The Vision of the Task Force

The Task Force envisions a nation in which all technology, products, services, systems and physical environments are accessible to, usable by and actually used by people with the widest range of abilities. The actual usage point is essential. It means that we must go beyond technical accessibility. We must ensure that the necessary information, local services, training and funding assistance are available to people with disabilities and the people who provide support and assistance to them. Without these supports, even the most highly accessible products will not reach their intended users. In this accessible nation, there will be the realization that making products more accessible to people with disabilities also makes them easier for others to use. Accelerating the development, deployment and use of universal design products, services and systems will produce economic benefits for the nation.

The Economics of the Vision

The market segment of Americans with disabilities is large and diverse. More than 50 million Americans — one in five people — have a disability.² Socioeconomic trends such as aging have contributed to the growth of the population with disabilities. This group represents the largest minority subgroup in the U.S. It is estimated that 61 percent of people with disabilities are working-age adults, between 16 and 64 years old.³ Adults with disabilities — particularly those who work year-round, full-time — represent a sizable block of discretionary income. Indeed, one estimate is that the aggregate income for adults with disabilities is in excess of $1 trillion,⁴ of which more than $175 billion is discretionary.⁵

Creating an accessible nation will provide significant, measurable economic benefits to businesses and American citizens. Businesses stand to benefit with access to larger markets and diverse talent. Both businesses and taxpayers will benefit because it is less costly for the nation to enable people with disabilities to live independently. Potential economic benefits also include cost savings to people with disabilities.

Looking toward the future, America’s population is aging and disability tends to increase with advancing age. In light of these trends, this market segment will expand and the costs of disability to individuals, businesses and taxpayers can be expected to rise dramatically as the U.S. population ages.

Defining the Problem

The Task Force sees four paradoxical problems, which need to be addressed:

1. Technology continues to advance, offering more and more productivity, comfort, empowerment and enjoyment to users. But the majority of people with disabilities and elders do not reap these benefits and are falling behind.
    
2. The overall social costs of unintentional exclusion are higher than the costs of intentional inclusion.
    
3. Multiple public and private programs seek to alleviate the problem, but often do so without coordination.
    
4. Although the problem is often portrayed in purely technological terms, overcoming barriers does not always require technological breakthroughs.

In examining the barriers that prevent AT and Accessible Mainstream Technology (AMT) from being developed, deployed and used, the Task Force has identified the following four major areas where it feels action is presently needed: awareness, education and training, affordability, and research and development (R&D).