This week, Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-04) and Rep. Mike Kelly (PA-16) introduced H.R. 3702, the Access Technology Affordability Act which aims to provide a refundable $2,000 credit to blind and vision impaired people to purchase equipment that allows them to work.
"No one should be excluded from the workforce because of a disability," said Thompson in a news release. "The Access Technology Affordability Act will provide those with vision loss the resources they need to access tools and equipment that will help them pursue a career. Proud to work with Rep. Kelly to introduce this bill and help more Americans participate in our economy."
Access technology aims to have blind Americans participate in today's workforce. 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 note takers 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.
"Every American deserves the chance to earn a productive living. Unfortunately, almost 70 percent of blind Americans are either underemployed or unemployed due to the high cost of computer access technologies," said Kelly in the same news release. "Our legislation will make those tools more readily accessible and empower more blind Americans to fully participate in the U.S. job market.
According to the news release, the high cost of access technology creates a difficult economic reality. The release also states that most access technology ranges from $1,000 to $6,000.
No comments:
Post a Comment