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A former Justice Department official implored members of the Senate Select Committee on Aging at a hearing today to make federal technology accessible to people with disabilities, and called for “stronger enforcement” of guidelines under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). .
Eve Hill, a former deputy assistant attorney general who led the DOJ’s civil rights division from 2011 to 2017 and is now a partner at Brown, Goldstein & Levy, LLP — has been able to create regulations on digital access for federal, state and local governments and agencies. It’s a “good first step” but “more needs to be done because disabled people can’t expect equal digital access,” he argued.
“While regulations are important, it is also critical that the Department of Justice not reduce its enforcement efforts,” Hill said. “Enforcement and regulation involve different skill sets; addressing one should not sacrifice the other. Congress should provide resources to the Civil Rights Division to fulfill its regulatory and policy responsibilities regarding digital technology.”
Hill also said the Social Security Administration — a key agency to help seniors — has refused to accept complaints about inaccessibility until lawsuits are filed, among other issues the government needs to address.
Senator Tim Scott, R.S.C., a senior member of the committee, discussed during the hearing how federal technology must continue to accelerate to help aging citizens as well as veterans. “One in four veterans has a disability consistent with their military service,” he said, and the average age of America’s veterans is about 65.
“The technological advances we’ve seen in this country have not been kept up by federal regulations,” said Senator Scott. “We need to make telehealth accessible and accessible to all Americans, including our seniors, our military veterans and people with disabilities, so they can take care of themselves and meet their needs.”
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