Casey Calls on Federal Agencies to Enhance Web Access for People with Disabilities, Seniors

Published in RINewsToday on February 27, 2023

After Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) introduced on March 20, 2020, the bipartisan Department of Veterans Affairs Website Accessibility Act with Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS) and Rep. Elaine Luria (D-VA), the legislative proposal passed both chambers to ultimately be signed into law nine months later by President Donald Trump. The new law directed the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) to report to Congress regarding the he accessibility of VA websites to people with disabilities.

Casey calls for better website technology

On Dec. 20, 2022, Casey released Unlocking the Virtual Front Door, a 72-page report detailing the findings of an 11-month investigation that found widespread failure across the federal government to ensure that website technology is accessible for people with disabilities, seniors, and veterans. The investigators identified the absence of U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) reporting as a contributing factor to widespread accessibility gaps at the numerous federal departments and agencies.

On June 30, 2022, Casey led a bipartisan group of Senators respondence led by Casey in sending correspondence to DOJ Attorney General Merrick Garland demanding answers from the agency on its lack of website accessibility for people with disabilities.

Earlier that month, Casey also had sent correspondence to VA Secretary Denis McDonough urging the agency to improve VA website accessibility for disabled veterans.

Casey also released a report from the VA from the VA which found that only 10 percent of VA websites are fully accessible for people with disabilities, as required by law, posing barriers to deaf, blind and paralyzed veterans as well as tens of thousands of veterans with other disabilities.

On July 28, 2022, Casey’s Senate Aging Committee held a hearing that further investigated the issue the issue of federal website accessibility.

With Casey’s ongoing pressure, ultimately DOJ would finally release a report last week for the first time in a decade.

Reaction’s to DOJ’s website data release

Casey, Chair of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, quickly reacted to the release of DOJ data in a Feb. 22, 2023, press release, noting that the agency was required by Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act to provide a report to Congress and the President every two years on federal technology accessibility. “Despite this mandate, the latest report was from 2012, leaving taxpayers in the dark for over a decade about the accessibility of government technology, including websites, for people with disabilities,” said the press release.

While new data confirmed the findings of Casey’s recent investigation that exposed widespread accessibility barriers to federal technology, the press release criticized the data as “insufficient and incomplete,” calling on DOJ and the entire federal government to prioritize technology and web accessibility and transparency.

Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act requires the federal government to make all its website information technology accessible to people with disabilities. Unfortunately, because of ongoing barriers to federal website and technology access, Casey charges that many people with disabilities—including seniors and veterans—are being barred from accessing key government resources, facing barriers to accessing information about COVID-19, filing claims and accessing health care, using VA kiosks, and more.

Casey’s repeated calls for data for transparency confirmed by his investigation that revealed that people with disabilities are being locked out of government services and are not given a level playing field in federal workplaces due to inaccessible technology. ”Unfortunately, after a decade of keeping the public in the dark, DOJ has not provided Americans with disabilities insight into what progress has been made over that time period—which will make it harder for the federal government to remedy these issues and ultimately improve web and technology accessibility,” says the Pennsylvania Senator. “It is clear that the federal government has a lot more work to do to make technology accessibility and transparency a priority and fulfill our promise to Americans with disabilities, older adults, and veterans,” he said.

Casey urged the DOJ to improve transparency around Section 508 compliance by returning to their mandated biennial reporting and ensuring their reports are modeled more closely after the agency’s 2012 web report instead of an abridged data set that DOJ released last week

Taking a closer look

DOJ’s recently released report, based on data from Feb. 2021 through August 2022, compiled in partnership with the General Services Administration, found that one in 10 public-facing websites at major federal departments and agencies are not fully accessible for people with disabilities. In addition, three in five internal websites at major federal departments and agencies are not fully accessible to people with disabilities.

According to the data, the Department of Agriculture, Department of Labor, Department of State, and VA reported that 50 percent or less of the public-facing websites that were tested comply with federal accessibility requirements.

The DOJ data noted that some departments and federal agencies did not report conducting any accessibility testing of internal websites. It not clear what steps departments and agencies are taking to test other types of technology covered by Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act.

DOJ data indicated that key government agencies, including DOJ itself, as well as the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Defense, and the Environmental Protection Agency did not have adequate “resources committed and/or staff trained to implement policies, processes, and procedures.” These shortfalls in staffing were reflected in data regarding the low number of federal and contract employees directly supporting Section 508 programs in many agencies.

DOJ also found that “agency maturity remains largely unchanged from prior reporting,” raising concerns that, despite over a decade of technological evolution, many federal government agencies have not made efforts to improve and better integrate Section 508 compliance and ensure the federal government’s resources are available for people with disabilities, including taxpayers and federal workers.

Finally, Casey observed that DOJ’s recommendations underscore many of the recommendations he made in his report, which called for enhanced oversight and transparency from DOJ regarding Section 508 compliance as well as better integration of accessibility into everyday oversight efforts at every federal agency.

Senate Aging Committee: Seniors urged to prepare for making financial decisions

Published in RINewsToday on January 31, 2022

Over two weeks ago, U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and Tim Scott (R-SC), Chairman and Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, urged seniors and people with disabilities to make a New Year’s resolution to prepare for anticipated financial decisions.

The hearing highlighted the importance of President Joseph Biden’s Dec. 2021 executive order to enhance customer experiences across federal agencies and align services to support people at critical decision points in their lives, like turning 65. This executive order expands retirees’ ability to claim Social Security benefits online, receive updates on their application status and access personalized online tools for Medicare enrollment and coverage options.

At this Senate Aging Committee hearing held on Jan. 13, the Senators released a bipartisan report entitled, “Financial Literacy in Retirement: Providing Just-in-Time Information and Assistance to Older Americans and People with Disabilities” along with a brochure for consumers to help them navigate these decisions.

This Senate Aging Committee report examines the real-time information and help older Americans and people with disabilities need as they face changes in their lives, known as “just-in-time” financial literacy.

“This year, more than 10,000 Americans will turn 65 every day. Around kitchen tables all across the country, retirees and seniors are asking: ‘Should I take my Social Security or should I wait?’ and ‘Do I need to sign up for Medicare, or can I wait?’ These are not simple decisions,” said Casey. “As we begin 2022, I urge seniors to make a New Year’s resolution: take stock of your finances and get prepared for these upcoming decisions, says the Pennsylvania Senator in a statement.

Adds Scott, “Financial literacy is key to making the most out of the financial opportunities our country has to offer. And much like education, it never loses its power — no matter your stage of life,” noting that the report will empower seniors to make wise financial decisions, laying the groundwork for security and peace of mind in their golden years.

The 26-page report identifies the six common decisions that require, and can benefit from, this kind of financial literacy: claiming Social Security, enrolling in Medicare, annuitizing a 401(k), giving to charity, downsizing a home, and responding to a natural disaster.

Putting the spotlight on Financial Literacy in Retirement

Four witnesses testified at the one hour and 18-minute hearing.

In her testimony, Gerri Walsh, President of the Washington, DC-based Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, applauded the timeliness of the hearing because “financial literacy in America is low and has declined over time.” She cited a 2009 study that found 42 percent of American adults demonstrated high levels of financial literacy, this figure deceasing to 34 percent in 2018. “Despite increasing low levels of financial literacy, 71 precent of Americans believe they have a high level of financial knowledge, suggesting widespread over confidence,” she told the attending Senators.

According to Cindy Hounsell, JD, President of the Washington, DC-based Women’s Institute for a Secure Retirement, many workers are not knowledgeable about issues they will face during their retirement. The impact of future inflation and taxes is not known by most and is not included in financial planning for retirement. This can have an impact on retirement income. Individuals also are oftentimes confused about how much income they will need to cover their expenses in retirement. Many retirees struggle to plan how they will draw down assets. Longevity risk is poorly understood and not widely planning for. Finally, women assume they will keep working beyond age 65 but will end up retiring earlier than expected due to job loss due to health issues, or caregiving.

“As a nation with an aging population, we need to educate the public on strengthening existing retirement programs wherever possible,” said Hounsell, “That means focusing especially on the links to both Social Security and Medicare, employer-sponsored retirement programs and emergency saving initiatives, and educating average workers about how these systems work to prevent penalties and loss of benefits,” she added.

Workers Not Knowledgeable About Retirement Issues

According to Hounsell, many workers are not knowledgeable about issues they will face during their retirement. The impact of future inflation and taxes is not known by most and is not included in financial planning for retirement. This can have an impact on retirement income. Individuals also are oftentimes confused about how much income they will need to cover their expenses in retirement. Many retirees struggle to plan how they will draw down assets. Longevity risk is poorly understood and not widely planning for. Finally, women assume they will keep working beyond age 65 but will end up retiring earlier than expected due to job loss, health issues, or caregiving.

Dorothea Bernique, founder and executive director of North Charleston, South Carolina-based Increasing H.O.P.E. a financial training center, reported that 14.9 percent of the South Carolina households have income below the federal poverty threshold and have a lack of basic financial knowledge, this resulting in a very low well-being score of 18 percent in the state.

Bernique noted that lack of basic financial knowledge can result in seniors not having the ability to make choices during retirement. “Hence this is how our seniors end up as greeters at the nearest Walmart when they should be enjoying the golden years of their lives,” she said.

Finally, Patti Szarowicz, a certified Aging and Disability Resource Connection (ADRC) Counselor at the Atlanta Regional Commission Area on Aging, stated that she plays a critical role in assisting seniors navigate complex systems. She helps callers to locate the nearest senior center and to find rides to medical appointments, to identify financial assistance in paying bills, securing home and community-based services and respite support groups for caregivers.

“I can hear the pain and despair in the voices of callers, who say things like, ‘I’m in trouble, and I don’t know what to do. Please call me back, I’m going to be homeless,’” she says.

Szarowicz called on Congress to support ADRCs to hire additional councilors, allocate more funding to enhance user-friendly technology for documenting client data and better integration across technology systems used, which includes telephone, resource database and client management systems. Public awareness of the national network of Area Agencies on Aging is also key to directing people to unbiased guidance for resources.

Take advantage of the Senate Aging Committee’s resources to make financial decisions, in your retirement years. You won’t regret it.

To obtain a copy of the Senate Aging Committee report, go to https://www.aging.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Financial%20Literacy%20Booklet.pdf.

To obtain a copy of the brochure, go to https://www.aging.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Financial%20Literacy%20Brochure.pdf

Contact financial_literacy@aging.senate.gov to request printed copies of the brochure.

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Senate Aging Committee: Seniors urged to prepare for making financial decisions – Herb Weiss