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Annual Interagency Accessibility Forum. October 6 & 7, 2020. Enabling Missions through Accessible Technology - Leave No One Behind. Seals of the GSA, U.S. Census, and CIO Council.

PROGRAM Day 1/Tuesday, October 6th | Day 2/Wednesday, October 7th
Jessica Salmoiraghi, Associate Administrator, Office of Government-wide Policy, General Services Administration (GSA)
9:45 A.M. – 10:15 A.M.
Keynote Address
The Honorable Thomas Harkin, Former Senator and author of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
10:15 A.M. – 10:30 A.M.
Break
10:30 A.M. – 11:00 A.M.
Keynote Address
Janet Dhillon, Chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
11:00 A.M. – 11:15 A.M.
Break
11:15 A.M. – 12:00 P.M.
General Session
Information and Communication Technology Accessibility Throughout the Acquisition Lifecycle Ensuring that accessibility is accounted for and managed throughout the various steps of the federal information technology acquisition lifecycle can be challenging. When planning and managing an acquisition of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), federal agencies follow an acquisition lifecycle. While agencies vary in how they conduct their acquisition planning depending on the specific ICT being procured, there are key acquisition lifecycle stages and processes that most agencies follow. Government and industry panelists share best practices on incorporating and managing ICT accessibility requirements.
Moderator:
Antonio Haileselassie,National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Panelists:
Stephanie M. Barrett, Information Technology Industry Council (ITIC)
Jeff Kline, Texas Department of Information Resources
Betsy Sirk, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
John Sullivan,General Services Administration (GSA)
12:00 P.M. – 12:15 P.M.
Break
12:15 P.M. – 12:45 P.M.
Keynote Address
The Honorable Congressman Jim Langevin, U.S House of Representatives, Rhode Island’s 2nd Congressional District
Moderator:
Reynold Schweickhardt, General Services Administration (GSA)
12:45 P.M. – 1:45 P.M.
Lunch
1:45 P.M. - 2:30 P.M.
Breakout Sessions
Track A: Customer Experiences & Content Creation
COVID-19 Creates the Case for 508 Compliance and Best Practices Community Involvement Coordinators, Angie Fuoco and Hilary Clark, reported to EPA’s San Francisco office in March, as COVID-19 forced a shift to virtual working environments. Section 508 requirements and accessibility best practices became a focal point in their now virtual community involvement resulting from the pandemic. Angie and Hilary describe the best practices they developed for virtual community meetings and their plans to take “total access planning” on the road and into communities once in-person meetings become possible again.
Moderator:
Cammie Truesdell, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
Panelists:
Hilary Clark, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Angie L. Fuoco,Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Track B: Acquisition & Program Management
Agencies Approaches to Accessibility throughout the Acquisition Lifecycle (PPT) Learn about the acquisition processes used at the U. S. Census Bureau, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Social Security Administration. Panelists share their experiences, detailing efforts to procure and maintain products that conform to Section 508 regulations at their respective agencies. Topics covered include: defining business needs and requirements, conducting market research, solicitation, acquisition, and contract management in the acquisition lifecycle. Hear about what works well and ways to mitigate accessibility risks from panelists with real-world experience. This session also provides resources and guidance for attendees to optimize the accessibility component of procurement in the acquisition lifecycle at their agency or company.
Moderator:
Larry Malakhoff, U.S. Census Bureau
Panelists:
Pierce Crowell, Social Security Administration (SSA)
Mark Urban, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Dave Whittington, U.S. Census Bureau
Track C: Innovation
Artificial Intelligence, the Emerging Workplace, and Accessibility for People with Disabilities The innovation track will cover current efforts to enhance accessibility for people with disabilities in the workplace using technology powered by artificial intelligence (AI). Panelists share an overview of current and emerging use of AI tools and technologies in the modern workplace (virtual and physical) in both the private and public sectors. Concerns around AI bias against people with disabilities for candidate screenings, job interviews, and automation of work tasks will be highlighted, as well as how AI can benefit efforts to increase employment for people with disabilities and enhance accessibility by fostering new solutions to provide workplace accommodations and address systemic work barriers.
Moderator:
Bill Curtis-Davidson, Department of Labor (DOL)
Panelists:
Rhonda Moore, PhD Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
Scott Robertson, PhD Department of Labor (DOL)
2:30 P.M. – 2:45 P.M.
Break
2:45 P.M. – 3:30 P.M.
Breakout Sessions
Track A: Customer Experiences & Content Creation
Embrace Accessibility and Build It Into Every Decision 21st Century IDEA requirements are critical and necessary, but they are only the beginning. Accessibility is about real people who use our services. Everyone has a role to play in making federal websites and digital services accessible and inclusive. The U.S. Web Design System encourages teams to design generously and celebrate requirements as a framework to create better products for all users instead of as a set of constraints. Accessibility affects everybody. Build it into every decision.
Moderator:
Avis Ryan, General Services Administration (GSA)
Panelists:
Ammie Farraj-Feijoo, General Services Administration (GSA)
Dan Williams, General Services Administration (GSA)
Track B: Acquisition & Program Management
Welcome to Section 508 (for new members) This panel of seasoned IT accessibility professionals will discuss their valuable experiences and provide tips, tricks and pitfalls of building and managing ICT accessibility programs. Panelists will also provide a list of exceptional resources for training and development for those new and seasoned in ICT accessibility.
Moderator:
Brooke Aiken, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)
Panelists:
Jocelyn Blakely-Hill, National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)
Yvette Gibson, General Services Administration (GSA)
Track C: Innovation
Mobile Accessibility: Now and the Future Mobile devices are ubiquitous and people use them for just about everything. Currently, GSA’s Digital Analytics Program reports that over 50% of the traffic on federal sites is through these mobile devices and "61% of people won't return to an inaccessible mobile site." In this session, the presenters will share the challenges and current state of mobile accessibility and what the future state of mobile accessibility technology could look like.
Moderator:
Siddhartha Sharma, Department of the Interior (DOI)
Panelists:
David Fern, Social Security Administration (SSA)
Toni Bonitto, General Services Administration (GSA)
3:30 P.M. – 3:45 P.M.
Break
3:45 P.M. - 4:30 P.M.
Breakout Sessions
Track A: Customer Experiences & Content Creation
How Program/Project Managers can Integrate Accessibility Testing into Development Operations An introduction to accessibility testing and how to integrate it into web-based product development for program and project managers. Participants will learn about accessibility testing objectives, methods, and tools they can use to ensure development teams effectively incorporate accessibility testing into development operations.
Moderator:
Antoine Garrett, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
Panelists:
Kathy Eng, U.S. Access Board (USAB)
Michael Horton, General Services Administration (GSA)
Andrew Nielson, General Services Administration (GSA)
Track B: Acquisition & Program Management
Revised Section 508 and the Federal Acquisition Regulations - The Final Rule (FAR Case) Hear an update on the Section 508 Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) proposed rule, and how the issuance of this final rule will affect your agency acquisition operations.
Moderator:
Daniel Pomeroy, General Services Administration (GSA)
Panelists:
Camara Francis, General Services Administration (GSA)
Tim Creagan, U.S. Access Board (USAB)
Jennifer Kuk, Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
Willie Smith, Department of Transportation (DOT)
Track C: Innovation
Developing Accessibility Talent - A Snapshot of Accessibility Education in the United States Building accessible information and communication technology is a learned skillset. How do enterprise teams learn and integrate inclusive design and accessibility across an organization? Is accessibility taught in our secondary and higher educational institutions? Are there certifications available? Panelists discuss approaches for training and building accessibility into an institution across campuses, departments, and teams. From procurement policies to training and development of accessibility testing and best practices, learn how institutions of higher education and accessibility associations are implementing, integrating, and engaging accessibility professionals to scale in large organizations.
Moderator:
Samantha Evans, International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP)
Panelists:
Keith Hays, University of Illinois
Cheryl Pruitt, California State University (CSU)
Gregg Vanderheiden, University of Maryland Trace Center

PROGRAM Day 2/Wednesday, October 7th
Kevin Smith, Chief Information Officer, U.S. Census Bureau
9:45 A.M. – 10:15 A.M.
Keynote Address
Paula Briscoe, PhD, Deputy Director, Intelligence Community Equal Employment and Diversity, Office of the Director of National Intelligence
10:15 A.M. – 10:30 A.M.
Break
10:30 A.M. – 11:15 A.M.
General Session
Accessibility on an International Scale An overview of the progress of digital accessibility in several countries around the world with a focus on the advancement of regulations regarding accessibility criteria in public procurement.
Moderator:
Axel Leblois, Global Initiative for Inclusive ICTs (G3ICT)
Panelists:
Aaron Frank, Shared Service Canada (SSC)
Susanna Laurin, Global Leadership Council, International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP)
James Thurston, Global Initiative for Inclusive ICTs (G3ICT)
11:15 A.M. - 12:15 P.M.
Virtual Vendor Showcase #1
12:15 P.M. – 1:00 P.M.
Lunch
1:00 P.M. – 2:00 P.M.
Virtual Vendor Showcase #2
2:00 P.M. – 2:45 P.M.
General Session
10th Anniversary of the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act Hear from the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Disability Rights Office for the latest on how the FCC regulates accessibility for new technologies, as we mark the 10th anniversary of the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA).
Moderator:
David Whittington, U.S. Census Bureau
Panelists:
Darryl Cooper, Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
Will Schell, Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
Suzy Rosen Singleton, Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
2:45 P.M. – 3:30 P.M.
General Session
Agency Showcase: Smithsonian Institution A discussion of how the Institute is using emerging technology to make its museums more accessible.
Moderator:
Yolonda Humphrey, Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
Panelists:
Rayvn Manuel, National Museum of African American History & Culture
Beth Ziebarth, Accessibility at the Smithsonian Institute Accessibility Program
David Peters, Chief of the Applications Development and Services Division, Office of the Chief Information Officer, U.S. Census Bureau
John Sullivan, Director of the Government-wide IT Accessibility Program, General Services Administration

Exhibitors

The 2020 IAAF hosts two round-robin virtual showcases on Wednesday, Oct 7th.

Explore products and services designed to support and enhance the lives of people with disabilities.

  • 247 Accessible Documents: Simplifying Document Accessibility - Your trusted partner to remediate PDFs & PDF forms and Word & PowerPoint Documents. We support you to meet Section 508 and ADA compliance.
  • Accessibility Shield: We will demonstrate how our platform makes accessibility work more efficient and how including professional testers who are living with a disability has changed the accessibility conversation.
  • Accessibility Track: Invitation to join the 5th Annual ICT Accessibility Testing Symposium, taking place later in October; and highlighting the annual Digital Accessibility Legal Summit resources from 2019/20 & 2021 events.
  • AccessibilityOz: AccessibilityOz will demonstrate three accessibility tools: OzART, our automated accessibility testing tool; OzPlayer, our accessible video player; and OzWiki, our database of accessibility errors and solutions.
  • BarrierBreak: BarrierBreak are leaders in offshore accessibility testing. We adopt the People First approach where people with disabilities are a part of your accessibility testing and consulting process.
  • CaptionSync by Automatic Sync Technologies: AST leverages smart automation and professional transcribers and audio describers to power its CaptionSync video accessibility services.
  • CivicActions, Inc.: Prototypes for design pages, created in Drupal, Wordpress, Adobe XD, or similar design applications; wireframes; and mockups. Creative redesign using non-traditional improvements that maximize user experience. 
  • Codemantra: Codemantra will present its Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning based approach for helping to automate the remediation of digital documents to exceed both Section 508 and WCAG 2.1 standards.
  • CommonLook: We will give a quick overview of CommonLook showcasing the solutions and services we have to offer. This includes our 100% Guaranteed Remediation and PDF + Office remediation software.
  • E-GovMarket, LLC: E-508.com is a one-stop shop for Section 508 Document remediation pricing and tracking. We have a new marketplace of vendors searchable by socioeconomic status, GSA Schedules and BPAs.
  • Equidox by Onix: Remediate a PDF document 80% quicker than with Acrobat. Utilizing AI & Machine Learning we're able to automate the most arduous processes like auto-tagging tables and nested lists.
  • Foxit Software: Foxit software provides a full set of PDF editing capabilities, including remediation and compliance checker for document accessibility.
  • Gabi Solutions, Inc.: Gabi provides a safe, secure and accessible touchless solution for any Xerox Multifunction Printer through verbal commands from employees with and without disabilities being 508 compliant.
  • Inclusive Docs: Inclusive Docs have developed Software that ingests all types of Documents and our system reflows the content into HTML5 as well as EPUB3, producing an accessible WCAG2.1AA document.
  • Microassist: Microassist is a minority-owned, small business providing digital accessibility testing and remediation services, and custom curriculum development and delivery that is compliant with Section 508, WCAG 2.0, and other recognized standards.
  • New Editions Consulting: We will describe New Editions accessibility service offerings.
  • Open Access Technologies, Inc.: OAT will present our new product DocMD. DocMD uses efficient, cost effective web-crawling technology where clients can make user queries, assess and report on a repository of web-based documents.
  • Optimal Solutions Group: iAccessible is an online platform powered by Revelo that automates website accessibility testing, monitoring and reporting.
  • Pneuma Solutions: You need equal access to a wide range of document types and images. Come learn how we can leverage machine learning algorithms to bring fast, affordable, and intuitive document remediation to you. 
  • TCSAccess: TCS Access is a full service, assistive technology (AT) solutions provider. Our time will be used to discuss the services and product lines that we offer, which includes AT Training, Document Remediation, & Reader Services 
  • Tenon.io: Tenon is an API-first, automated accessibility testing tool which integrates easily into your development pipeline.
  • The Paciello Group: This exhibit will showcase TPG's testing and monitoring tools, ARC Monitoring and JAWS Inspect, used to conduct automated and manual evaluations of your web applications.
  • UiPath: Check for 508 compliance of Word, PDF, PowerPoint, and Excel documents using UiPath robots. Pilots at NIH have shown 40 hours of manual reviews is reduced to 3 hours with no errors.

Thank you

To all keynote speakers; breakout session moderators and panelists; attendees; IAAF volunteers, exhibitors and volunteers.

Reviewed/Updated: April 2021

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