18. Proposed Settlement - Disability Rights Advocates (Appendix 10)

This settlement⁴⁹ addresses a number of issues including public access and right of way access to streets and sidewalks. etc., affected by permanently installed utility property or during construction, internet access, emergency communications with customers, the structure of branch offices, and non-utility payment locations authorized to accept payment for the utility.⁵⁰ The last item is still disputed by other parties and thus we adopt the settlement as modified for this last item. We note that Disability Rights Advocates entered into a similar agreement with PG&E in its recent GRC.⁵¹

The proposed settlement was unopposed by any party.

SDG&E and SoCalGas will, with the help of a consultant, as described in the settlement, revise its standards and practices to ensure that it incorporates the standards, practices, guidelines and training materials of the Public Rights-of-Way Access Advisory Committee into the companies' various manuals, policies and standards, etc. (Settlement § 6.)

The companies agree (Ex. SDG&E/SCG-256 at § 5) to install additional TTY⁵² equipment for communicating with disabled customers during emergencies.

The proposed settlement has a provision for SDG&E and SoCalGas to engage a consultant to review the remaining branch offices and all payment locations to address the adequacy of these locations' accessibility.

Disability Rights Advocates was an active participant: it filed a protest and demonstrated that in recent proceedings other utilities⁵³ made comparable undertakings to more carefully and thoughtfully ensure anyone could reasonably interact with the companies' web sites, or offices, and that facilities would be accessible.

We find the terms of the settlement are clearly in the public interest and should be adopted. Although there are no specific performance metrics in the settlement, we will require SDG&E and SoCalGas to document and demonstrate in the next GRC that there were significant and useful changes made to utility operations and facilities.

⁴⁹ Ex. SDG&E/SCG-256, admitted to the record on August 15, 2007.

⁵⁰ The term "authorized payment location" refers to the utility's and not the Commission's authorization for a non-utility party to act as a payment receipt location.

⁵¹ D.07-03-044, mimeo., pp. 247-249.

⁵² A telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) is an electronic device for text communication via a telephone line, used when one or more of the parties has hearing or speech difficulties. Other names for TDD include TTY (telephone typewriter or teletypewriter, although TTY is also a term used for teletypes in general). ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telecommunications_device_for_the_deaf)

⁵³ See for example, PG&E, in D.07-03-044.