Important information on the GSA, July 26th Assistive Technology Day events
For More Information:
Contact: Paul Spicer
Senior Vice President of Marketing & Communications
(804) 749-8646
info@tecaccess.net
Rockville, VA - July 21, 2006-- Due to many requests, CITA will be providing Audio Conferencing for each of the sessions for the previously advertised July 26th Assistive Technology Day event. If you are not in the Washington, DC area and would like to listen to this presentation, please email Marilyn Estep, indicating your interest so that she may provide further details about listening via Audio Conferencing. We will also be providing the PowerPoint presentation via email so that you can follow along with the presenter. It is important to contact Marilyn Estep at marilyn.estep@gsa.gov as soon as possible with the time that you will be entering the Audio Conference Session (please see session times below). If you have distributed this announcement to employees in your agency or company please redistribute so that everyone will have the same opportunity to participate. In addition, all of the sessions will be captioned to provide access to those that are requesting this service.
U.S. General Services Administration Center for Information Technology Accommodation (CITA) Assistive Technology Showcase July 2006 Assistive Technology Day
July 2006 Assistive Technology Day event will provide an exciting look at TecAccess´ award-winning accessibility testing, training, and assessment methods. TecAccess, who is the winner of President George W. Bush´s 2005 New Freedom Initiative award and a member of the U.S. Department of Labor´s Circle of Champions, helps organizations meet their immediate and long-term accessibility goals; in turn increasing their profitability, fiscal efficiency and widening their customer base to include people with disabilities, senior citizens, and the growing ´Baby Boomer´ population.
TecAccess specializes in trendsetting accessibility, Section 508 and Section 255 compliance solutions. Widely recognized for expertise in accessibility issues, TecAccess employs a diverse and skilled team of professionals, many of whom are people with disabilities. This uniquely positions TecAccess to realistically evaluate compliance, accessibility, and usability from the perspective of people with disabilities.
The highly anticipated presentation will explain how technology becomes fully accessible when it can be used just as effectively by individuals with disabilities as it can by those without. Many people are surprised to learn just how much of the world´s population is affected by a disability, and how valuable accessible design is to private industry, government, and educational institutions.
To understand the impact one has to look no farther than the U.S. Census which indicates that approximately 20 percent of the American population has a disability, and that by 2030 there will be over 70 million seniors. With the population aging and the likelihood of developing a disability or other mobility limitations increasing with age, the growth in the number of people with disabilities can be expected to rise dramatically; affecting 1 in every three households.
An accessible and universal design approach to technology is critical to both federal agencies and private industry wishing to serve individuals with disabilities, which is one of the largest and fastest growing minority groups throughout the world. Representing well over $175 billion in discretionary income in the US, this untapped market is a prized consumer niche.
The magnitude of this spending power aside, access to electronic and information technology (E & IT) by persons with disabilities is protected by a federal mandate known as Section 508 of the US Rehabilitation Act, as well as other legislation designed to promote equal access to technology.
TecAccess offers a full suite of services to make all technology accessible to people with disabilities and the elderly. From enabling government agencies to meet their Section 508 and E/Gov requirements to boosting market share for private industry, TecAccess positions their clients at the forefront of accessible design. Their renowned efforts in the accessibility arenas includes accessibility training and workshops, consulting, engineering, policy review, focus groups, remediation, and assessment.
Traveling the globe, as evidenced by a recent crowd stirring presentation to members of the European Union, TecAccess routinely shares Section 508 success stories from the perspective of those in government, private industry, and education. The fast approaching Assistive Technology Day event will highlight examples of Federal Government agencies that have saved millions annually -- and have increased the effectiveness and efficiency of their departments - due to their successful accessibility plan.
TecAccess´ highly anticipated presentation will not only emphasize their trendsetting accessibility principles, but also how the overall goal of "universal design" touches the lives of everyone. Themes addressed in the presentation will include:
- The creation of TecAccess´ Award-Winning Accessibility Plan
- Government Agencies Section 508 Examples and Success Stories
- Universal Design and Accessibility
- What the Future Holds
Don´t miss an opportunity to participate in this interactive discussion with a leader in accessible design.
This event is free and no registration is required. The length of the demonstration is every hour, starting at 9 a.m. the next at 10:00 a.m. and will be continuous throughout the day at the beginning of each hour and ending at 3 p.m. This event is not an all day demonstration but was designed for you to come in and spend one hour to learn about this suite of services. If you come in during the demonstration you can stay till the next presentation begins then leave when the information is repeated.
SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETERS, etc: There will be sign language interpreters during the demonstration from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Assistive Listening Devices will be available from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Please distribute this announcement to personnel within your agency or company so that everyone can benefit from this event.
DATE: Wednesday, July 26, 2006
TIME: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Presentation times: 9, 10,
11, 12, 1, and 2)
LOCATION: U.S. General Services Administration
(Central Office)
1800 F. Street, NW
Room 1216 Washington, DC 20405
Who can attend: Government employees and non- government employees and individuals interested in technology for persons with disabilities.
Security Information: All government employees with government ID´s can proceed through security checking station, non-government employees will have to sign in and have a CITA employee escort you to room 1216, the guard will call CITA for assistance. Allow 10 to 15 minutes before presentation to allow time to get through security and escorted to room 1216.
Transportation: Take the Metro, Orange or Blue line to Farragut West, exit the Metro on the 18th street side and walk south on 18th street about 4 blocks. GSA is on the corner of 18th and F Street. Main entrance is at the middle of the building on F Street.
Parking: There are two parking garages on 18th street, one on the right and one on the left just as you pass F Street, between F and G streets.
For further information please contact Marilyn Estep, 202-501-3322 (voice) 202-501-2010 (TDD), or email: marilyn.estep@gsa.gov.
DISCLAIMER: GSA, CITA does not endorse the products mentioned above or any other products displayed or demonstrated in their Assistive Technology Showcase. All references to products are solely for the purpose of educating the workforce on assistive technology products for people with disabilities and musculoskeletal disorders.
About TecAccess
Winner of numerous awards, including the 2005 Secretary of Labor´s New Freedom Initiative Award, TecAccess is an industry-leading IT firm providing Section 508 compliance and electronic and information technology (E&IT) accessibility solutions for clients in government, private industry, and higher education throughout the world. TecAccess is a certified Woman-Owned and SBA certified 8(a) and Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB) committed to hiring people with disabilities.
For further information about TecAccess, please call: (804) 749-8646 , e-mail info@tecaccess.net, or visit our website at www.TecAccess.net.
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