Dr. Braddock and the team at the University of Colorado’s Coleman Institute believe,
as do I, that people with cognitive disabilities have an equal right to technology and
information access. They are forming a coalition of disability organizations and
individuals to this right in a formal declaration.
The Rights of People with Cognitive Disabilities to Technology
and Information Access
Whereas
Twenty-eight million United States citizens have cognitive disabilities such as
intellectual disability; severe, persistent mental illness; brain injury; stroke; and
neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease;
People with cognitive disabilities are entitled to inclusion in our democratic society
under federal laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the
Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act (DD Act), the Individuals
with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and under
state and local laws;
The disruptive convergence of computing and communication technologies has
substantially altered how people acquire, utilize, and disseminate knowledge and
information;
Access to comprehensible information and usable communication technologies is
necessary for all people in our society, particularly for people with cognitive disabilities,
to promote self-determination and to engage meaningfully in major aspects of life
such as education, health promotion, employment, recreation, and civic participation;
The vast majority of people with cognitive disabilities have limited or no access to
comprehensible information and usable communication technologies;
People with cognitive disabilities must have access to commercially available devices
and software that incorporate principles of universal design such as flexibility and
ease of use for all;
Technology and information access by people with cognitive disabilities must be
guided by standards and best-practices, such as personalization and compatibility
across devices and platforms, and through the application of innovations including
automated and predictive technologies;
Security and privacy must be assured and managed to protect civil rights and
personal dignity of people with cognitive disabilities;
Enhanced public and private funding is urgently required to allow people with
cognitive disabilities to utilize technology and access information as a natural
consequence of their rights to inclusion in our society;
Ensuring access to technology and information for the 28 million people with cognitive
disabilities in the United States will create new markets and employment opportunities;
decrease dependency on public services; reduce healthcare costs; and improve the
independence, productivity, and quality of life of people with cognitive disabilities.
Therefore
We hereby affirm our commitment to equal rights of people with cognitive disabilities to
technology and information access and we call for implementation of these rights with
deliberate speed.
View endorsements of this document and join us at: http://www.colemaninstitute.org
Tony Paulauski Executive Director
The Arc of Illinois
20901 S. LaGrange Rd. Suite 209
Frankfort, IL 60423
815-464-1832 (OFFICE)
815-464-1832 (CELL)
Tony@thearcofil.org
