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News Release
NCD #01-331
June 21, 2001
Contact: Mark S. Quigley
202-272-2004
202-272-2074 TTY
mquigley@ncd.gov
National Council on Disability Calls
for Private Public Partnership to Increase Accessible Electronic
and Information Technology (E&IT) To People With Disabilities
WASHINGTON--The National Council on Disability (NCD)
issued an appeal to the Federal Government, private industry, and
consumers to join forces to increase access of electronic and information
technology (E&IT) to people with disabilities. "Our appeal stems
from the reality that increased access will improve the quality
of life for people with disabilities," said NCD chairperson Marca
Bristo. "A strong partnership between the government, private industry,
and consumers will accelerate what all Americans desire, which is
a better life--in this case, for people with disabilities."
NCD's call for that partnership is contained in its
report: The Accessible
Future. The report's recommendations include:
- The Federal Government, in partnership with the
E&IT industry, should investigate means for training, positioning,
and appropriately remunerating end-users with disabilities to
assist industry to develop effective accessibility strategies,
to anticipate access issues associated with new technologies or
designs, and to test and evaluate prototype devices and systems.
- Agencies should be encouraged to appoint consumer
advisory panels to advise and assist them in their efforts to
achieve E&IT accessibility for themselves and for their constituencies.
- The government should ensure that all contracts
subject to accessibility requirements include provisions for availability
of appropriate technical assistance to those called upon to meet
accessibility expectations.
NCD board member Bonnie O'Day said, "Increasing attention
and effort have been given to making E&IT more accessible to individuals
with disabilities. Yet, Americans with disabilities are all too
often found on the have-not side of the information access equation."
O'Day added that the current legal framework for E&IT accessibility,
though well-intended, "is a patchwork of laws covering certain categories
of technology in some settings, different categories in other settings."
She said an assessment, as cited in NCD's report, and a strong partnership,
will certainly help "800,000 people who are blind and visually impaired
who use the Internet and also the more than 122,000 federal workers
with disabilities."
The report is available at http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/accessiblefuture.html.
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