Memorandum from the President: Strategy for the Development and Transfer of Assistive Technology and Universal Design (7/25/00)

This is historical material, "frozen in time."
The web site is no longer updated and links to external web sites and some internal pages will not work.

T H E W H I T E H O U S E

Memorandum from the President: Strategy for the Development and Transfer of Assistive Technology and Universal Design (7/25/00)

Help Site Map Text Only

                              THE WHITE HOUSE

                       Office of the Press Secretary
                         (Fayetteville, Arkansas)

_______________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release                             July 25, 2000


                          July 25, 2000


MEMORANDUM FOR THE HEADS OF EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES

SUBJECT:       Strategy for the Development and Transfer of Assistive
               Technology and Universal Design


It is my Administration's policy to accelerate the development and
deployment of assistive technology and tech-nology that promotes universal
design.  Assistive technology maintains or improves the functional
capabilities of people with disabilities. Universal design is the design of
products and environments that enables all people to use these products, to
the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or
specialized design. Assistive technologies and products that incorporate
universal design principles can significantly improve the quality of life
for people with disabilities and increase their ability to participate in
the workplace.

Therefore, to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities, I
direct as follows:  (a) The Interagency Committee on Disability Research
(ICDR) shall, within 120 days from the date of this directive, publish a
report identifying priority areas for the advancement of assistive
technologies and universal design capabilities.  This report should be
prepared in coopera-tion with the disability and the research communities.
The report should cover technologies needed for improving or increasing:

?    Sensory functioning, such as digital technologies to
     enhance speech intelligibility;

?    Mobility enhancement, such as advanced prosthetic
     devices;

?    Manipulation ability;

?    Cognitive function;

?    Accessibility of information and communications
     technology, such as text-to-speech and speech recognition    systems;
and

?    Accessibility to, and mobility within, the physical
     environment.

(b) Following the issuance of this report, each agency that participates in
the Small Business Innovation Research program (SBIR) shall, consistent
with current law, develop a strategy for enhancing the transfer of
technology that can contribute to the needs and requirements identified by
the ICDR.  This strategy must address both intramural and extramural
research and development.  Agencies shall publish their strategies 6 months
after the issuance of the ICDR report.  Agency strategies should include,
but not be limited to, the development of focused solicitations under the
SBIR program.

This memorandum does not create any right or benefit, substantive or
procedural, enforceable by law, by a party against the United States, its
officers, its employees, or any other person.


                              WILLIAM J. CLINTON


                                   # # #

Privacy Statement