2023 Interagency Accessibility Forum
The 2023 IAAF was a three-day conference built on the theme Beyond Compliance: Building a Culture of Digital Accessibility and featured workshops, keynote addresses, breakout sessions, and discussions led by those on the forefront of accessibility in the federal, private, academic, international, and nonprofit sectors.
Attendees of this 10th annual IAAF enjoyed a return to an in-person (hybrid) event - our first since 2019, at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) offices in Arlington, Virginia.
The 2023 Interagency Accessibility Forum (IAAF) was sponsored by the Federal Chief Information Officer Council’s (Federal CIO Council) Accessibility Community of Practice (ACOP) and hosted by the Government-wide IT Accessibility Program from the Office of Government-wide Policy (OGP) of the General Services Administration (GSA), Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and Department of Veteran’s Affairs (VA), in partnership with other federal agencies.
For details, visit: 2023 IAAF Agenda and 2023 IAAF Speaker and Presenter Biographies.
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Welcome & Opening Remarks - Day 2
Sylvia Burns, Chief Information Officer and Chief Privacy Officer, FDIC, welcomes guests to the 10th Annual Interagency Accessibility Forum.
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Digital Accessibility in the Federal Workplace
Clare Martorana, Federal Chief Information Officer, OMB, moderates a discussion with distinguished guests explore the role of agency leadership in promoting, prioritizing, and improving digital accessibility in the federal workplace and how investments in measuring accessibility cultivate an accessibility inclusive work environment.
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Keynote Address with Tanya Bradsher
Tanya Bradsher, Deputy Secretary, VA, shared thoughts emphasizing the significance of accessibility, particularly through Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, which has been vital in improving the lives of people with disabilities. Bradsher highlighted the VA's commitment to making its services accessible as a core value ensuring that veterans can access their benefits with dignity and ease.
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Real Talk: A Conversation with Section 508 Program Managers
Betsy Sirk, leads a discussion with an experienced panel sharing its stories of the triumphs and challenges of leading Section 508 programs, and learn best practices on making ICT accessible within your workplace.
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Welcome & Opening Remarks - Day 3
Sachin Pavithran, Executive Director, USAB, welcomes guests to the 10th Annual Interagency Accessibility Forum.
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A Fireside Chat with Accessibility Leaders
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Accessibility Round Table with the Department of Veterans Affairs
Martha Orr, Deputy Chief Information Officer for Compliance, Risk, and Remediation, VA, ...
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The Accessibility-Powered Future of Work
Andrea M. O’Neal, Senior Advisor to the Administrator for Equity, General Services Administration, moderated a plenary discussion to explore how the federal government can create more inclusive, accessible work environments for people with disabilities, enabled through integrated technology and universal design — and powered by the principles of diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA).
2022 Interagency Accessibility Forum
The 2022 Interagency Accessibility Forum (IAAF) celebrated accessibility as a foundation for inclusion, diversity, and equity within the federal government.
Attendees of this ninth annual IAAF heard two keynote addresses, along with presentations and panel discussions that focused on Unlocking the Power of Accessibility. In addition, the forum – for the first time – included virtual workshops hosted by accessibility subject matter experts who work within their agency to ensure equivalent access to information and digital services by people living with disabilities.
Whether you were new to IT accessibility or a seasoned content creator, there was something for everyone – acquisition officials, business analysts, project managers, developers, testers, content creators, Section 508 Program Managers, agency management and leadership, and federal personnel and contractors interested in accessibility.
The 2022 Interagency Accessibility Forum (IAAF) was sponsored by the Federal Chief Information Officer Council’s (Federal CIO Council) Accessibility Community of Practice (ACOP) and hosted by the Government-wide IT Accessibility Program from the Office of Government-wide Policy (OGP) of the General Services Administration (GSA), and National Institutes of Health, in partnership with other federal agencies.
Event Highlights
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Oct 12 Keynote Address: Kim Knackstedt
Andrew Nielson, Director, Government-wide IT Accessibility Program at the General Services Administration, and Kimberly Knackstedt, Senior Fellow and Co-Director, Disability Economic Justice Collaborative at The Century Foundation, discuss disability as a human experience.
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Oct 13 Keynote Address: Day Al Mohamed
Andrea O'Neal, Senior Advisor to the Administrator for Equity at the General Services Administration, and Day Al Mohamed, Director of Disability Policy at the White House Domestic Policy Council, discuss the state of affairs of accessibility, and progress made for people with disabilities in the post-ADA era.
Event Agenda & Speaker and Presenter Biographies
The 2022 IAAF was a three-day forum with featured speakers, keynote addresses, workshops, breakout sessions, and discussions led by those on the forefront of accessibility in the federal, private, academic, international, and nonprofit sectors.
For details, visit: 2022 IAAF Agenda and 2022 IAAF Speaker and Presenter Biographies.
Workshops
- Track A: Lead Our Agencies Towards Access
- Track B: Create Amazing Content
- Videos for All - IAAF 2022 (PPTX)
- Captioning Multimedia - IAAF 2022 (PPTX)
- Section 508 PMs - What You Need To Know - IAAF 2022 (PPTX)
- Section 508 PMs - Using What You Know
General Sessions
Breakout Sessions
- Track A: Lead Our Agencies Towards Access
- Track B: Create Amazing Content/Section 508 Wildcard
2021 Interagency Accessibility Forum
The 2021 Interagency Accessibility Forum celebrated the 75th observance of the National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) and the 20th anniversary of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act becoming enforceable.
Attendees of this year’s IAAF will hear presentations and panel discussions that will focus on accessibility as a foundation for inclusion, diversity, and equity within the federal government. In addition, the forum will include virtual exhibitions by accessibility consultants and IT companies with accessibility products and services that support those with disabilities.
The 2021 Interagency Accessibility Forum (IAAF) is sponsored by the Federal Chief Information Officer Council’s (Federal CIO Council) Accessibility Community of Practice (ACOP) and hosted by the Government-wide IT Accessibility Program from the Office of Government-wide Policy (OGP) of the General Services Administration (GSA), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Department of Labor (DOL), and Merit Service Protection Board (MSPB), in partnership with other federal agencies.
Event Highlights
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Oct 12 Keynote Address: Whitney Quesenbery
Whitney Quesenbery, Director of the Center for Civic Design, opens the 2021 Interagency Accessibility Forum (IAAF) with an address on accessible voting, including improvements in voting systems that have allowed more people to independently and privately participate in state, local and national elections.
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Oct 14 Keynote: Panel Discussion
Accessibility is one of the foundations of diversity, equity and inclusion and an instrumental part of what the government stands for in supporting its employees and the American public. Join an inter-agency panel of accessibility practitioners as they share a brief look at this foundation ... its past, present, and future.
Event Agenda & Speaker and Presenter Biographies
The 2021 IAAF had three, half-day sessions each with featured speakers, keynote addresses, breakout sessions, and discussions led by those on the forefront of accessibility in the federal, private, academic, international, and nonprofit sectors.
For details, visit: 2021 IAAF Agenda and 2021 IAAF Speaker and Presenter Biographies.
General Sessions
- Small Wonder – Building a 508 Program at a Small Agency
- International Digital Accessibilities Activities (PPTX)
- Driving Innovation of Accessible Work Technology to Empower Diverse Workers with Disabilities (PPTX)
- Ask the Expert
Breakout Sessions
- Track A: Lead Our Agencies Towards Access
- Dancing to Accessibility: How to Fill Your Dance Card - No Special Shoes Required (PPTX)
- Inclusive Apprenticeship and Career Pathways: the Partnership on Inclusive Apprenticeship (PPTX)
- Inclusive Design Demands Inclusive User Research: How to develop equitable research and testing opportunities (PPTX)
- [Neurodiversity at Work: Creating Inclusive Work Futures
- Moving from task based programs to a Safe, Accessible, Functional, Engaging (SAFE) work-life for federal staff with disabilities (PPTX)
- Reframe and Reinforce: Using Lessons from Neuroscience to Improve Leadership Understanding and Support for Accessibility (PPTX)
- Track B: Create Amazing Content
- Accessibility First: Creating a Native Mobile App for Veterans (PPTX)
- Designing to Support Cognitive and Learning Disabilities (PPTX)
- [Web Accessibility at the CFPB | Presentation
- Creating Accessible Fillable PDF Forms in Adobe Indesign (PPTX)
- From 5,000 to 0: prioritizing documents for remediation (PPTX)
- What is the Current State of Audio Description in the US Federal Government? (PPTX)
- Track C: Buy and Manage Compliance
- Ensuring ICT Accessibility Throughout the Acquisition Lifecycle (PPTX)
- Creating a Machine-Readable ACR (PPTX)
- Breaking through Silos: Leverage Staff Creativity to Serve the Agency Mission (PPTX)
- Enhancing Accessibility: AI and Machine Learning (PPTX)
- Adopting and Aligning to the ICT Testing Baseline (PPTX)
2020 Interagency Accessibility Forum
The seventh annual Interagency Accessibility Forum, October 6-7, 2020 was co-hosted by the General Services Administration (GSA) and the U.S. Census Bureau. The 2020 Interagency Accessibility Forum celebrated the 75th observance of the National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) and the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disability Act (ADA).
The event, with a theme of “Enabling Missions Accessible Technology - Leaving No One Behind,” featured keynote addresses by four fabulous speakers, four panel discussions, and nine breakout sessions across a range of topics. Presentation files, videos and transcripts will be posted as they become available.
The 2020 IAAF was attended by accessibility professionals across 42 U.S. states and territories, and 8 countries including Australia, Canada, France, India, Mexico, Morocco, South Africa, and Sweden.
Event Agenda & Speaker and Presenter Biographies
The 2020 IAAF had a full, two-day agenda, with featured speakers, keynote addresses, and breakout sessions and discussions led by those on the forefront of accessibility in the federal, private, academic, and nonprofit sectors.
For details, visit: 2020 IAAF Agenda and 2021 IAAF Speaker and Presenter Biographies.
Keynote Speakers
- The Honorable Thomas Harkin, Former Senator and author of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
- Janet Dhillon, Chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
- The Honorable Congressman Jim Langevin, U.S House of Representatives, Rhode Island’s 2nd Congressional District
- Paula Briscoe, PhD, Deputy Director, Intelligence Community Equal Employment and Diversity, Office of the Director of National Intelligence
General Sessions
- Information and Communication Technology Accessibility Throughout the Acquisition Lifecycle
- 10th Anniversary of the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (PPTX)
- Agency Showcase: Smithsonian Institution
Breakout Sessions
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Track A: Customer Experiences & Content Creation
- COVID-19 Creates the Case for 508 Compliance and Best Practices
- Embrace Accessibility and Build It Into Every Decision
- How Program/Project Managers Can Integrate Accessibility Testing into Development Operations
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Track B: Acquisition & Program Management
- Agencies Approaches to Accessibility throughout the Acquisition Lifecycle (PPTX)
- Welcome to Section 508 (for new members) (PDF)
- Revised Section 508 and the Federal Acquisition Regulations - The Final Rule (FAR Case)
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Track C: Innovation
- Artificial Intelligence, the Emerging Workplace, and Accessibility for People with Disabilities (PPTX)
- Mobile Accessibility: Now and the Future (PPTX)
- Developing Accessibility Talent - A Snapshot of Accessibility Education in the United States
2019 Interagency Accessibility Forum
The sixth annual Interagency Accessibility Forum, October 7-8, 2019 was co-hosted by the General Services Administration (GSA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The IAAF proudly supported the 2019 NDEAM theme - The Right Talent, Right Now - by focusing on ensuring accessibility is a business imperative.
Event Highlights
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Oct 8 Keynote Address: Tony Coelho
Tony Coelho, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California’s 15th district (January 3, 1979 – June 15, 1989) opened the second day of the 2019 Interagency Accessibility Forum (IAAF) sharing his experience sponsoring the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and how living with epilepsy fueled his passion for this legislation.
2018 Interagency Accessibility Forum
October 9, 2018 - 5th annual Interagency Accessibility Forum. The 2018 theme was Supporting Empowerment through Accessibility, and was hosted by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
John Sullivan, Director of GSA’s Government-wide IT Accessibility Program, set the stage for this year’s theme of empowerment with inspiring testimonies of how accessibility paves the path to inclusion. He spoke to key FY19 priorities for the federal accessibility community, including:
- Ensuring accessibility requirements are included in agency solicitations;
- Reducing website accessibility errors; and
- Addressing the revised Section 508 requirements for internal agency communications.
2017 Interagency Accessibility Forum
On October 13, 2017, General Services Administration (GSA) hosted the 4th annual Interagency Accessibility Forum. The event, with a theme of “The Right Talent, Right Now,” featured nine workshops focused on the transition to the Revised 508 Standards.
- Read the transcript of the Opening Plenary Session (DOCX)
- Managing Accessibility of Public–Facing Content and Agency Official Communications Part 1 (PPTX)
- Managing Accessibility of Public–Facing Content and Agency Official Communications Part 2 (PPTX)
- Revised Section 508 Standards – Summary of Major Changes and Issues (PPTX). Read the transcript (DOCX)
- How to Request Accessibility Information from Vendors About the Revised Standards (PPTX). Read the transcript (DOCX)
- AED COP, How It Helps Government Agencies Consistently Test and Remediate Electronic Documents for Section 508 Conformance (PPT). Read the transcript (DOCX)
- Revising Agency 508 Policy for the Refresh and Managing for User Access (PPTX). Read the transcript (DOCX)
- WCAG 2.0 – How Does it Change the Way Agencies Develop and Test? (PPTX)
- Integrating Section 508 Requirements in the Development Lifecycle (PPTX). Read the transcript (DOCX)
- GSA Section 508 Resources (PPTX). Read the transcript (DOCX)
- Authors and Developers Guidance for the Revised 508 Standards (PPTX)
Reviewed/Updated: July 2024