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Universal Design: Why Policy Matters?. William Peterson, M.S. Director, Section 508 PMO Department of Homeland Security. WWI. Only 10% of severely wounded soldiers survived first year. WWII. More than 300,000 U.S. soldiers wounded
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Universal Design:Why Policy Matters? William Peterson, M.S. Director, Section 508 PMO Department of Homeland Security
WWI • Only 10% of severely wounded soldiers survived first year
WWII • More than 300,000 U.S. soldiers wounded • Roughly 80% of severely wounded soldiers survived first year • Improved medical treatment • Antibiotics
Korean War • Roughly 100,000 U.S. soldiers wounded
Viet Nam War • Over 300,000 U.S. soldiers wounded
Polio epidemic (early 1950s) • One of the most dreaded diseases of 20th century • Infected more than 20,000 people/year • Many became paralyzed for life
1918-1920 • Soldiers Rehabilitation Act (1918) • Focused on disability & rehabilitation for soldiers • Smith-Fess Vocational Rehabilitation Act (1920) • First legislation to focus on disabled workers • Amended in 1943, 1954, 1965
Mary E. Switzer (1900-1971) • Director of OVR (1950) • Became the driving force in broadening federal and state disability programs • By 1955 every state, DC, Guam, Puerto Rico & Virgin Islands had VR programs • Encouraged PWD to become self-sufficient and involved in planning programs affecting their lives • $300 million budget in 1950 • $6 billion budget in 1969
Social Changes of 60’s & 70’s • Minority groups were demanding change • Americans with disabilities started to realize they too were dealing with some of the same prejudices and stereotypes that other minority groups were experiencing and so they too began demanding change
Civil Rights Act (1964) • Prohibited discrimination based on race, color, or national origin • Guaranteed all Americans the right to vote, the right to equal employment, and the right to access public accommodations • Served as basis for future civil rights legislation
Three Important Concepts Emerged Program Accessibility Mainstreaming Independent Living
Rehabilitation Act of 1973 • Built on Civil Rights Act • Provided first statutory definition of discrimination towards PWD • Shifted emphasis of disability away from a social service perspective to one that includes politics and civil rights • Introduced concept of program accessibility • Provided funding for RECs • Survived two presidential vetoes
Centers for Independent Living • Philosophy: All PWDs have a right to live in the same manner as their non-disabled peers • First CIL opened in 1972 • 1978: Funding made available (Rehab Act) for consumer-controlled CILs • By 1985, almost 300 CILs operating in every state
Educational Mainstreaming • Education for Handicapped Children Act of 1975 • Mandated free and appropriate public education for CWD • Introduced concept of mainstreaming
1958 The President’s Committee On Employment of The Physically Handicapped National Easter Seal Society American National Standards Institute
1961 “Making Buildings Accessible to and Usable by the Physically Handicapped” (A117-1) • Eight page document • First scientifically developed guidelines on accessibility in the world • Defined minimum features required to remove major barriers to buildings • Acceptance was voluntary/not enforceable unless adopted by states/local governments • By 1966 – all but one state had passed some form of accessibility legislation
1968 Architectural Barriers Act Mandated that all buildings and facilities designed, constructed, altered, or leased with federal dollars must be fully accessible to PWDs • There were no federal accessibility guidelines • Compliance was sluggish
1973 Access Board • Created under Section 502 of Rehabilitation Act • Made up of both public and federal members • Initial mandate: • Ensure federal compliance with the Architectural Barriers Act • Propose solutions to environmental barriers
1984 Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards (UFAS) • First federally approved accessibility standards for the built environment
1988 Fair Housing Amendments Act • Expanded coverage of Civil Rights Act to include families with children and PWDs • Requires accessible units to be created in all new multi-family housing with four or more units – public & private • For the first time PWDs could reasonably expect to find accessible housing in the open market
Americans with Disabilities Act (1990) • Attended by more than 2000 people • By far the broadest and most far-reaching piece of civil rights legislation to touch the lives of PWDs
ADA • Cuts across all sectors of society • Extends full civil rights protections for PWDs • Prohibits discrimination on basis of disability • Employment (Title I) • State and local government (Title II) • Public accommodations and services – including transportation (Title III) • Telecommunications (Title IV)
ADA • Borrows language/concepts from: • Civil Rights Act of 1964 • Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 • Rehabilitation Act of 1973 • Telecommunications Accessibility Enhancement Act (1988) • ADA Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) • Provides scoping and technical requirements for accessibility to buildings and facilities covered under Title II and Title III
Telecommunications • Telecommunications for the Disabled Act (1982) • Hearing Aid Compatibility Act (1988) • Telecommunications Accessibility Enhancement Act (1988) • ADA: Title IV (1990) • Telecommunication Act (1996)
Television Decoder Circuitry Act (1990) • Requires all television sets 13” or larger to be equipped with built-in closed-caption decoders • Spoken dialog • Sound effects • Background music • Music lyrics • Laughter
Section 508 of Rehabilitation Act (1988) (1998) Federal agencies must ensure that the electronic and information technology (EIT) they develop, procure, maintain or use is accessible employees and consumers with disabilities.
World-Wide Web • Federal funds supported development of Web accessibility guidelines by the W3C-WAI
Technology for the Disabled For Americans without disabilities, technology makes things easier. For Americans with disabilities, technology makes things possible. - Mary Pat Radabaugh “Study on the Financing of Assistive TechnologyDevices of Services for Individuals with Disabilities”
Technology for the Disabled Need to focus on the WHOLE PERSON as they interact with society and the environment
Assistive Technology Enables people with disabilities to be as functionally independent as possible.
Question? What is the most popular and widely used assistive technology today?
Answer Prescription Glasses and Contact Lenses
Seeing Walking Talking Listening Writing Learning Eating Drinking Driving a vehicle Using a computer Using a telephone Turning lights on/off Opening/closing doors Cooking meals Playing sports Functional Activities
Assistive Technology Systems Level Vs Individual Level
Systems Level Enhance community integration , independence, and productivity by eliminating barriers found in large social systems such as public transportation, telecommunications, information technology, and the built environments
Individual Level Enhance the physical, sensory, and cognitive abilities of people with disabilities and assist them to function more independently in the home, at work, in recreational settings, and at cultural and religious events
AT Legislation • Rehabilitation Act (1973) • Tech Act (1988) (1994) • ADA (1990) • Assistive Technology Act (1998) (2004) • IDEA
RERC Program • Authorized under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 • Administered by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) • Largest Federally supported program responsible for advancing rehabilitation engineering research and development • Major force in the development of technologies that enhance the independent function for PWDs of all ages and in all aspects of their lives
RERC Program • Currently 21 RERCs • $20 million program • 5 Year Awards • $900,000/Year Average • Advanced Research and Development • Biomedical & rehabilitation engineering applications • Assistive technology • Universal design • Technology transfer • Requires dissemination efforts
RERC Program • RERCs have been the driving force behind the development of universal design principles that can be applied to: • Built environment • Information technology • Telecommunications • Transportation • Consumer products
Ron Mace (1941-1998) • Moving force in the development of accessibility standards & accessible housing • “Godfather” of universal design • True star among the disability community
Universal Design …. a concept whereby environments and products are designed with built-in flexibility so they are usable by as many people as possible, regardless of age and ability, and at no additional cost. Ron Mace