In general, anti discrimination regulations/legislation within the U.S. tends to incorporate all marginalized groups, rather than any one specific population (e.g. ageing). For example, a standard anti-discrimination statement would read "does not discriminate based on age, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation or disability". In the following examples, age is not specifically mentioned, yet these regulation / legislation apply to seniors as well as younger people. Initiatives, leading to 'Design for All' already started in 1958, captioned Films for the Deaf Act. In 1966 the Library services followed. In 1990 telecommunication was involved.
All technology products and services should be accessible to people with disabilities. AT must be thought of in the context of the full range of mainstream technology--IT, educational technology, instructional technology, entertainment technology, medical technology, and so on. Also Research and development should be sufficient to ensure that a full range of mainstream and specialised technology is available.
The private sector is responsible for significant contributions. For example, IBM recently announced the launch of a unique pilot program with SeniorNet that will enable the organisation's members to tailor how they view web pages according to the personal preferences of each user, eliminating barriers that up to now have kept the web off-limits to millions.
From a National perspective, Medicare/Medicaid will reimburse for "durable medical equipment" which typically does not include ICT services. Private insurance follows a similar trend. Consequently, AT is often funded by other agencies and programs or not funded at all.
There are several key issues which impact availability of AT. These include: lack of awareness about the knowledge and benefits of AT, lack of secure funding, and lack of trained personnel in the field to identify when someone needs AT, and lack of timely access to equipment.
Naturally as the size of the market increases, the market demand will increase, leading to decreased cost and increased availability of technology. The design of the market with less governmental involvement is likely a key determiner in the future of IT. The rapid advances over the last few years have been from an architectural choice, and lack of governmental control that has allowed the market to expand with minimal legislation. A continuation of this format ensures optimal development of IT.
In the USA, older people are not often regarded as the main group to be promoted in relation to the "digital divide". As mentioned in the FCC report, there are issues such as geographic (rural vs. urban) and ethnic (tribal areas, minority consumers) "border lines" which need to be considered. As a result, seniors are often incorporated into various pieces of legislation, information dissemination activities, etc. rather than being isolated as a single group.
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