PROGRAM Day 1/Wednesday, November 13th | Day 2/Thursday, November 14th
PROGRAM Day 1: Wednesday, November 13
9:30 AM – 10:00 AM
Welcome and Opening Remarks
Welcome and Opening Remarks
Dan Pomeroy, Deputy Associate Administrator, Office of Technology Policy, General Services Administration
Introduction:
Andrew Nielson, Director, Government-wide IT Accessibility Program, General Services Administration
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
General Session
General Session
Section 508 Activities Update by GSA
Accessibility experts from the U.S. Access Board (USAB) and the General Services Administration (GSA) will update attendees on current developments in the implementation and interpretation of the Section 508 Standards, including activities, achievements, milestones, and progress in assessing conformance across government.
Presenter:
Michael Horton, Senior ICT Accessibility Specialist, General Services Administration
Merrick E. Krause, Enterprise Programs Executive, General Services Administration
Laura Miller, Senior ICT Accessibility Specialist, General Services Administration
Andrew Nielson, Director, Government-wide IT Accessibility Program, General Services Administration
Kristen Smith-O'Connor, Senior ICT Accessibility Specialist, General Services Administration
Alex Wilson, Program Analyst, General Services Administration
Downloads:
11:00 AM – 11:15 AM
Break
Break
11:15 AM – 12:15 PM
General Session
General Session
That Doesn't Need to Be a PDF
Hear how agencies can design an HTML-first approach for electronic content using “@media print” for a superior printing experience (because yes, some people do use paper) during a panel discussion with experts from FDIC, USAB, and GSA when a PDF document is the proper solution.
Presenter:
Kathy Eng, Senior ICT Accessibility Specialist, U.S. Access Board
Larry Gillick, Product Manager, Experience, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
Michael Horton, Senior ICT Accessibility Specialist, General Services Administration
Downloads:
12:15 PM – 1:15 PM
Lunch
Lunch
1:15 PM – 2:15 PM
Workshop
Workshop
Leveraging Browser DevTools to Aid Manual Web Accessibility Testing (Part 1)
Enhance your accessibility testing skills by learning about DevTools. Edge and Chrome have built-in web development tools, called DevTools which provide a powerful way to inspect web pages and web apps. Participants will learn how to:
- Open and find DevTools Accessibility features
- Inspect web page elements
- Get accessibility information
- Verify screen reader support
Presenter:
Shawn Garmer, IT Accessibility Specialist, Department of Education
Downloads:
2:15 PM – 2:30 PM
Break
Break
2:30 PM – 3:15 PM
Workshop
Workshop
Leveraging Browser DevTools to Aid Manual Web Accessibility Testing (Part 2)
Enhance your accessibility testing skills by learning about DevTools. Edge and Chrome have built-in web development tools, called DevTools which provide a powerful way to inspect web pages and web apps. Participants will learn how to:
- Open and find DevTools Accessibility features
- Inspect web page elements
- Get accessibility information
- Verify screen reader support
Presenter:
Shawn Garmer, IT Accessibility Specialist, Department of Education
Downloads:
3:15 PM – 4:15 PM
General Session
General Session
Agency View on Assessments & Memorandums
Panel conversation on how different agencies leverage memorandums and the annual assessment to inform leadership. The memorandums help the agencies to focus on requirements and the annual assessments gives program managers the ability to gather the data points; however, there are challenges with gathering high quality data. Each agency, and subcomponent, has a different and unique experience. This panel will discuss the experience from different agency levels.
Panelist:
Dennis Lapcewich, Section 508 Program Manager, U.S. Forest Service
Bethany Letalien, Section 508 Program Manager, Office of Personnel Management
Kate Sweeney, Director, Section 508 Program, Health and Human Services
David Whittington, Section 508 Coordinator, United States Census Bureau
4:15 PM – 4:30 PM
Closing
Closing
Andrew Nielson, Director, Government-wide IT Accessibility Program, General Services Administration
PROGRAM Day 2: Thursday, November 14
9:30 AM – 10:00 AM
Welcome and Opening Remarks
Welcome and Opening Remarks
Dr. Sachin Pavithran, Executive Director, United States Access Board
Introduction:
Alison Levy, Director, Office of Technical and Information Services, United States Access Board
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
General Session
General Session
Exceptions in Section 508 Regulatory Language
The Section 508 regulation introduces “General Exceptions” early in the document (202). Why have exceptions? What does each mean? Why do some General Exceptions have sub-provisions, but others don’t? Is there a difference between Exceptions and Exemptions? Some provisions include Exceptions, are they like General Exceptions? Is Assistive Technology exempt from 508? What is the difference between Fundamental Alteration and Undue Burden? Can I claim undue burden?
Presenter:
Kathy Eng, Senior ICT Accessibility Specialist, U.S. Access Board
Downloads:
11:00 AM – 11:15 AM
Break
Break
11:15 AM – 12:15 PM
General Session
General Session
Enhancing Accessibility on Social Media Platforms in Federal Agencies
This session will explore the accessibility challenges and solutions for commonly used social media platforms within the federal government. Attendees will learn how to evaluate and ensure compliance with Section 508 standards across platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. The session will cover best practices for making content accessible to individuals with disabilities, including captioning, alt text for images, and user-friendly design, ensuring that federal digital communications are inclusive for all.
Presenter:
Amy Nieves, Public Affairs Specialist, United States Access Board
David O'Keefe, Events and Communication Specialist, United States Access Board
Bryson Jones, National Social Media Manager, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Alex Lindeman, Section 508 Program Coordinator, National Park Service
Downloads:
12:15 PM – 1:15 PM
Lunch
Lunch
1:15 PM – 2:15 PM
Workshop
Workshop
Meet ANDI (Part 1)
Meet ANDI's creator, John Cotter, and learn how to use ANDI for manual inspection of web content for accessibility and Section 508 standards.
Presenter:
John Cotter, IT Specialist, Social Security Administration
2:15 PM – 2:30 PM
Break
Break
2:30 PM – 3:15 PM
Workshop
Workshop
Meet ANDI (Part 2)
Meet ANDI's creator, John Cotter, and learn how to use ANDI for manual inspection of web content for accessibility and Section 508 standards.
Presenter:
John Cotter, IT Specialist, Social Security Administration
3:15 PM – 4:15 PM
General Session
General Session
How to Build an Effective 508 Program
GSA's Technology Accessibility Playbook provides a framework for the integration of strategic, business and technology management to ensure US Federal Government technology is accessible for people with disabilities. The Playbook contains twelve key “plays” drawn from successful practices in the government and private sector.
Presenter:
Chet Frith, Director, Section 508 Compliance, Department of Veteran Affairs
Downloads:
4:15 PM – 4:30 PM
Closing
Closing
Andrew Nielson, Director, Government-wide IT Accessibility Program, General Services Administration
Katherine Otts, Section 508 Program Manager, National Science Foundation
Reviewed/Updated: November 2024