Elizabeth from New York
By Benetech, posted on August 31, 2020How has the ADA impacted your life regarding travel/mobility, education, employment, or any other aspect?
My employer was finally required to pay for my screen reading software so I could perform my job. Banks are now required to code web pages so I can pay bills online. Brokerage firms are required to have ADA-compliant websites so I can manage my 401K IRA or other brokerage accounts myself and keep my financial and business information private.
Can you share a “before and after” experience; e.g., before the ADA I couldn’t do X or was denied access to Y, and thanks to the ADA I can do Z.
If I encounter financial institutions whose websites do not work with screen readers and the institution cannot or will not make the websites accessible, I have legal recourse. The same holds true for shopping online for groceries or anything else.
What advances in disability rights would you like to see in the next 30 years?
Stronger regs. Without specific regs ADA has no teeth. I want to be able to shop online, bank online, fill out forms for medical and health institutions online. I want online access to be the default instead of struggling with individual companies, government groups and various institutions over their inaccessible websites. Stop telling me that your “Third Party Vendor” is responsible for lack of access on a site. Third Party Vendors work for an organization’s web developers. If your Third Party Vendor is not abiding by accessibility laws, you are responsible for finding a vendor who is doing “the right thing”.