Definitions

Announcement: A message that is conveyed by the airline, the flight crew, or the cabin crew; to all passengers in order to convey information (not entertainment) relating to safety or otherwise.

Audio Announcement: An announcement conveyed solely by audio, including both Passenger Address and in-seat headset interface.

Built-in Display: Passenger-facing displays, including, but not limited to, overhead or seatback monitors.  Built-in Displays may be stowed, not operational, or not visible during taxi, takeoff/departure, approach/landing, or as a result of certain aircraft failures.  Built-in Displays offer a supplementary, or “not required means” of, conveyance for cabin announcements as a convenience to the passenger, and may not be operational under non-normal situations.

IFE: In-Flight Entertainment is an optional system, provided by the operator for the benefit of the passengers.  Built-in Displays are considered part of the IFE, as are wireless networks that communicate with passenger-owned devices.

PA Pause: From ARINC 628 Part 3: where priority is given to flight crew or cabin crew PA announcements, such that entertainment systems should pause and compel the passenger to direct their attention to the PA.

Passenger-0wned Device: A passenger may provide their own device to display text-equivalent announcements.  This device may be a smartphone, a tablet, or other portable device with a compatible wireless capability to connect to the IFE (e.g. Wi-Fi).  The passenger-owned device hosts client applications that allow the user to interact with server applications hosted by the IFE.  The passenger-owned device client announcement applications may be provided by the operator, by a third-party on behalf of the operator, or as a part of the device operating system (browser). 

PSS: Passenger Services System is provided as a basic feature of each passenger airplane.  The PSS includes Passenger Address (PA), fasten seatbelt and attendant call functions.  May be referred to as passenger services unit or cabin service system.

Audio-only PRAM: A generic term for any Pre-Recorded Announcement Machine as a function; not limited to any specific form factor or fitment.  The audio-only PRAM stores and playbacks audio announcements. The audio-only PRAM is an optional function; each operator may choose to utilize an audio-only PRAM or to not utilize an audio-only PRAM.  Audio-only PRAM installations that are not utilized by the operator for conveying cabin announcement are exempt. An audio-only PRAM would provide Text-equivalent data through a new, dedicated, separate interface than from the audio itself.

Audio/Video PRAM: A generic term for any Pre-Recorded Announcement Machine as a function; not limited to any specific form factor or fitment.  The audio/video PRAM stores and playbacks audio announcements. The audio/video PRAM is an optional function; each operator may choose to utilize an audio/video PRAM or to not utilize an audio/video PRAM.  audio/video PRAM installations that are not utilized by the operator for conveying cabin announcement are exempt. An audio/video PRAM provides Text-equivalent announcements via high contrast captioning as a part of the video feed.

Text Equivalents: Words that reflect the contents of an audio announcement, or the audio track of a video announcement.  Text equivalents should be verbatim, or as close to verbatim as possible.  In the context of video announcements, text equivalents would typically be displayed in a manner similar to closed captions on a built-in display.  Text equivalents may be presented in any suitable manner.

Uplink Cabin Announcement: Cabin Announcements that are delivered to the airplane using a radio uplink.

Video Announcement: An announcement provided through a built-in display or through a passenger-owned device.  A video announcement may include a multiple audio tracks and captions.

Cabin Announcement Task Force (CATF)

A task force will be formed as an independent entity, with representatives from airlines,  other industry stakeholders and disability rights organizations, including National Association of the Deaf,  to advance the cause of accessible cabin announcements. [1] The task force will be led by WaiFind.org (Peter Lemme).  

On or before November 15, 2017, the task force will develop and submit any consensus recommendations regarding opportunities and challenges for innovations that would enhance the accessibility of cabin announcements on board commercial aircraft. Options to be explored include, but are not limited to,

1. text display of pre-recorded announcements on existing aircraft that uses an audio and video pre-recorded announcement machine (PRAM) with a connection to overhead or seatback monitors to convey pre-recorded cabin announcements;
2. text display of pre-recorded announcements on a newly delivered aircraft and existing aircraft in order to sunset the use of audio-only PRAMs;
3. text display of pre-recorded announcements on passenger-owned devices;
4. text display of uplink announcements via ACARS/IP on seatback displays and passenger-owned devices; and
5. text display of PA announcements (such as speech-to-text recognition) on seatback displays and passenger-owned devices. 

The task force will also identify opportunities and challenges in establishing a standard interface between aircraft network and passenger-owned devices to enable interactive capability such as calling or messaging with a flight attendant.  It will evaluate trials and demonstrations to address these problems on or before November 15, 2017.  

When establishing consensus recommendations and proposed specifications, the task force will take into account costs to industry and take advantage of any cost-effective options that may be available.  To the extent consensus is not reached on any of the aforementioned matters, WaiFind.org will provide DOT a report containing the different views of the stakeholders.

If the task force is making progress but needs to continue its work after November 15, 2017, it shall submit a report of its progress to DOT on or before November 15, 2017 and indicate a revised target date for completion of its work.

DOT will review any performance criteria that are developed, consensus recommendations provided, or report prepared by this task force for possible inclusion in a new rulemaking.

[1] An announcement is defined as a message that is conveyed by the airline to passengers in order to convey information (not entertainment) relating to safety or otherwise.

Specifically:

1. Assess utility and feasibility of possible interfaces to alert and convey information to passengers. 
2. Agree upon system features and architectures
3. Assess system cybersecurity with respect to required avionics systems.
4. Assess functional hazards from any new proposed interface and how these new proposed interfaces supplement required systems onboard
5. Promote rapid prototype and trial application development
6. Develop an open-standard, abstracted, extensible wireless interface between the airplane system and the passenger device.
7. Identify necessary avionics or IFE interfaces or protocols needing new or revised standards or characteristics.
8. Agree upon expectations from existing aircraft configurations.
9. Note opportunities using the system to benefit other passengers

Interface Evaluation Criteria

Assess each Interface in the context of each Announcement with consensus high-level qualitative measures and helpful explanatory commentary.

Where necessary, create variant announcements to encompass the extent of variations in identified configurations (e.g. where the announcement may be created, communicated, triggered, alerted or conveyed in more than one means).

1)    Function: Alerting, Conveyance, not used

What purpose does this interface provide for this particular announcement?

2)    Format: Aural, Visual, Mechanical, electrical

In what manner does this interface exchange information?

3)    Language: English, Other, Icons, Numeric

What symbols are used in the interface?

4)    Programmable: Stored Fixed, Computed Locally, Computed Remotely, Computed Manually

How is the announcement programmed? 

Is is created elsewhere and stored on the airplane? 

Is it created elsewhere and sent to the airplane using a radio? 

Is the announcement created by automation onboard the airplane? 

Is the announcement created manually by a flight attendant or flight crew member?

5)    Systems Needed: Cabin Management, IFE, Air-Ground Comms

What systems are required for a given announcement?

6)    Functional Hazards: failure, malfunction, malicious acts

What are the types of hazards that may result if the announcement is not delivered, if the wrong announcement is delivered, or if the announcement is delivered late?

7)    User Benefit and Utility

How does the passenger benefit from this announcement?

Which passengers benefit?

8)    Primary regulatory basis – reliability/fallback upon interface failure, is it a required function

Is the announcement related to a required function?

If so, does the required system fulfill the required function without any new interfaces – or – does the new interface purely supplement the required equipment?

9)    Crew Involvement – Cabin Crew or Flight Crew

Is a flight or cabin crew member involved?
How does the crew member interface?

COMMENT:  Announcements occurring at certain phases of flight may be inappropriate for streaming to portable devices, particularly if they are already being provided in visual format elsewhere within the aircraft cabin.  For safety reasons, airlines would discourage passengers from paying attention to their devices instead of to the safety videos and/or live demonstrations, etc.  In addition, FAA regulations require passengers to stow larger portable devices during certain phases of flight, making PEDs inappropriate as a primary or- depending on the timing of announcements – even a secondary means of communication with passengers.

RESPONSE: The overhead PA and personal safety demonstration leaves deaf individuals disadvantaged.  Under this circumstance, a video pre-recorded safety briefing with suitable captioning would be more beneficial to those individuals.  With adequate public awareness, individuals so motivated would ensure to use appropriate devices in an acceptable manner.  

There are reports that a growing number of individuals prefer to receive information through a digital device, rather than in a personal manner.  The availability of Wi-Fi personal safety briefings may offer a more complete solution to reaching passengers.  This might include a variety of programs that are targeted to children, the aged, or those speaking other languages.

COMMENT: Do you mean communication with passenger owned devices using the carrier’s own proprietary app?

RESPONSE: There are several flavors:

1)    Airline provided application may have specific features

2)    Content may be reached through web portal – using a browser not an app

3)    Devices may interact directly (this is objective 5, study for now)

Captions should be provided in a manner that browsers can utilize.

For airline apps, there is no barrier to ensuring captions are displayed.

In order to operate, the user would have to attach their device to the Wi-Fi network on-board. This normally redirects their browser to a landing page, from which link can be offered to access announcements in some manner.  If the user leaves to landing page (portal), they may not have any awareness of announcements.

Applications may offer the capability, if configured advantageously, to provide for alerts even if operating in the background.

COMMENT: “Fasten seatbelt” messages are already accompanied by visual signage aboard all aircraft.  Unclear why this is considered inadequate.

RESPONSE: The intention is to modify the existing PA Pause function be discriminating to annunciate fasten seatbelt specifically from other PA announcements in text equivalent manner. 

Once reliant on a text equivalent annunciation, the opposite state must be revealed so the passenger is aware they may unbuckle. 

It is reasonable to take the alerting for turning on fasten seat belt to be compelling – text equivalent display. 

It may be reasonable to promote the PSS seat belt indication as a means to confirm whether it is safe to unbuckle without any other indication.  This means the passenger receives text equivalent annunciation in all possible means when fasten seat belt is turned on, but may have to rely solely on the PSS indications to determine when it is turned off.