Universal Design: Why Policy Matters?

1. Universal Design:Why Policy Matters? William Peterson, M.S. Director, Section 508 PMO Department of Homeland Security

3. WWI • Only 10% of severely wounded soldiers survived first year

4. WWII • More than 300,000 U.S. soldiers wounded • Roughly 80% of severely wounded soldiers survived first year • Improved medical treatment • Antibiotics

5. Korean War • Roughly 100,000 U.S. soldiers wounded

6. Viet Nam War • Over 300,000 U.S. soldiers wounded

7. 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

8. Disabled Survivors(thousands)

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. Three Important Concepts Emerged Program Accessibility Mainstreaming Independent Living

14. 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

15. 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

16. Educational Mainstreaming • Education for Handicapped Children Act of 1975 • Mandated free and appropriate public education for CWD • Introduced concept of mainstreaming

17. The Built Environment

18. 1958 The President’s Committee On Employment of The Physically Handicapped National Easter Seal Society American National Standards Institute

19. 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

20. 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

21. 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

22. 1984 Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards (UFAS) • First federally approved accessibility standards for the built environment

23. 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

24. 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

25. 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)

26. 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

27. Information Technologies

28. Telecommunications • Telecommunications for the Disabled Act (1982) • Hearing Aid Compatibility Act (1988) • Telecommunications Accessibility Enhancement Act (1988) • ADA: Title IV (1990) • Telecommunication Act (1996)

29. 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

30. 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.

31. World-Wide Web • Federal funds supported development of Web accessibility guidelines by the W3C-WAI

32. Assistive Technology

33. 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”

34. Technology for the Disabled Need to focus on the WHOLE PERSON as they interact with society and the environment

35. Assistive Technology Enables people with disabilities to be as functionally independent as possible.

36. Question? What is the most popular and widely used assistive technology today?

37. Answer Prescription Glasses and Contact Lenses

38. 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

39. Assistive Technology Systems Level Vs Individual Level

40. 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

41. 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

42. AT Legislation • Rehabilitation Act (1973) • Tech Act (1988) (1994) • ADA (1990) • Assistive Technology Act (1998) (2004) • IDEA

43. Rehabilitation Engineering

44. 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

45. 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

46. 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

47. Universal Design

48. Ron Mace (1941-1998) • Moving force in the development of accessibility standards & accessible housing • “Godfather” of universal design • True star among the disability community

49. 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

50. “Normal” Distribution