Technology Can Improve Lives
From: Government Technology - 04/16/2007
By: Gina M. Scott

Technology can make life easier for those willing to take advantage of it,
but people with disabilities, in the United States there are approximately 51
million, can have difficulty gaining access to that technology. A recent
United Nations report found that only 3 percent of Web sites are accessible
to persons with disabilities. In 2004, the Federal Communications Commission
held hearings to determine the effectiveness of the Emergency Alert System,
including to determine if emergency information could reach people with
disabilities. The Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center for Wireless
Technologies recommended the FCC expand its rules to include new digital
technologies and devices capable of reaching people with disabilities in case
of an emergency. Voting technology has also been improved to be more
accessible to the disabled. The November 2006 mid-term election was the first
federal election to use voting system updates mandated by the Help America
Vote Act, which provides funding to replace punch-card voting systems and set
aside funding for local governments to ensure access for individuals with
disabilities. Electronic voting machines are believed to be more accessible
for voters with disabilities, but some controversy has developed over their
reliability, security, and accuracy. 

Read the entire article at:
http://www.govtech.net/news/news.php?id=104995

Links:
Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center for Wireless Technologies (Wireless
  RERC)
http://www.wirelessrerc.gatech.edu/

Usability and Accessibility Center
http://usability.msu.edu/

Usablenet
http://www.usablenet.com/accessibility_usability/accessibility_usability.html

ADA Guide for Local Governments: Emergency Preparedness and People with
  Disabilities
http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/emergencyprep.htm