March 2001

Long-Term Rehab News

iCan Urges Internet Accessibility

Not everyone has the information superhighway at their fingertips, according to ICan, a Birmingham, Mich-based Internet and business services company for people with disabilities. This is particularly true for those with visual impairments, who require special software that reads text aloud.

“About 98% of Web sites are inaccessible to people with visual impairments,” says Kenny Rudolph, vice president of inspiration. “We are building an Internet with curbs instead of ramps.”

In order to improve Internet accessibility for the disabled community, ICan is working with online employment company JobOptions.com, Cleveland, to implement software code—including text-reading capabilities—that will allow access to those with disabilities. “They were willing to make their service accessible to our community,” Rudolph says. JobOptions provides employment recruitment services for job seekers and employers.

Rudolph hopes that the agreement will spur other Internet companies to take steps toward accessibility. “The problem has been identified on a government level,” Rudolph says. “It’s just a matter of time before it [gets to] the corporate level. It is so much better to adopt [accessible Web software] now before legislation mandates it.”



Bush Focuses on Disability Issues

On February 9, President George W. Bush submitted a proposal to Congress that targeted disability issues as part of his New Freedom Initiative. Bush focused on expanding technology, education, community, and workforce accessibility through federally funded state programs.

The proposal echoes ideas from his campaign, including increased federal funding for the Rehabilitative Engineering Research Centers’ budgets for assistive technologies. Low-interest loan programs would bring these expensive technologies to more individuals living with disabilities, he says.

States that use federal education funds with “flexibility and accountability” would receive more funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which allows children with disabilities to learn in a regular classroom environment with access to special help. The government would also fund states that establish comprehensive reading programs for all students from preschool through second grade.

In order to create a more accessible workforce, states would receive matching federal funds to implement low-interest loans for individuals with disabilities to purchase computers and other devices necessary to work from home. Companies could also provide computers and Internet access to telecommuters as a tax-free benefit. The government would fund 10 pilot programs for transportation development as well as a competitive matching grant program to promote alternate transportation through community-based providers.

Bush also promised to implement the American Homeownership and Economic Opportunity Act of 2000, create a national commission on mental health, implement the Olmstead decision, and improve access to private and civic organizations.

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