Kimberly Castillo

Section 508 Compliance Officer
Federal Transit Administration

Kimberly Castillo serves as a Senior Advisor and is the inaugural Section 508 Compliance Officer for the Federal Transit Administration. Ms. Castillo possesses over 17 years of federal experience, having held positions at the Federal Aviation Administration, the Department of Education, the National Archives and Records Administration, and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Her specialized knowledge and experience include equal employment opportunity, human capital management, outreach and recruitment, affirmative employment, accessibility, employee engagement, retention, and change management.

Furthermore, she has served on federal interagency councils as President of the USAID Hispanic Employee Council of Foreign Affairs Agencies and the ​President of the National Council of Hispanic Employment Program Managers. Ms. Castillo earned degrees in Mass Communications and Public Administration. She is an alumnus of the Graduate School USA’s Executive Leadership Program, the Emerging Leaders and Collaborative Program, and the International Career Advancement Program.

Presenter: From Inaccessible to Compliant: FTA's Video Accessibility Remediation Demo, Day 2

Owen Chong

ICT Accessibility Specialist
National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Mr. Owen Chong is an Information and Communication Technology Accessibility Specialist for NASA where he supports digital accessibility program implementation. He is also a member of the Accessibility Community of Practice Industry Outreach Program.

Prior to his current NASA position, Mr. Chong served as a Digital Accessibility Specialist at the University of Mary Washington Office of Disability Resources, where his primary function was to remediate electronic content for students with disabilities. In the Summer of 2022, Mr. Chong held a NASA internship, during which he reviewed NASA websites for compliance with numerous web accessibility standards and co-authored a comprehensive review of Web Accessibility Checkers including recommendations for NASA use. Mr. Chong has presented for the past two years at the CSUN Assistive Technology Conference. He graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Science from the University of Mary Washington in 2024.

Presenter: Navigating Section 508 Exceptions: Best Practices, Day 2

Matthew Fleetwood

Developer
Federal Transit Administration

Matt Fleetwood is a Senior Software Developer at ICF. His career spans embedded systems, computer vision, and AI/ML. He holds a B.S. in Computer Engineering from Portland State University.

Presenter: Beyond the Checklist: Revolutionizing PDF Accessibility with Generative AI, Day 1

Ameenah Ghoston

Section 508 Program Manager
Defense Health Agency

In 2023, Ms. Ghoston became the Section 508 Program Manager at the Defense Health Agency (DHA). Prior to DHA, she worked at the Defense Information Systems Agency, where she was the Section 508 Program Manager from 2017 to 2023. She has 25+ years of experience in digital accessibility and assistive technology testing support.

Presenter: Scoring and Evaluating Accessibility Conformance Reports based on the VPAT, Day 1
Presenter: Tracking and Managing Section 508 Informal Complaints, Day 1

Michael Gower

Video Production
Guidehouse

Mike Gower is a Senior Consultant on the Motion Graphics team at Guidehouse, Inc. He specializes in developing creative motion design solutions for short- and long-form video productions. He possesses comprehensive expertise in storyboarding, scripting, content sourcing, music, production design, and videography. His professional history includes significant experience in local television news for FOX and ABC affiliates in Washington, D.C. and Tennessee. He also served as the Art Director for the program America’s Most Wanted, contributing to the apprehension of over 1,500 fugitives. Additionally, Mike has a robust freelance background, producing original animations and title sequences for major networks including the History Channel, Discovery, ESPN, and National Geographic.

Presenter: From Inaccessible to Compliant: FTA's Video Accessibility Remediation Demo, Day 2

Antonio Haileselassie

Section 508 Program Manager
National Institutes of Health

Antonio Haileselassie is the Section 508 Program Manager at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), where he leads strategic initiatives to integrate accessibility into IT acquisitions, development, and compliance efforts. He is an active member of the Federal CIO Council’s Accessibility Community of Practice (ACOP) Industry Outreach Committee, collaborating with federal agencies to enhance accessibility policies and best practices. With a strong background in accessibility risk management and compliance, Antonio has extensive experience presenting on accessibility topics at major conferences. He is a perennial presenter at CSUN and a previous presenter at IAAF, sharing expertise on digital accessibility, program development, and compliance strategies.

Presenters: Managing Change, Sustaining Accessibility, Day 1

Michael Horton

Senior ICT Accessibility Specialist
General Services Administration

Michael Horton is a Senior ICT Accessibility Specialist within the Office of Government-wide Policy at the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), where he provides technical assistance and strategic guidance to federal agencies on Section 508 compliance and digital accessibility.

He is an experienced accessibility and technology professional with over 30 years of expertise in web-based application development, accessibility engineering, and digital policy compliance. A compliance subject matter expert and DHS Certified Trusted Tester, Michael is a long-standing advocate for digital inclusion and joined GSA’s Government-wide IT Accessibility Program in 2018 to help agencies advance equitable access, independence, and dignity in federal services and workplaces for people with disabilities.

Prior to GSA, Michael served for eight years as the Section 508 Program Manager at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), where he led agency-wide accessibility compliance efforts. Earlier in his career, he held roles as a software engineer, front-end web developer, partner advocate, and online policy and compliance specialist at America Online (AOL), building a foundation that bridges technical implementation with accessibility governance and user-centered design.

Speaker: Welcome & Opening Remarks, Day 2

Florence Iglesias

Federal Lead for Data and AI Engineering
Federal Transit Administration

Florence Iglesias serves as the Lead for Data and AI Engineering for the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Federal Lead for Data Analytics and Business Intelligence at the FTA. Since joining the agency in 2018, she has spearheaded numerous initiatives to modernize data infrastructure, transforming complex datasets into transparent, high-level insights for executive leadership. In her dual capacity as the ACOR for the FTA’s AI Program and lead for Data Analytics, Florence is instrumental in delivering cutting-edge AI and data solutions to her organization.

Presenter: Beyond the Checklist: Revolutionizing PDF Accessibility with Generative AI, Day 1

Dr. Rachael Montgomery

Digital Accessibility Architect
Library of Congress

Dr. Rachael Bradley Montgomery has been involved in human computer interaction (HCI) and accessibility for over 25 years. She has a Master’s degree in Information Science from University of Illinois, with an emphasis on evaluating emerging technology. She received a Ph.D. in Information Studies from the University of Maryland, where she focused on HCI and accessibility. Rachael continues to teach those subjects periodically at both institutions.

During her career, the majority of Rachael’s work has been in libraries and government agencies. She has provided the needed technical guidance to establish digital accessibility programs at two U.S. government agencies and advised several others. She started and led the disability employee resource group at MITRE and launched their internal accessibility program. Rachael currently works as an Accessibility Architect at the Library of Congress, where she collaborates with an incredible team to support digital accessibility.

Rachael became an active member of the World Wide Web Consortium in 2016. Her contributions include co-facilitating the Cognitive and Learning Disability Taskforce from 2019-21 and chairing the Accessibility Guidelines Working Group for the last six years. She is an editor for (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) WCAG 2.2, (W3C Accessibility Guidelines) WCAG 3.0 and Making Content Usable for People with Cognitive and Learning Disabilities.

In 2018, Rachael founded Accessible Community, an international nonprofit that provides resources and services to help smaller, community organizations improve all aspects of accessibility while training the next generation of accessibility professionals, particularly those with disabilities.

Presenter: Keynote Address, Day 1

Andrew Nielson

Director, Government-wide IT Accessibility Program
General Services Administration

Andrew is the Director of the Government-wide IT Accessibility Program in GSA’s Office of Government-wide Policy, which has the mandate, under Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to provide technical assistance to federal agencies and individuals in meeting Section 508 requirements. Andrew is an expert in the field of information and communication technology (ICT) accessibility. He is Co-Chair of the annual ICT Accessibility Testing Symposium, which brings together other experts from around the world in the field of ICT accessibility testing to exchange academic analysis of current ICT accessibility testing issues and explore approaches to improve accessibility testing practices. He is a principal co-author of the current version of the Harmonized Processes for Revised Section 508: Baseline Tests for Web Accessibility (aka the “ICT Baseline”). Andrew was also the coordinator and facilitator of the inter-agency team of experts that developed both the Baseline and the current version of the “Trusted Tester” accessibility testing process, which is recognized across the federal government as a leading practice in accessibility testing.

Speaker: Welcome & Opening Remarks, Day 1
Speaker: Closing Remarks - Day 1, Day 1
Speaker: Keys to Successful Executive Engagement, Day 2
Speaker: IAAF Closing Remarks, Day 2

Amy Nieves

Public Affairs Specialist
United States Access Board

Amy Nieves serves as the Public Affairs Specialist in the Office of Executive Director at the Access Board. She is a nationally recognized facilitator, keynote speaker, and community leader, dedicated to advancing accessibility. In 2024, Government Technology recognized her as one of the Top 25 Doers, Dreamers & Drivers, celebrating her transformative leadership in government and technology. Prior to her appointment to the Access Board, Nieves served as the Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities in the City of Philadelphia, where she spearheaded initiatives to enhance accessibility. She is also a Governor-appointed Council Member of the Pennsylvania Developmental Disabilities Council, advocating for policies that empower disabled communities. Nieves holds a bachelor’s degree from York College of Pennsylvania, a master’s degree in human relations from the University of Oklahoma, and an advanced graduate studies degree from Eastern University. She is currently a PhD Candidate at Eastern University focusing her research on disabled leadership in public service.

Facilitator: Connections That Move Accessibility Forward: Guided Networking for 508 Program Managers, Day 2

David O'Keefe

Events and Communication Specialist
United States Access Board

David O’Keefe serves as the Events and Communication Specialist in the Office of Executive Director at the Access Board. His work involves planning and coordinating logistics for virtual and in-person public events, as well as managing the Board’s social media content and engagement. He previously served as a Team Leader for FEMA Corps (AmeriCorps NCCC) and as the Cultural Affairs Assistant for the State University of New York (SUNY) at Orange County Community College. O’Keefe holds an M.A. in Technical and Professional Writing from Middle Georgia State University and a B.A. in Digital Media Production from SUNY New Paltz.

Presenter: Advancing Accessibility and Engagement on Social Media, Day 1

Dr. Sachin Dev Pavithran

Executive Director, Office of Executive Director
United States Access Board

Dr. Sachin Dev Pavithran is the Executive Director of the Access Board. In this role, Pavithran oversees research funded by the Access Board that supports the development of rules and voluntary guidelines in the areas of transportation, information and communication technology, the built environment, and outdoor recreation. With over twenty years of direct involvement in development, testing, and training for assistive technology, Pavithran has given lectures and training in accessible information technology for individuals and groups, as well as assisted in the evaluation of products related to web accessibility and design. Pavithran also has extensive experience working with the higher education community in providing access to instructional materials to facilitate transitioning from K – 12 to post-secondary education into the workforce. Pavithran has presented and provided training in the U.S. and worldwide, including in the United Arab Emirates, India, Egypt, Syria, Philippines, Thailand, Turkey, and Mexico.

Speaker: Welcome & Opening Remarks, Day 1

Dan Pomeroy

Deputy Associate Administrator, Office of Technology Policy
General Services Administration

Dan Pomeroy currently serves as the Deputy Associate Administrator in the Office of Technology Policy within the Office of Government-wide Policy at the General Services Administration (GSA). Dan’s work is focused on enabling Federal CIOs to deliver world-class information technology services across government, particularly in the areas of accessibility, identity credentialing, digital services, IT infrastructure modernization, and IT capital planning. In 2020, Dan established a dedicated emerging technology policy office in GSA.

Dan Pomeroy has also served as the first Director of the Infrastructure Optimization Center of Excellence under the White House Office of American Innovation, and as the Director of GSA’s Data Center and Cloud Optimization Initiative (DCCOI) Managing Partner PMO.

Dan is a native of Las Vegas, Nevada. He possesses a Masters in Public Service and Administration from Bush School of Government at Texas A&M University, and a Master of Science in Government Information Leadership from the National Defense University.

Speaker: Keys to Successful Executive Engagement, Day 2

Siddhartha 'Sid' Sharma

Section 508 Program Manager
Department of the Interior

Serves as the Department of the Interior’s Section 508 Program Manager. As Interior’s Section 508 Program Manager, he manages and oversees the implementation of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and ensures all IT products and services developed, procured, maintained and used by Interior are accessible to individuals with disabilities.

Presenters: The NPS.gov Media Player and Media Workflow: An Accessible Option for All Government, Day 1

Betsy Sirk

Director, Digital Accessibility and Strategic Sourcing
National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Ms. Betsy Sirk is the Director of Digital Accessibility and Strategic Sourcing for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) with extensive leadership experience implementing digital solutions to support NASA’s mission and those of the Federal Government. She serves as Chairperson of the Accessibility Community of Practice Industry Outreach Program and directs Digital Accessibility initiatives at NASA Headquarters and the Goddard Space Flight Center. She is a renowned digital accessibility expert and advocate.

Ms. Sirk also leads government-wide strategic sourcing efforts for Federal Mobility and End-User Computing. Her distinguished career highlights include implementing information technologies and system architectures to support NASA’s critical return-to-flight efforts for the Space Shuttle Program. Ms. Sirk has received numerous Government and Industry awards. She graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelors Degree from the University of Maryland and holds a Masters Degree with Distinction in Computer Science from George Washington University.

Presenter: Navigating Section 508 Exceptions: Best Practices, Day 2