Has Technology Helped Or Hindered Disability Employment?

Technology has far and away meaningfully impactedgood as the means in which they are communicated.
the world in which we live. Need proof? Look noFor example, consider that about 20% of the
farther than the businessman in the Holiday InnAmerican people are affected by an impairment that
Express hotel room, video chatting with his wife andhinders technology use (i). However, there are
son through his new iPhone 4 digital camera with builtmeasures that Web developers can take to increase
in FaceTime.the online accessibility of their Web pages.
While the new gadgets are great, one must pause andNetmechanic, Inc., asserts that one such measure
reflect on the true benefits technology conveys to theincludes using link text in addition to, or in lieu of, image
masses. When examined in terms of large scalelinks (ii). This supports intuitive navigation. For example,
benefits, technology seems to cater towards the techcompare the use of a shopping cart image to the
savvy early gadget adopters.actual link text View Items and Checkout! The icon
One area that technology has yet to reach its fullrelies on the user's ability to correctly identify the image
potential in is disability employment.as a shopping cart, and to tie that identification with the
Diversity training professionals have much to explore inassumption that the link will lead to a place where he
terms of effectively implementing technology toor she will pay for each of their items. Using link text,
increase the diversity of their organization. One areaon the other hand, reduces the possibility for confusion.
worthy of exploration is online job application.In short, disability employers have much to consider
Companies are increasingly using the Internet towhen extending themselves online. Hiring for diversity
showcase job opportunities and encourage jobonline is futile if accessibility is ignored.
application. However, these opportunities are only as