AS/ACIF S040:2001

Requirements for Customer Equipment for use with the Standard Telephone Service — Features for special needs of persons with disabilities

What is AS/ACIF S040

Under section 380 of Telecommunications Act 1997, ACMA(Australian Communications and Media Authority) has power to make disability standards.

The standard adopted by ACMA is AS/ACIF S040, whose full name is Telecommunications Disability Standard (Requirements for Customer Equipment for use with the Standard Telephone Service — Features for special needs of persons with disabilities).

Why should we get AS/ACIF S040 certification

AS/ACIF S040 is an Australian Standard developed by Australian Communications Industry Forum(AS/ACIF Standard).

Although the section 380 disability standards are not included in compliance arrangements for section 376 technical standards provided by the Telecommunications Labelling (Customer Equipment and Customer Cabling) Notice 2001 (Telecommunications Labelling Notice), section 380 disability standards are mandatory and the ACMA requires Australian manufacturers and importers of specified items of Customer Equipment and Customer Cabling to ensure compliance with these standards.

Scope of AS/ACIF S040

This Disability Standard applies to certain Customer Equipment (CE) that uses a telephone handset or a keypad, that is manufactured in, or imported Australia for use with the Standard Telephone Service. This Standard defines the technical requirements relating to the features of the equipment that is designed to cater for some of the special needs of persons with disabilities. Note that this includes fax machines with a handset and system integral equipment.

Requirements Outline

1.      Hearing aid coupling

a.      Frequency response

The frequency response of the magnetic field radiated by the handset receivers shall comply with the limits shown in Figure 3/P.370 of ITU-T Rec.P.370[4].

b.      Magnetic field strength

To enable coupling to hearing aids, the magnetic field strength radiated from the handset receivers shall be between –17 dB and –34 dB relative to 1 A/m at 1 kHz.

2.      Tactile indicators on keypad

All CE except cellular mobile telephones and cordless telephones shall have a raised pip as a tactile indication on the key associated with digit ‘5’ on keypads. All cellular mobile telephones and cordless telephones shall have a raised pip as a tactile indication on or in the vicinity of the key associated with digit ‘5’ on the keypad.