Strengthening digital accessibility is a powerful tool for advancing inclusion: Any organization committed to inclusion understands the critical role of accessibility. It’s non-negotiable. But when the new administration took office in January, it removed ASL interpreters, archived two important Office of Management and Budget directives, and even removed the White House web page on accessibility. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and others have been speaking out against these harmful measures, from executive orders that stop or reverse progress, changes at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, cuts to Medicaid, and measures that weaken disability rights and protections.
While powerful people continue to create barriers that deny opportunity based on disability, race, income, gender and other factors, those of us striving for equity can and must remove them. Digital accessibility is one powerful way to do that. It helps ensure everyone can access healthcare, housing, education, and employment. It's how we pave the way to a future where health is not a privilege for some, but a right for us all.
Committing to inclusion through accessibility
Accessibility doesn’t only help people with disabilities; it helps everyone. For instance, dictation software is a powerful tool for blind users who prefer voice input. But it’s also beneficial for a busy professional who wants to draft emails or take notes hands-free while on the go. Digital accessibility even improves health privacy with secure, saved passwords that make it easier for people with disabilities to access medical notes or fill prescriptions.
Plain language written at an 8th-grade reading level helps reach audiences with diverse educational and cognitive abilities and makes information easier to understand for everyone. RWJF grantee New Disabled South is putting this into practice. Its Plain Language Policy Dashboard makes pending legislation in Southern states easier to understand. It empowers civic participation particularly for the 61 million Americans living with disabilities.
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