Give
America's Disabled the Technology They Need
by
Laura Ruby
Will America keep its
promise to provide equal access to information, education and employment
to millions of people with disabilities? If so, then Congress must
act quickly to re-authorize the Assistive Technology (AT) Act,
which provides federal funding for state grant programs that increase
access to assistive and accessible technology and related services.
Ensuring accessibility for people with disabilities is not just
a matter of curb cuts, ramps and elevators to eliminate architectural
barriers to public buildings and places of employment. Today, it
is just as important to provide technology that enables people with
disabilities to use personal computers and the Internet, such as
devices that read computer text aloud to people who are blind or
enable people who can't move their arms to type and issue computer
commands using only their breath or eye movements.
Assistive and accessible
technology (AT) can help people of all abilities realize their
full potential, but for people with disabilities there is no middle
ground. According to the National Council on Disability, "For
Americans without disabilities, technology makes things easier. For
Americans with disabilities, technology makes things possible." The
goal of the AT Act is to ensure that people have access to the technology
they need.
On June 23, the Senate, led by Sens. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) and Tom
Harkin (D-Iowa), introduced its bill S. 2595 to re-authorize the
AT Act. Earlier this year, Reps. Howard McKeon (R-Calif.), John Boehner
(R-Ohio) and Dale Kildee (D-Mich.) shepherded the House bill for
AT Act re-authorization (H.R.4278) through floor passage. The Senate
and House must now work together to ensure re-authorization of the
act before the end of the current session.
Both bills would strengthen state AT programs. These programs and
services are critical, because they ensure technology will be available
where people need itB in schools, on the job and in their communities.
The AT Act also funds research and development projects, information-system
improvements, loan and reutilization programs, and demonstrations
that teach people what kind of AT devices are available and how to
use them.
Critics may argue that after 15 years of federal investment in this
program, people who need assistive technology products and services-along
with service providers, school personnel, and employers-should already
be aware of them. The population that needs AT is not static, however,
and it is growing.
A 2003 research study commissioned by Microsoft and conducted by
Forrester Data found that 57 percent of working-age computer users
could benefit from accessible technology. As the U.S. work force
continues to age, the need for AT as a mainstream business resource
will increase even more. By 2010, more than half the U.S. population
will be 45 or older, age-related impairments will affect more people,
and employers will need resources to help workers maintain peak performance.
As the need for AT increases, it will be vital to establish a seamless
network of resources and training that can meet people's evolving
needs at every stage of life and ensure that all Americans have the
help they need with education, employment and independent living.
The AT Act helps to do just that by aligning its priorities and provisions
with those set forth in other federal legislation, including the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the Workforce Investment
Act and the Americans with Disabilities integration mandate in Olmstead.
The AT Act will expire on Sept. 30. Without enactment of a re-authorization
bill, access to assistive technology for Americans with disabilities
could be severely compromised.
Congress now has a chance to remedy this situation, so that Americans
with disabilities will know that the services they need will continue
to support them in their efforts to work, learn and participate in
their communities.
The Senate and House should quickly negotiate a compromise bill
and send it to the president for signature. As we approach the 14th
anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities ActBsigned into law
by the first President BushB Americans need to know our representatives
in Congress will not turn their backs on citizens with disabilities.
By putting this issue above politics, and re-authorizing the AT Act
this year, Congress can deliver on America's promise.
The author is manager, regulatory and legislative affairs, for the
Accessible Technology Group, Microsoft Corp.
This article was published in The Hill, a Washington publication
that goes to the office of every Member of Congress. To view the
article in its entirety go to http://www.thehill.com/op_ed/070604_ruby.aspx
