Accessible retirement, survivors & disability benefits

It was recently ruled that the U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) must accommodate to the real and legitimate needs of people with visual impairments who receive benefits.  Currently, the agency communicates with blind and visually impaired applicants and beneficiaries in standard 12-point font print, which they are unable to read.  The ruling came after SSA sought to dismiss a class action filed in federal court in 2005, alleging that the agency fails to provide the most basic accommodations to its blind and visually impaired applicants and beneficiaries.   This is disheartening to say the least.

Social Security touches the lives of all Americans, young and old alike.  There are some compelling statistics of blind, deafblind and partially sighted Americans who are currently receiving a Social Security Number and are working, have applied for, or are receiving Social Security benefits or Supplementary Security Income payments.  This year alone, over 17 million people will receive a new or reissued Social Security Card.  Approximately 163 million workers will work in jobs covered by Social Security’ provisions for Retirement, Survivors & Disability benefits, and more than 54 million individuals will receive monthly benefit payments.

Over the next decade, the Social Security Administration’s workload will increase substantially.  It is anticipated that retirement claims will jump by more than 40 percent and disability claims by nearly 10 percent.  One would assume that the majority of these recipients do, or will at some point, require alternate format communications such as large print, which is used by partially sighted consumers and is increasingly popular with the aging population.  Large print publications use a set of guidelines that improve readability beyond standard design and formatting such as a larger point size for characters, the use of non-serif fonts as well as increased spacing and improved contrast.  It also provides improved access for individuals with low reading skills.  Braille is also a vital format for the SSA in order to effectively communicate with those clients who are blind and also require independent and secure access to retirement, survivors & disability benefits.

This extremely important decision has a positive, far-reaching impact for not only blind and partially sighted individuals, but also for the marketplace at large, ensuring that the SSA continues to provide the best service to the American public in the most efficient manner.  As the population ages, it is reasonable to expect that the group of older individuals who are blind or have low vision will grow.  Since baby boomers are likely to seek disability benefits in greater numbers than previous generations, providing the public with the means to communicate effectively will ensure that consumers are better able to make informed decisions.  This decision has the potential to revitalize the SSA by ensuring that the service delivery channels are fully accessible, and challenges mainstream service providers to develop solutions that meet SSA’s stringent security requirements, which lead to improved consumer options and choice.