Young unveils tax credit to help the blind with new legislation

U.S. Rep. David Young (R-IA) would offer a refundable tax credit to blind Americans to help them purchase specialized access technologies designed to improve their daily lives.

Young introduced the bipartisan Access Technology Affordability Act, H.R. 1734, which would establish a per-person individual refundable tax credit to be used over a multi-year period to offset the cost of access technology for the blind.

Specifically, access technology includes hardware or software, such as text-to-speech screen access and electronic Braille displays that blind people may use to access computers, tablets, smart phones and other devices, as well as digital content.

Being able to buy such technology, Young said, “makes all the difference in providing vital quality of life services for [the] blind,” helping them to live independent lives and participate in expanded employment and education opportunities.

Young’s bill would amend the Internal Revenue Code to allow for a refundable tax credit equal to the amounts paid for qualified access technology for use by a blind person who is the taxpayer, the taxpayer’s spouse, or any dependent of the taxpayer, according to the text of the bill.

The bill, which is cosponsored by U.S. Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), was referred to the House Ways and Means Committee on March 27.