Kelly, Thompson reintroduce Access Technology Affordability Act, legislation to increase participation in the labor market 

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, U.S. Representatives Mike Kelly (R-PA), Chairman of the Ways & Means Subcommittee on Tax, and Mike Thompson (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Ways & Means Subcommittee on Tax, introduced H.R. 1529, Access Technology Affordability Act. The legislation provides a refundable $2,000 credit to blind and vision impaired people to purchase equipment that allows them to work.

"Every American deserves the chance to earn a productive living. Unfortunately, almost 70 percent of blind Americans are either underemployed or unemployed due to the high cost of computer access technologies," said Rep. Kelly. "Our legislation will make those tools more readily accessible and empower more blind Americans to fully participate in the U.S. job market."

"Blind individuals deserve the same access to economic opportunity through employment as anyone else. Yet accessible technology like screen readers and Braille note takers can be prohibitively expensive," said Rep. Thompson. "That’s why I’m proud to join with Rep. Kelly to reintroduce the bipartisan Access Technology Affordability Act to create a refundable tax credit so blind people can purchase the tech they need to remain competitive in the workforce.” 

"Blind Americans want to work among our non-blind peers. The Access Technology Affordability Act will provide more people access to the technology needed to compete equally in the workforce and it will shrink the staggeringly high ratio of the blind community who are not working or underemployed, which is currently 65% of our working-age population," said Mark A. Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind. "We thank and commend Congress Members Kelly and Thompson for championing this act, which will help give blind people the technology they need to live the lives they want."

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