[Cinci-NFB] FW: H.R. 3702 and S. 1467 Access Technology Affordability Act

[Christopher Sabine]

From: Suzanne Turner <smturner.234 at gmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, June 8, 2023 10:58 AM
To: smturner.234 at gmail.com
Subject: H.R. 3702 and S. 1467 Access Technology Affordability Act

Access Technology Affordability Act
article
Issue--The cost of critically needed access technology is out of reach for most blind Americans.

The high cost of access technology creates a difficult economic reality. Most access technology ranges from

X

6,000. For example, a leading screen reader is

X

5,495, one model of a refreshable Braille display is

X

3,695. According to the United States Census Bureau 69.1 percent of blind Americans are either unemployed or underemployed.1 Consequently, most blind Americans
do not have sufficient financial resources needed to purchase these items.2 These financial barriers can ultimately lead to a loss of employment, insufficient
education, or even isolation from community activities.

Medical insurance will not cover the cost of access technology. Current definitions of "medical care," "medical necessity," and "durable medical equipment"
within common insurance policies do not include access technology. These definitions were adopted in the 1960s "when medical care was viewed primarily
as curative and palliative, with little or no consideration given to increasing an individual's functional status."3 Many states' Medicaid programs and
individual health insurance plans have adopted similar definitions and likewise will not cover the cost of access technology.4

Access technology enables blind Americans to participate in today's workforce. Blindness is well-defined and measurable,5 but affects each person differently
and at different ages. Since individuals' needs differ, manufacturers have designed various tools that enable each blind American to perform tasks that
they were once unable to accomplish themselves due to their blindness. Braille notetakers are frequently used in schools, screen-reading software allows
workers to check their email at home, and screen-magnification software can help seniors losing vision learn about community activities. Access technology
equips blind Americans to seek employment and stay employed. For the 69.1 percent of blind Americans who are either unemployed or underemployed, it is
a vehicle that facilitates the job seeking process. Despite this critical need, public and private entities struggle to meet consumer demand.6 This leads
to untimely delays in the delivery of necessary technology and ultimately harms the blind consumer.

Solution--Access Technology Affordability Act:

Makes access technology more affordable so that blind Americans can procure these items for themselves. It establishes a refundable tax credit for blind
Americans in the amount of $2,000 to be used over a three-year period to offset the cost of access technology. The credit created by ATAA will sunset after
five years and will be indexed for inflation.

Provides flexibility for individuals to obtain access technology based upon their specific needs. Accessibility requires an individualized assessment of
one's own skills and needs. Therefore, blind Americans should be given the opportunity to procure access technology on their own to ensure that they are
receiving the tools that are most useful for them.

Will increase federal income tax revenue. More blind Americans working means more people paying taxes. It also means that those blind Americans who obtain
gainful employment through this tax credit will no longer need to draw from federal programs such as Supplemental Security Income or Social Security Disability
Insurance and will instead be paying into the Social Security Program.
GOAL--IMPROVE AFFORDABILITY OF CRITICALLY NEEDED ACCESS TECHNOLOGY NECESSARY FOR EMPLOYMENT AND INDEPENDENT LIVING.

Cosponsor the Access Technology Affordability Act (ATAA)
To cosponsor the ATAA in the House of Representatives (H.R. 431), contact:

Crozer Connor, Senior Legislative Assistant for Congressman Mike Thompson (D-CA)
Phone: 202-225-3311, Email: crozer.connor at mail.house.gov

To cosponsor the ATAA in the Senate (S. 212), contact:

Ron Storhaug, Legislative Aide for Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD)
Phone: 202-224-4524, Email: Ron_Storhaug at sbc.senate.gov

For more information, contact:

Jeff Kaloc, Government Affairs Specialist, National Federation of the Blind
Phone: 410-659-9314, extension 2206, Email:
jkaloc at nfb.org
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/cinci-nfb_nfbnet.org/attachments/20230608/562957ef/attachment.html>