The Tech Act of 1988
I have been admiring the creative solutions for technology access that were designed in the 1980s. But I am starting to wonder about the larger context of the time period and its policy landscape. The Tech Act was passed in 1988 and signed into law by President Reagan, who seems an unexpected source for such a generous and inclusive act. Reading Bess Williamson on the history of disability triumphs and backlash in Accessible America makes me think about how curb cuts and computer tools may be driven by similar conversations but maybe they are also really different?(1) How does a kneeling bus compare to a telephone designed for someone with low vision? To be continued.
Bess Williamson, Accessible America: A History of Disability and Design. New York University Press, 2019.
