WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging Chairman Bob Casey, D-Pa., last week held a hearing entitled, “Unlocking the Virtual Front Door: Ensuring Accessible Government Technology for People with Disabilities, Older Adults, and Veterans.”
The hearing, held one week before the 50th anniversary of the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1973, focused on the importance of accessible technology for veterans, seniors and people with disabilities as they seek to access government services and information.
During the hearing, Casey highlighted his report “Unlocking the Front Door” from earlier this year, which found accessibility problems with technology at the Department of Veterans Affairs and throughout the federal government. He also touted his Veterans Accessibility Act and Federal Agency Accessibility Compliance Act. Both bills are legislation designed to ensure that federal government services, programs, and communications are accessible to all Americans.
“Accessible government websites, apps, and other technology are critical for people with disabilities who need to access veterans’ benefits, read a bus schedule, or pay their taxes,” said Casey. “The testimony of today’s witnesses made clear just how important it is that we take action to ensure accessibility. Through the efforts of the Biden Administration and my bills with Senators Rick Scott, Fetterman, Gillibrand, Blumenthal, Duckworth, and Sanders, we can make all levels of government technology accessible to all Americans.”
Casey invited Chris Westbrook, a blind Pennsylvanian serving as President of the National Federation of the Blind of Pennsylvania Deaf-Blind Division and as an accessibility engineer for Allyant, to testify at the hearing.
He testified, “I deal with accessibility issues on a daily basis, both personally and professionally. Government websites, especially, must be accessible so that all constituents at all levels of government have access to programs, services, and information. For example, imagine not being able to file your local taxes online. This is the situation I faced simply because I have a disability… For people like me, and really for all Americans, accessibility needs to become just another part of doing business. Accessibility must be considered from the design phase, all the way through the process of implementing and maintaining a website. That is how we make government technology and all technology accessible.”
