Date: Monday, October 1, 2012
Category: General
The U.S. Department of Labor has announced an award of a $950,000 grant to RESNA, the Rehabilitation Engineering & Assistive Technology Society of North America, to establish the Office of Disability Employment Policy’s Accessible Technology Center. This center will be a national resource that will facilitate and promote the use of accessible technology in the hiring, employment, retention and career advancement of individuals with disabilities.
The Accessible Technology Action Center will expand access to information and communication technologies in the workplace for people with disabilities. It will promote the knowledge, technical skills, tools and leadership strategies needed to address accessibility issues and seek to raise awareness of the impact critical accessible workplace technologies have on competitive employment opportunities.
To assist in carrying out the ambitious scope of work under this initiative, RESNA is partnering with nationally and internationally renowned entities and experts in the field of accessibility and disability: Raising the Floor (RtF), the Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University (BBI), Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN), Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA), American Foundation for the Blind (AFB), the US Business Leadership Network (USBLN), and additional diverse and well-recognized subject matter consultants to carry out the project’s goals and objectives. The center will adopt an “Employment Life Cycle” approach for the introduction and effective use of accessible technology to ensure a level playing field for full contribution of the talents of individuals with disabilities irrespective of where they work, company size, nature of work, and stage of employment.
“The development and adoption of accessible, universally designed technology is vital to ensuring that individuals with disabilities are hired and successful at work,” said Kathy Martinez, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy. “We are extremely excited about the creativity and expertise RESNA will bring to our newest effort to promote accessible technology in the workplace.”
“This is an ambitious and exciting nationwide effort that will help employers, regardless of size, not only recruit and retain a diverse, stable and more inclusive workforce but also access technology that will improve productivity for workers, especially as the workforce ages," said Nell Bailey, Executive Director of RESNA. “RESNA and our partners look forward to working closely with the Office of Disability Employment Policy to establish this new center.”
The grant announcement coincides with National Disability Employment Awareness month, which is every October. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, people with disabilities currently comprise over 20% of the labor force. For more statistics and information about the employment of people with disabilities, visit www.dol.gov/odep/.
# # #
RESNA, the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America, is the premier professional organization dedicated to promoting the health and well-being of people with disabilities through increasing access to technology solutions. RESNA advances the field by offering certification, continuing education, and professional development; developing assistive technology standards; promoting research and public policy; and sponsoring forums for the exchange of information and ideas to meet the needs of our multidisciplinary constituency. Find out more at www.resna.org.