[NJTechDiv] U.S. Senate Committee Addresses Accessible Government Technology

[Mario Brusco]

U.S. Senate Committee Addresses Accessible Government Technology
https://fcfreepresspa.com/u-s-senate-committee-addresses-accessible-government-technology/

Staff Report, September 22, 2023.

On July 20th, Chairman Bob Casey (D-PA) of the U.S. Senate Special 
Committee on Aging conducted a hearing titled “Unlocking the Virtual 
Front Door: Ensuring Accessible Government Technology for People with 
Disabilities, Older Adults, and Veterans.” The hearing, held a week 
before the 50th anniversary of the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 
1973, focused on accessible technology’s significance for veterans, 
senior citizens, and individuals with disabilities in accessing 
government services and information.

During the hearing, Chairman Casey mentioned his report, “Unlocking the 
Front Door,” which identified accessibility issues within the Department 
of Veterans Affairs and the federal government’s technology. He also 
highlighted two bills: the Veterans Accessibility Act and the Federal 
Agency Accessibility Compliance Act. These bills aim to guarantee that 
federal government services, programs, and communications are accessible 
to all Americans.

Chairman Casey stated that accessible government technology, including 
websites and apps, is crucial for individuals with disabilities seeking 
access to veterans’ benefits, transportation schedules, or tax payments. 
He emphasized the importance of taking action to ensure accessibility 
through the Biden Administration’s efforts and collaborative legislative 
initiatives with Senators Rick Scott, Fetterman, Gillibrand, Blumenthal, 
Duckworth, and Sanders.

One of the witnesses, Chris Westbrook, who is blind and serves as the 
President of the National Federation of the Blind of Pennsylvania 
Deaf-Blind Division and an accessibility engineer for Allyant, testified 
about the daily challenges related to accessibility. He emphasized the 
necessity of ensuring accessibility in government websites to provide 
access to programs, services, and information for all constituents, 
regardless of disabilities. Westbrook highlighted the need to integrate 
accessibility from the design phase throughout the entire website 
development process to achieve accessibility in government technology.