NARTE News Selected On-line Articles
Volume 18 Number 3 Fall 2000 |
Headquarters Highlights: October 2000
RUSSELL CARSTENSEN MOURNS HIS HARD DRIVE - HELP
In mid-September the hard drive on Russ Carstensen's (NARTE's Executive Director) computer crashed and burned.
In the catastrophe, he lost all of his desktop files and a larger part of his email traffic. Several of you had sent him articles on your activities for the News.
Not only does he not have the copy but also he no longer has your address to ask for another copy. If you have sent copy or proposals for training materials between may and September,
please re-contact Russ at writeme@tss.net. He is now a firm believer in "Back up your files-- it's the right thing to do!!"
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AAES CERTIFICATION
The NARTE Board of Directors has approved development of a program to certify practitioners in disability access engineering or access technology. This is a field not currently covered by NARTE.
The Telecommunications Act of 1996 includes language requiring that telecommunication products be accessible to people with disabilities, where readily achievable. The FCC was charged with enforcement of the disability access provisions. It published its rulemaking in that regard on September 29, 1999.
In 1998, Congress amended Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act and strengthened provisions requiring access to electronic and information technology (EIT) in the Federal sector. The law covers all EIT that is developed, procured, maintained, or used by a Federal agency, including the US Postal Service. Federal agencies must ensure that their EIT is accessible to individuals with disabilities who are Federal employees -- unless to do so would impose an "undue burden" upon the agency.
Federal agencies are also required to ensure that information and data they provide to the public is accessible for individuals with disabilities, e.g., agency web sites must be accessible.
The terms "where readily achievable" and "undue burden" beg interpretation from a technological perspective by someone with a credible opinion in the field. To do so will require a program to certify practitioners to an established standard of competence based on a prescribed body of knowledge. Thus far, no organization has initiated such a credential certification program.
NARTE's approach to certification of disability access professionals will be based upon four criteria; education, work experience, examination, and peer endorsement. Skills expected to be included in thsi certification include (but are not limited to):
Human Factors Engineering
Disability Standards
Electronic Systems Engineering
Economic Modeling
Interface Control
Product Design and Development
Universal Design Principles
Disability Characteristics
It has been estimated that up to 30,0000 certified practitioners could be needed both in government and the private sector because of the broad span of the statutory mandate. The government has released several procurements oriented to disseminating the requirements and in propagating devices available to meet the requirements. In addition, the FCC has been receiving a large amount of complaints and is working out a complaint resolution process. These activities propel the need for technologists to satisfy requirements before devices go to production.
NARTE estimates that about four months will be needed to firm up the adminstrative requirements. This will be followed by a 12-month "grandfather" period for existing practitioners beginning February, 2001.
This "grandfather" period will end on February 1, 2002.
For more information about this certification, contact Laura Holmberg at NARTE Headquarters at inarte@inarte.us or at 1-800-89-NARTE.
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NARTE TECHNICIANS WILL SEE THE FIRST NEW MEMBERSHIP CARDS
You've waited, you've hoped, you've dreamed, and some of you have even donated three bucks! Well wait no more! The new and improved NARTE membership card is on the way. The new card will be, we trust, more distiguished well worthy of bearing the NARTE logo. The 30 mil plastic card will be a snazzy silver and blue number, sporting the NARTE logo along with the individual members name and certification information.
The first members to see the new cards will be our NARTE Technicians. iNARTE Engineers will be issued the new cards in the new year.
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DR. JAMES KENNEDY APPOINTED TO NARTE BOARD
The Board of Directors has ratified the appointment of Dr. James Kennedy, who was nominated by the Executive Committee as an interim candidate to fulfill an uncompleted term. Dr. Kennedy will serve from acceptance to June 3, 2001 and will stand for election in the spring of 2001.
Dr. Kennedy is a NARTE certified Telecommunications Engineer Class 1 in good standing since 1987. Dr. Kennedy's has worked with Exxon, Varityper Corporation, and EDS Global Telecommunications SBU, as well as lecturing on Telecommunications subjects at the Community College of Morris. He is currently employed by Lucent Technologies.
The NARTE Board welcomes Dr. Kennedy's and gratefully acknowledges his activities as an actively contributing NARTE member.
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NARTE at the EOS/ESD SYMPOSIUM
NARTE and the ESD Association have collaborated again to hold the ESD Certification Examination. The ESDC examinations were offered on September 28th during the 22nd Annual International EOS/ESD Symposium, held at Disneyland Hotel, Anaheim, California from September 24th to September 28th, 2000.
The ESD Assocation sponsored many well-attended tutorials which covered the gamut of ESDC concerns including:
- ESD Basics
- Electrostatic Fundamentals
- Electric Fields: Fundamental Concepts, EOS/ESD Failure Models and Mechanisms
- Air Ionization: Issues and Answers
- ESD Standards and Procedures
- In-Plant ESD Auditing & Evaluation Measurements
- Electrostatic Calculations for the ESD Engineer
- Device Testing
- Electrostatic Measurements
- How to Develop an ESD Control Program Based on ANSI/ESD Standard S20.20.
Thirty-one individuals took the ESD Technician examination and thirty individuals tested for ESDC Engineer certification, the passing rate was better than 90% overall. Congratulations, examinees!
iNARTE at the 2000 IEEE Symposium
(Left) Executive Director Russell Carstensen mans the NARTE Table at the 2000 IEEE EMC Society Symposium in Washington DC, August 21st through the 25th.
NARTE Headquarters had a very successful run. Our booth was crowded with many visitors inquiring about NARTE Certification. Attendees enjoyed NARTE's customized luggage tags and NARTE pens.
27 individuals took the EMC certification examination on Friday, August 25th. The passing rate was 68% for EMC Engineers and 100% for EMC Technicians!
Congratulations!
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