Mike Paciello on Policy Actions to Increase the Use of Accessible Technology in the Workplace

PEAT asked Michael Paciello, President of the Paciello Group: “If you were President for the day, what specific policy action would you promote or change to increase the use of accessible technologies in the workplace?”

Paciello: If I were President for a day and I had an opportunity to enhance policy or create new policy to increase accessibility for people with disabilities and employment for people disabilities, the first thing is that I would do is I would change Section 508 from an unfunded mandate to a funded mandate that increases all of the opportunities with the federal government in employment as well as helps to generate new business for commercial industry.

I would appoint an accessibility CTO and an accessibility CIO so that they’re watching ICT information and communication technology, and have them develop policy that policy would include for businesses specifically to help embrace them in this, and bring them into it tax incentives, research and development funds, and other investments in stimulus to help them grow this particular market.