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Deal for Health would invest $130 billion over 5 years in community health centers and create accountability for health systems that close or reduce their services.
posals to ensure people with disabilities have full access to video conferencing platforms and other important services.
Cooper: How will the 'Community Mental Wellness and Resilience Act' benefit people?
A lot has changed since I wrote the nation’s governing telecommunications laws years ago. Congress has an obligation to build upon those laws and ensure that accessibility and disability justice are never an after- thought. People with disabilities deserve equal access to the tools and technologies that define life in the 21st century – and that includes video conferencing. Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, video conferencing has become increasingly essential for work, education, and healthcare, but many video conferencing services fall short for people with disabilities, leaving them discon- nected. That is why Congresswoman Anna Eshoo and I introduced the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act, legislation that will build on the CVAA and promote increased access in existing and emerging technologies. Our legislation would also require video conferencing platforms to incorporate built-in accessibility features, such as automatic cap- tioning features, interpreters, and other assistive tech- nologies.
Markey: Climate disasters are displacing families and upending peoples’ lives all across our country. We know that hurricanes and wildfires leave more than a path of destruction in their wake. They leave frontline and envi- ronmental justice communities behind with the anxiety and stress of having to recover from disaster—deaths to mourn, injuries to treat, homes to rebuild, bills to pay. The mental health crisis in our country is rooted in sys- temic issues. From gun violence to climate change to an epidemic of loneliness, we need to understand the men- tal health crisis is a public health crisis. The Community Mental Wellness and Resilience Act would empower community led efforts to address mental health at a community-wide scale, rebuilding strong, connected communities that are more resilient to the challenges of today.
Mental health resources today are failing to reach these communities, especially for rural communities and Black, Brown, and indigenous communities, who are already often left behind by the health care system. That’s why my colleagues and I have introduced the Community Mental Wellness and Resilience Act. Our legislation would establish a first-of-its-kind federal program to expand access to community-based mental wellness and resilience programs that address climate anxiety and toxic stresses. These services are the least that frontline communities deserve.
Senator Markey’s “Greatest Hits” in Disability Policy and Legislation
Cooper: You and Representative Alexandria Ocasio- Cortez introduced the 'Civilian Climate Corps for Jobs and Justice Act', can you give us more detail?
In 1982, Sen. Markey, then a member of the House of Representatives, worked to pass the Telecommunica- tions Act for the Disabled to require essential telephones – defined by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) as workplace telephones used by persons with hearing aids, emergency phones, and coin-operated phones – to be hearing aid compatible.
Markey: Last Congress, Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez and I proposed a Civilian Climate Corps—building upon the New Deal-era Civilian Conservation Corps— to provide more than a million people with the opportu- nity to join the fight against the climate crisis. The Civilian Climate Corps would guarantee members a liv- ing wage and good benefits so they can act as climate champions in their communities, promoting climate resilience and laying the groundwork for a brighter, more livable future with justice at the center of its mis- sion. This work will be made stronger by the more than 100 state and local service corps across the country who are already leading climate and conservation efforts.
In 1988, he worked to pass the Hearing Aid Compatibil- ity Act, which required most telephones manufactured or imported into the U.S. to be compatible for use with hearing aids. That same year, Senator Markey also worked to pass the Telecommunications Accessibility Enhancement Act, which required the government to ensure that communications with and within Federal agencies were accessible to people with hearing and speech disabilities.
Cooper: Did you expect Jessica Rosenworcel of the FCC to make her proposed video conferencing accessi- bility rules supporting your CVAA?
In 1990, Congress passed the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which includes provisions Sen- ator Markey fought to secure – including language to establish the nationwide telecommunications relay ser- vice program, through which communications assistants or other technologies are authorized to facilitate tele- phone calls for persons who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have speech disabilities. Later that year, Senator Markey passed the Television Decoder Circuitry Act to require TV makers to ensure that new TVs with screens larger
Markey: I am proud to work with our partners on the Federal Communications Commission and applaud Chairwoman Rosenworcel’s leadership on these issues. I look forward to working with the FCC on these pro-
Sen. Markey has led efforts in Congress to ensure that people with disabilities can fully access communica- tions services and participate in the social, economic, recreational, and educational benefits of technology, social media, and telecommunications.
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