Chet Frith is the director of VA’s 508 Compliance Office.
Last August, I published an interview with Dwayne Beard. Mr. Beard serves as the Principal Assistant Secretary in the Office of Information Technology at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). As I reported, Beard said the VA is working “very diligently” to provide accessibility to assistive technology for veterans as well as employees. He said the organization runs on iPhones and manages numerous apps for iOS, Android and the web. VA’s flagship software is the VA Health & Benefits app.
Earlier this month, I spoke with another VA executive, Chet Frith. Frith, a Louisiana native who served 22 years in the Navy and was injured while deployed to Iraq, currently serves as director of the Veterans Affairs Office of 508 Compliance. 508, he refers to Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which authorizes federal agencies to [technology] It shall be accessible to employees and members of the public with disabilities to the extent that it does not cause an “undue burden.” ” The General Services Administration and the Office of Government-Wide Policy are tasked by law with the following duties:[providing] We provide technical assistance to help federal agencies comply with and ensure coverage of these requirements. [technology] “It is accessible and usable by people with disabilities.”
Like most people with disabilities and accessibility needs, Frith admitted that she didn’t know much about assistive technology until she was injured and needed assistance. He started with baby steps, such as using alarms to remind him to take his medications and using a recorder to take notes in meetings. Technology has clearly advanced by leaps and bounds since Frith’s early days, and the reality is that accessibility and assistive technology “may be designed for people with disabilities, but it benefits everyone.” He is now very aware of this. This is a topic he carries with him as he travels around the country, and our interview as he continually seeks to learn how veterans can better serve their veterans and employees. He mentioned that he was in Chicago the week it took place. Frith said his overarching goal is to create a culture that “levels the playing field” for everyone. This is important because the VA is the largest federal agency employing people with disabilities, and Frith said 12 percent of the VA population self-identifies as having some type of disability. What Frith and his team are doing is therefore “very important” because it involves ensuring that “all information and communication technologies are accessible to everyone.”
“We are committed to providing the same user experience for everyone through our websites, communications, and the applications they use,” Frith said. “There have been a lot of changes at the VA in the last year or two, and I really learned how to develop applications and his website. [and] The communication and information technology we have. ”
A particular source of pride for Frith is the aforementioned VA Health & Benefits app. He explained that his team surveyed more than 900 veterans and asked them what they use veterans’ websites for. Many respondents said they use the site to communicate with doctors, search health records, and manage prescriptions. Frith said the software development team was able to put 90% of the website’s functionality into the mobile app. Users can access everything “with just a tap or two,” and the app itself is built to be fully accessible across domains, from cognition to hearing to vision and more.
“I’m very proud that we were able to really start from scratch and it was all about the user experience,” Frith said. “The development is [Health & Benefits] The application received great feedback. I’m very passionate about this world. Over 1 million veterans are legally blind, so it’s important that everyone has access [our services]”
Frith echoed Beard’s comments last year about how the Veterans Administration is giving people the tools they need. On the employee side, workers with disabilities are asked to work with the so-called Office of Reasonable Accommodation in completing a needs assessment to help determine which tools are best for them. Frith said. He said that if a blind employee requests a Braille display (which iOS has supported for years, by the way), the Veterans Administration can help the employee “more efficiently or effectively do their job properly.” He gave an example of providing Braille displays to Similarly, people who are hearing impaired may also have access to real-time subtitles during phone calls or video conferences. Frith reiterated the concept that technology advances at the speed of light, which is why the VA is actively participating in the area of accessibility, learning and improving. To that end, Frith said the company attends industry events like the annual CSUN conference in Anaheim, California. Frith said market research is a key aspect to “knowing if there are tools out there that are helpful to employees and veterans alike.”
He added that the technology industry is often “moving faster” than agencies.
A common myth that Frith tried to dispel in our discussion is that older people, many of whom are veterans and receive VA services, are mean people who hate technology and don’t use it. That was the idea. In fact, Frith said, the agency has veterans of all generations, from Korean and Vietnam veterans to new veterans who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan. Frith said there are a variety of veterans out there who are “receptive to technology.” In fact, contrary to popular belief, older veterans who were negative about technology quickly change their attitude when they discover that technology is good for them in terms of getting help. Frith’s experience.
While there is a learning curve, especially when it comes to basic skills like connecting to Wi-Fi and using an Internet browser, many people find that once they learn all that technology can do, they become “wide open” to it. ”. As an example, Frith said hearing aids are rapidly becoming more like computers, connecting to smartphones using Bluetooth to answer calls and listen to audio such as music and podcasts. The popularity of AirPods is also increasing. Frith also shared an anecdote about high school students touring a VA facility to learn about how it operates and possible future career options. They spent part of the day volunteering with senior veterinarians and teaching them how to use the latest technology. Frith described the exchange as a “win-win for both parties.” It not only exposes young people to the real world, but also builds meaningful relationships that connect young people with their elders.
“Seeing young and older veterans actively engage and interact around technology puts a smile on my face,” Frith said of the students’ recent tour. “I’m passionate about this because it’s something we can all learn from as a society. Seeing a veteran trying to log on or trying to set up facial recognition. I’m very proud [using Face ID] I asked a young high school student to show me how to do it using an iPhone. This is amazing and a huge win for the Veterans Administration. ”
As for who’s doing accessibility right and what more we need to learn, Frith praised big tech companies like Adobe, Apple, and Microsoft for leading the way. He added that the VA is meeting regularly with representatives from all of these companies and others to learn more and work to provide more robust solutions to veterinarians everywhere. . Frith and his team’s big goal is to “address the procurement process” and ensure agencies choose the most accessible technology, both hardware and software. When a government works to enforce a law that mandates accessibility, it is[changing] ‘How people who develop products think’ and raise awareness of the importance of equity when it comes to assistive technology.
“I don’t think anyone is perfect when it comes to accessibility,” Frith said. “But as long as we recognize those risks and are willing to accept them and move forward to create a truly accessible world, I think things will get even better. We’re working to make sure cemetery kiosks are available. Masu [and] Verify that kiosks located at VA facilities are accessible. [Accessibility is] It’s a work in progress. ”
Looking to the future, Frith said the most important goal of accessibility is to provide people in the disability community with greater self-esteem and autonomy. He said everyone wants independence and modern technology plays a vital role in facilitating that. Especially with the rise of artificial intelligence in the coming years, Frith believes “technology will get us there.”
“I envision a world where everyone can participate equally. That’s my dream,” he said of the future. “When I get to the VA, I’m going to finish my job and retire. That’s where we’re going to get to someday. That’s my goal. This county has the resources to make that happen, and the accessibility… It should lead the rest of the world in terms of