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IT Accessibility Review
Volume 1, Number 8
TecAccess in the News
Debra Ruh Wins New Freedom Initiative Award
Debra Ruh, President and CEO of TecAccess, is the recipient of the 2005 Secretary of Labor´s New Freedom Initiative Award, honoring exemplary efforts to further the employment objectives of President Bush´s New Freedom Initiative. An award ceremony will take place at the U.S. Department of Labor on Thursday, October 27, 2005, from 11:45 a.m. until 1:45 p.m.
Founded upon the spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the New Freedom Initiative represents a comprehensive set of proposals designed to ensure that Americans with disabilities have the opportunity to learn and develop skills, engage in productive work, make choices about their daily lives, and participate fully in their communities. The Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) is uniquely charged with providing a national focus on enhancing the employment of people with disabilities. As such, ODEP has the key responsibility for implementing the employment-related aspects of the President´s New Freedom Initiative.
"I am honored and humbled," says Debra Ruh, President and CEO. "The New Freedom Initiative Award is an amazing recognition of TecAccess´ commitment to employ people with disabilities. One of TecAccess´ core missions has always been to employee people with disabilities; at TecAccess we are always looking for ways to foster opportunities for all of our associates, the majority of whom are people with disabilities. TecAccess was founded on the idea that people with disabilities are a vital part of America´s workforce. My beautiful daughter, Sara, who has Down syndrome, is the inspiration behind TecAccess. Without Sara and the steadfast support of my husband, Ed, TecAccess would not exist. I salute each and every associate at TecAccess, especially those with disabilities who have worked against all odds to contribute to this country´s workforce, to make contributions to their communities, and to lead independent and fulfilling lives. This award is truly their award."
This prestigious award culminates a series of honors for TecAccess. Recently, Debra Ruh was named the Virginia Minority Small Business Person of the Year for 2005 and the Region III Minority Small Business Person of the Year for 2005 by the Small Business Administration (SBA). She shares the regional honor with a Pennsylvania firm, Pride Enterprises, Inc. In addition, Ruh won the National Association of Women Business Owners´ (NAWBO) Witt, Mares & Company "Rising Star" award, honoring Mrs. Ruh as a woman in the Richmond Area who owns and has a prime leadership role in an independent, privately held corporation, partnership, or proprietorship.
Debra Ruh to Speak at Tyson´s Corner NCMA
Debra Ruh, President and CEO of TecAccess, will speak to the Tyson´s Corner Chapter of the National Contract Management Association (NCMA) on the topic of IT accessibility and Section 508 compliance. With over 25 years experience in the IT field, Ruh is an experienced speaker on IT accessibility and compliance topics.
The training session will take place on Friday, November 18, 2005, from 9-10:30 a.m. at Holland and Knight, LLP, 1600 Tyson´s Boulevard, Suite 700, McLean, VA 22102. All proceeds from the training session will go towards supporting the Chapter´s work in the procurement community.
The goal of the Tyson´s Corner Chapter of the NCMA is to be the deepest and most robust source of information, networking, and career development opportunities for contract management professionals in the Washington, D.C. area. Their goal is met by providing a broad array of tools, resources, and leadership opportunities that encourage financial and professional growth.
For more information, visit the NCMA Tyson´s Corner Chapter at www.ncmatcc.org.
TecAccess Recent Sponsorship Opportunities
TecAccess is proud to have sponsored the Hanover Association for Retarded Citizens´ (Arc) Awareness March, the Miss Wheelchair VA "Celebration of Life" festival, and the Hanover County Friends of Supported Employees (FoSE) in the past year. Each event was an opportunity for TecAccess to participate in the advancement of opportunities for citizens with disabilities.
TecAccess sponsored the bus ride from Ashland, VA to the Arc of Virginia March in downtown Richmond, VA on October 1, 2005. This statewide march included Arc groups from across the state. During late summer 2005, TecAccess was able to raise money for the Miss Wheelchair Virginia "Celebration of Life" festival. Previously, TecAccess sponsored the Miss Wheelchair Virginia pageant in March 2005. Also during the past summer, TecAccess was invited to join the Hanover County chapter of FoSE, creating an opportunity to assist the Hanover Community Services´ Supported Employment Program by empowering employees with disabilities in the community.
Contacts:
- Hanover Arc at http://www.hanoverarc.com.
- Miss Wheelchair Virginia at http://misswheelchairva.com.
Ruh Appears on 501c3Cast Podcast
TecAccess President and CEO, Debra Ruh was a recent guest on the 501c3Cast as an expert on IT accessibility and Section 508 compliance. Ruh, who has over 25 years experience in the IT field, was honored to appear on the podcast.
"I applaud their philanthropic efforts. Accessibility, as well as the promotion of employment of persons with disabilities, is an issue that is important to me on both a personal level and the fact that it is the purpose of TecAccess. There are over 54 million people in the U.S. who are in some way disabled; this number is rising as the "Baby Boomer" generation ages. Accessibility issues are affecting nearly every American, and I am extremely honored to have been afforded the opportunity to share my experience with the subject on the 501c3Cast podcast," says Ruh.
The 501c3Cast is an independent podcast produced by a group of people who care about helping non-profit professionals, not-for-profit volunteers, and others in the philanthropic world. The weekly podcast focuses on issues that non-profits face and shares proven solutions that individuals have created. Above all, the 501c3Cast is dedicated to helping people who work with non-profit organizations cooperate rather than compete.
For more information, send email 501c3Cast at 501c3cast@gmail.com.
TecAccess President and CEO to Speak to e-Training Initiative Group
Debra Ruh, President and CEO of TecAccess, was asked to share her knowledge and expertise regarding Section 508 compliance and accessibility issues with users of the federal government-wide e-Learning system (www.usalearning.gov) at the US Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and its e-Training Initiative´s Voice of the Customer Group during their meeting, which was held on September 22, 2005.
The Voice of the Customer members are federal government learning specialists, human resource information specialists, and persons responsible for learning in federal government agencies and are users of the e-learning / training systems offered by the initiative.
The presence of Debra Ruh provided the Voice of the Customer members an opportunity to learn and share information about the e-Learning industry and the role of Section 508 in the e-Learning industry.
Rivertown Communications, Inc., and TecAccess Share Common Cause
TecAccess has teamed with Rivertown Communications, Inc., in the release of their very first newsletter, designed for those in the e-learning and information-technology arena. Rivertown Communications, Inc., a recipient of an "Ebby" award for creativity and technical excellence, has been designing and developing custom computer and web-delivered training courses for over a decade.
The first issue of this groundbreaking newsletter featured TecAccess in the article, "Why Accessible Websites Benefit Everyone."
Nearly 20 percent of U.S. citizens have a disability, and as the population ages, the percentage of people with disabilities grows higher. "Accessibility issues are currently receiving the same attention usability issues received a few years ago, and rightly so," reports Rivertown Communications, Inc.
TecAccess joins Rivertown Communications in its belief that accessibility is not only the right thing to do, but it also offers significant benefits for non-disabled users and creates market opportunity. TecAccess looks forward to continued collaboration with Rivertown Communications, Inc. as design, development and consulting on accessibility issues becomes a growing part of their business.
The subject of web accessibility will continue to be covered in greater detail over future months in the Rivertown Communications, Inc. newsletter. As leading experts in the field, TecAccess welcomes and encourages this kind of exposure to the topic of Section 508 compliance and web accessibility.
