IT Accessibility Review

Volume 1, Number 1

President´s Corner

Since TecAccess is committed to accessibility, our new IT Accessibility Review newsletter is one more way to spread the word that "accessibility is a differentiator and good for business."

We are very excited about our recent growth, including the multi-national organizations and agencies that we currently support with electronic and information technology (E&IT) accessibility, Section 508, ADA, Section 255, and other accessibility compliance legislation.

We understand that accessibility is an international issue. The statistic of over 750 million people with disabilities worldwide supports our claim. As our society continues to age, accessibility will become more and more critical to everyone. We remain committed to the idea that when a product or service becomes accessible, it is more usable for all people, including individuals with disabilities.

For example, during one of my Section 508 training classes a student said, "We have made our software Section 508 compliant and now the software is less usable." I explained to the class that making something Section 508 compliant should never make the product less usable. If designed correctly, Section 508 compliance and accessibility should always create a more usable product.

After class, we checked the software and made some design suggestions. Once those suggestions were implemented, we tested for compliance and usability. The reviews were extremely positive; and the product became more usable, accessible, and conformed to Section 508 standards. So much fear still exists regarding Section 508 compliance and other laws that many feel quality must be sacrificed for something to be compliant. That is not true. Quality should never be sacrificed for compliance or accessibility.

In each issue of IT Accessibility Review, we will highlight one of our associates. Additionally, we will keep you informed on legislation, policy, and testing trends in the U.S. and around the world. We will also highlight best practices and development tips.

Please let us know how we can improve this newsletter so it can continue to benefit our readers. Thank you and have a wonderful month!

Debra Ruh
--President and Founder, TecAccess

• back to top
  
• Back to Newsletter Index