a similar
agreement with North Charleston County, South Carolina to ensure
the 9-1-1 service there complies with the federal law.

     The Department's ADA Home Page and the ADA hotline 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.  The ADA hotline is
(800) 514-0301 (voice) and (800) 514-0308 (TDD).

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