TO: Handicapped/disabled applicants seeking exemption for the Amateur Radio 13 or 20 words-per-minute Morse code examination requirements as permitted by FCC Rules Section 97.505(a)(5)(i)(ii): Dear applicant: It is the intent of the FCC's allowance for exemption/credit of the FCC's Morse code examination requirement for the General, Advanced or Amateur Extra class license, that you are permitted to apply for exemption/credit if you are not able to pass the 13 or 20 WPM Morse code examination due to the severity of your handicap or disability. The FCC will not exempt you from the initial 5 WPM Morse code requirement, however. To begin, the FCC provides guidance to you and your Physician within the enclosed FCC Fact Sheet. Taking the FCCs guidance into account in considering the exemption/credit option, we hope that you have at least attempted to pass the examination using the new, more flexible, examination procedures announced by the FCC, which include: 1. Where warranted, we may now offer you a sending test (instead of a receiving test). 2. Where warranted, we may pause the tape for you to allow you to speak out what you have copied. Or, we can allow you the necessary time to write down what you have copied by pausing the tape after phrases/sentences; or in groups of words; or by individual word, or in extreme cases where warranted letter-by-letter. In most cases, the above flexibility will allow you to pass the Morse code examination on your own--therefore not requiring an exemption of the Morse code requirement because these procedures may have accommodated you severe handicap or disability. Attached is a Physician's Certification of Disability and Patient's Release form. After it is completed, you must submit this document directly to a VEC accredited VE Team (this may be the team who is administering your written exam[s]). As required by the FCC, you must currently hold at least a Novice license, or a license which conveys credit for having passed a Morse code examination element, and you must already have earned credit for the necessary written exams for either the Technician (Element 3A) plus the General (Element 3B), Advanced (Element 4A) or Amateur Extra class (Element 4B). In order for your Physician's Certification to be accepted for exemption/credit by a VE Team, we recommend that you review the following check list to ensure that your certification will be acceptable: * The Physician's Certification must be completed by both your Physician as well as by you. * The completed Physician's Certification (made by Medical Doctors or Doctors of Osteopathy, only!) contains an original Physician's signature in original penmanship. The signature is not a signature stamp, nor is it a photocopy. * The certification must be dated by the Physician. * You already hold, or intend to take at the session, the necessary written elements required toward an upgrade. If your Physician's Certification meets the above requirements, then your request must be presented to an ARRL/VEC VE Team with a check or money order in the amount of $5.25 for 1991 or $5.40 for 1992 (our standard processing fee). Only VEC-accredited VE Teams may process your request because they must provide you with a CSCE indicating that you have been given Element 1C exemption/credit for presenting your correctly-completed Physician's Certification. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the ARRL/VEC. The number is: (203)-666-1541. Our address is: ARRL/VEC, 225 Main Street, Newington, CT 06111. 73, Bart J. Jahnke, KB9NM Manager, ARRL/VEC ARRL/VEC 11/91 INSTRUCTIONS TO THE DOCTOR You have been presented with these instructions and certification form for the purpose of certifying to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that the patient under your care will not be able to pass the required 13 or 20 words- per-minute Amateur Radio Morse code examination because the patient suffers from one or more severe handicap(s) in accordance with Section 97.505(a)(5)(i)(ii) of the FCC Rules. Since you may not be aware of what the examination entails, here is a description of the examination and the allowable procedures for examining someone who has one or more severe handicaps or disabilities. (See also the attached FCC Fact Sheet). The Morse code is usually presented via audio as a series of dot and dash sequences sent at a particular speed. Other types of presentations include flashing lights and/or a tactile pad. The dots/dashes translate into individual characters of the alphabet; numbers 0-9; punctuation involving the period, comma, question mark, fraction bar (/); and three procedural signs made up of two-letter combinations. For example, the letter "A" in Morse code is dot-dash; the number "1" is dot-dash-dash-dash-dash and the period "." is dot-dash-dot-dash-dot-dash. The applicant is required to communicate to the examiners information regarding the content of the Morse code message that is presented in the examination. The reasons a person might not be able to pass the test include audio/visual input processing disorders, the inability to communicate the information which has been comprehended, or other similar difficulties. On the preceding page is an FCC Fact Sheet which will provide you with additional information. The FCC makes flexible procedures available to the examiners in order to allow the patient to convey the translated Morse code information to the examiners. The examiners may write for the patient--if the patient cannot do so. The examiners may allow the patient to send the Morse code (in dot dash sequences) instead of having the patient listen and translate [this is especially helpful for hearing impaired patients]. The examiners may pause the Morse code exam audio tape recording so that the patient may keep up with the pace of the exam--where warranted the tape may be paused in groups of words, sentences or phrases; or after each word; or after each character. We are looking to you as the expert to certify that the patient will not be able to participate in the examination process. Be aware that medical information as it pertains to the handicap or disability must be made available to the FCC upon their request as authorized by the patient's signed release. Note that you may only make this certification if the duration of your patient's handicap will extend for more than 365 days beyond the certification date. Only this format is acceptable by the FCC, so please complete (fill in the blanks) this form as indicated. Your certification must be returned to the patient who will present it to the examiners so that it may be forwarded to the Federal Communications Commission. Thank you for your assistance in this matter. Sincerely, American Radio Relay League Volunteer Examiner Coordinator Office ARRL/VEC - 225 Main Street - Newington, CT 06111 (203) 666-1541 ext. 251 11/91 PHYSICIAN's CERTIFICATION TO: Applicants seeking exemption for the Amateur Radio 13 or 20 words-per- minute Morse code examination requirements as permitted by FCC Rules Section 97.505(a)(5)(i)(ii): The following Physician's Certification and Release form must accompany your FCC Form 610 license application when you attend a VEC test session. This fill-in-the-blank format was provided by the FCC. This certification must be made by your physician. The Physician's signature must be made in original penmanship. The signature may not be a copy or signature stamp. If the certification is not completed following these instructions, the application will be returned to the applicant. _______________________________________________________________________________ PHYSICIAN'S CERTIFICATION OF DISABILITY Physician's Name______________________________________________ Physician's Address___________________________________________ ___________________________________________ Office Telephone Number (______)______________________________ I certify that _______________________________________ is severely handicapped, the duration of which will extend for more than 365 days beyond the date of this certification. Because of this severe handicap, this individual is unable to pass a 13 (or 20) words per minute telegraphy examination for an amateur operator license. I am licensed to practice in a place where the amateur service is regulated by the Federal Communications Commission as a doctor of medicine (M.D.) or a doctor of osteopathy (D.O.). WILLFUL FALSE STATEMENTS ARE PUNISHABLE BY FINE AND IMPRISONMENT. U.S. CODE TITLE 18, SECTION 1001. ________________________________________ (M.D. or D.O.) Date: ______________ (Signature of Physician) Stamp unacceptable ______________________________________________________ Physician's name (typed or printed) PATIENT'S RELEASE Authorization is hereby given to the physician named above, who participated in my care, to release to the Federal Communications Commission any medical information deemed necessary to process my application for an amateur radio license. ______________________________________________________ (Applicant's Signature) ______________________________________________________ Applicant's Name (typed or printed) *EOF