The founders of AAES recognized early on that to accomplish this vision of inclusion required an increased focus on access engineering. I applaud you for your commitment to the development of access engineering. I particularly commend your decision to gather engineers with consumers under one umbrella to share ideas, information, and progress. As you in AAES well know, access engineering is not a sterile scholastic pursuit but a vital service to the 54 million Americans with disabilities. Your work affects real people in fundamental ways.
Telecommunications is a critical tool for employment.
If telecommunications technologies are not accessible to and usable by persons with disabilities, many qualified individuals will not be able to work or achieve their full potential in the workplace. Telecommunications also provides opportunities in education, independence, entertainment, and interaction. In the past, people with disabilities could be included through the worthy efforts of rehabilitation engineering and the care-giving fields. Those contributions continue to be vitally important. However, the rapid pace and extreme complexity of technological development require new models.