|
Clinton Backs Ways to Help Disabled Get on Internet
By Deborah Charles
FLINT, Mich. (Reuters) – In his latest effort to bridge the »digital divide« in America, President Clinton (news – web sites) on Thursday will announce a series of actions by the government and private sector to improve access to the Internet for people with disabilities.
After visiting the Disability Network, a nonprofit organization that helps people with disabilities, Clinton was to unveil commitments by the government, high-tech companies and universities to invest millions of dollars in programs aimed at improving access to the Internet for disabled people.
Clinton will announce $16 million in grants from the Department of Education's National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research. The money will be used in various programs to promote the accessible information technology through research and loan programs.
The White House said Clinton was also to announce a commitment from top executives of more than 45 high-tech companies – including America Online, Sun Microsystems, Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard – to adopt »best practices« on the accessibility of information and communications products.
In a letter to Clinton, the executives said the private sector needed to take a leading role in designing and developing the products and services needed for disabled people, and in adapting current products to meet their needs.
»To make concrete progress on this issue, and to elevate its importance within our companies, all of us are committed to developing a corporate-wide policy on accessibility within the next six months,« the letter said.
Clinton will also announce a commitment by the country's top research universities to expand research and education on technologies that are accessible to people with disabilities.
Another program on his list is a donation of $20 million in »e-scholarships« from e-learning company SmartForce to give about 5,000 people with disabilities access to its online training material.
In the closing years of his second term, Clinton has pushed a national initiative dedicated to closing the gap between computer haves and have-nots, the so-called digital divide.
His trip to Michigan is a part of that. The White House estimates that of 54 million disabled Americans, about 24 percent of them have access to a computer at home, compared to about 52 percent without disabilities.
Only 31 percent of Americans of working age with severe disabilities have jobs, and this compares to about 8 of 10 people without disabilities.
»Our goal is to ensure that all information and communications technologies are accessible for people with disabilities,« said White House economic specialist Tom Kalil.
At the Disability Network Clinton will see some examples of new technology that could help people with disabilities find employment.
One example will be the Eye-Gaze system, which allows someone with Lou Gehrig's disease or a spinal cord injury who is not able to speak to operate a computer merely by looking at different parts of the screen.
The Clinton visit could also help Vice President Al Gore (news – web sites)'s presidential campaign in the key Midwestern battleground state. A SurveyUSA poll released on Tuesday of 600 likely Michigan voters found that Gore led Bush by 52 to 41 percent.
Clinton will do some politicking later in the day in Detroit, when he speaks at a reception in honor of the Michigan State Bar Association's annual meeting. He will also speak at a reception for the Michigan State Democratic Party.
|
