Administration Presses Federal Government On Technology Accessibility

On July 26, 2011, the 21st anniversary of the 1990 American with Disabilities Act, the Obama administration instructed federal agencies to improve technology accessibility for people with disabilities. President Obama said in a press release:

"The ADA was about independence and the freedom to make of our lives what we will. We celebrate that today, and we recommit ourselves to ending discrimination in all its forms."

"The administration said increased access to technology, including government websites, will allow more people with disabilities to apply for federal jobs and obtain government services and information. More access also could help current federal employees with disabilities perform their duties with greater ease," wrote the website nextgov.com.

One year previously, President Obama issued an executive order increasing disabled hiring. "As the nation's largest employer," he wrote, "the federal government must become a model for the employment of individuals with disabilities." Yet, the increasing complexity of technology, principally communications technology, means that this year's order is of equal importance: technology must be made usable by all.

CWA supports making technology accessible both by law and practice.

White House Recharges Effort to Help People With Disabilities Use Government Technology (NextGov)

Obama Orders Agencies to Increase Employment of Disabled Workers (Government Executive)