A bipartisan team of senators accused the U.S. government Thursday of slamming “the virtual front door” in the faces of seniors, veterans and the disabled.
During a hearing on internet and telehealth accessibility by the Senate Special Committee on Aging, Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) said agencies, including the Veterans Administration, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Social Security Administration have websites that are inaccessible to people who are visually impaired or have other disabilities.
“Federal law requires that the executive branch agencies make their technologies accessible for people with disabilities,” Casey said during the hearing. “However, bipartisan oversight that I’ve led shows the U.S. government is falling short on digital accessibility.”
Eve Hill, a disability rights attorney and former deputy U.S. attorney general, estimated that 30% of all federal websites are either inaccessible or simply don’t work for the visually impaired.
“The Social Security Administration, as a policy matter, is refusing to adopt accessible technology, insisting on wet ink signatures for documents to apply for Social Security Disability Insurance benefits, despite the wide availability, security and accessibility of electronic signatures,” Hill explained.
The hearing also addressed the benefits of telehealth for the disabled. Retired Navy veteran Ronald Holmquest told the committee he uses telehealth services frequently through a local VA hospital in South Carolina. Holmquest said telehealth has made it easier for him to coordinate care with his team of cardiologists.
“Telehealth is critical to my care,” Holmquest explained. “All veterans should have this opportunity. Telehealth needs to stay for the benefit of all vets. It would be a shame to lose these valuable assets.”
On Wednesday, the House passed legislation that would expand telehealth services adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic through 2024. Telehealth flexibilities will otherwise expire at the end of the public health emergency at the end of October.
Ranking committee member Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) is a strong advocate for expanded telehealth access. Last year he introduced the Telehealth Modernization Act, which is similar to the House bill. Scott estimated 28 million Medicare beneficiaries used telehealth services in 2021.
“We must keep telehealth available and accessible for all Americans, including our seniors and military heroes and disabled individuals so that they can take care of themselves,” Scott said during the hearing.
