September 2013 Technology and Disability Policy Highlights

This month, The Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued a Public Notice [EB Docket No. 04-296] seeking comment on issues identified following the first nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS).  Although the test was regarded as successful, the Bureau is seeking comment on technical and accessibility issues identified during the test. 

The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions released a report entitled, “High Expectations: Transforming the American Workforce as the ADA Generation Comes of Age.” The report noted that, while the ADA Generation has made strides within secondary education, there is still a general disparity in labor force participation among people with and without disabilities, except for those in the 16 to 19 year old age range.

The Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) released a report outlining the results from their ongoing study on workplace accommodations. The report highlights that workplace accommodations allowed employers to “retain valued and qualified employees” and many accommodations could be implemented at no cost, while the average cost for other accommodations is around $500.

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The Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center for Wireless Technologies is sponsored by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under grant number 90RE5007-01-00. The opinions contained in this website are those of the Wireless RERC and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services or NIDILRR.