By Rosemary Musachio, CPACC, Chief Accessibility Officer

Notice the acronym after my name. CPACC stands for Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies. I recently discovered that I had earned this title after I took the certification exam in January. I’m excited and honored to be among the few so far to be recognized as an expert in the accessibility industry. Currently, around 200 industry professionals have earned their CPACC. The International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP) offers the certification to qualified individuals who have worked in the accessibility industry for several years. CPACC candidates also must be proficient in English.

By being certified in accessibility, something that I’ve been doing for sixteen years, I will be seen as more credible. More people on social media networks, such as LinkedIn, are reaching out to me for advice and input. Not only does that strengthen my self-esteem, it also makes me feel that I’m making a difference in the business and education worlds.

Having a CPACC means companies will know you have fundamental knowledge about disabilities, accessibility and universal design, and laws and standards. With the prestigious credential following your name, business leaders will recognize your commitment to the accessibility field. They seek your advice and insights on accessibility issues regarding technology, architecture, commerce, and transportation. If an employer seeks applicants who have CPACC or require current employees to take it, the company realizes how important accessibility and inclusion are to its success. The certified accessibility professional ensures the office environment and technologies would be accommodating for employees with disabilities. For instance, someone who’s accredited in accessibility would be sure to know that buttons on a kiosk should be in different shapes or sizes for a blind person to use it, than someone who lacks the accreditation.

CPACC’s also are more competent in helping businesses reach out to customers with disabilities. For example, an accessibility accredited web developer ensures that they can use a website without difficulties based on laws and standards such as Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 508 Refresh, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 (WCAG 2.0). Consequently, the certified personnel are expected to know accessibility laws thoroughly so a business would avoid potential litigation.

CPACC also is beneficial because it gives credence to accessibility principles in college courses and job training. Right now 92% of federal websites don’t comply with accessibility standards. This is because many web developers don’t have instructors who were accredited in accessibility. Besides technology, other fields lack accessibility competence in educating their professionals. For instance, if pre-meds and

nursing students have courses who are taught by CPACC professors, they would treat patients with accessible attitudes, learning how to communicate better with them. Or if future teachers take courses in universal design for learning, which is part of CPACC, they would know to apply different learning and testing techniques based on students with

diverse abilities.

As more professionals become CPACC certified, persons with disabilities will start noticing the impact. Accessibility in every realm of life will become the norm, not the exception. The employment rate of individuals with disabilities will increase. Commercial and professional services will reap from our patronage. ADA and other disability-based lawsuits will dwindle, being replaced with appeals for more consumers to buy from businesses. Medical professionals who will receive CPACC-based training will communicate with patients with disabilities more effectively, and teachers will understand better the learning dynamics of students with diverse abilities. That’s what being certified in accessibility does.

For more information on becoming a Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies, Please visit the CPACC’s FAQ Page.

Social Media and Accessibility

By Debra Ruh, CEO of Ruh Global Communications

I am a big communicator and to be honest it got in trouble a lot in school for chattering.  In High School, teachers said that I couldn’t stop talking and my Mom often got notes about this issue.  I remember in 5^th grade my teacher saying if one more person talks or laughs you will be staying after school.  You guessed it that made me giggle and yes – I stayed after school and then stay in my room that weekend on restriction.  I love to talk, sing, write and just chatter.  My family and friends understand and usually appreciate this about me.  Sometimes I think my husband wouldn’t mind gagging me but after 29 years of marriage he would never openly say that because then we would have to “talk” about it.  He says that I even talk in my sleep.

So I bet you have guessed it – I LOVE social media.  Social Media allows me to chatter with people all over the world.  Plus I can get instantaneous chatter back, I remember when Virginia had our earthquake (okay California- no wise cracks) it was traumatic for us.  I couldn’t believe how many aftershocks we felt.  One night we had a 5.3 aftershock and it woke everyone up in the house.  My husband and daughter went back to sleep but I was shaken and started thinking scary thoughts like what if a really big one comes and what if a tree falls on the house.  I have a great imagination and sometimes I don’t appreciate it late at night.  So I got up and got on my social media to chatter about it and calm my nerves.  I chattered with people all over Richmond and it really helped calmed me down and made me feel safe knowing others were feeling the same way.

I also use social media to chatter about the community of people with disabilities (PwD) and accessible Internet, Communications and Technology (ICT).  I believe that the community of PwD is starting to find our voices via social media.  However, there are some significant accessibility problems with social media.   We find that many social media tools and applications are not blending accessibility into their products.  So PwD are often left out of the social media conversation and movement because they are inaccessible

Really – come on – can’t everyone be allowed to participate?  If we don’t make social media accessible than we continue to widen the “Digital Divide” and according to the World Health Organization (WHO) one in seven people are impacted with disabilities worldwide.  Plus 1 out of 3 households in the U.S. are impacted by disabilities.  Worldwide, this group numbers 500-750 million people and is a key influencer of the public’s perceptions.

The Internet has opened many opportunities and has greatly improved the quality of life for these users, but they still face barriers. You might think of disabilities in extreme terms such as blindness and deafness, but it also includes many others with visual or hearing impairments that are increasingly common in our aging population, and other challenges such motor and cognitive impairment.

Can an organization really afford to lose this audience?  I don’t think so and this community is really chattering on the more accessible platforms so if social media tools are not accessible those platforms stand to lose out on major benefits.

Sometimes we hear that it is too hard to make an application or platform accessible.  How ridiculous – accessibility should be built into the system just like you would build in privacy, security or usability.

There is NO excuse to not make your Social Media applications fully accessible so that everyone can use them.   In years past, developers were afraid that making the application accessible would make a system less usable or “dummy” the system down.  Once again, ridiculous – we have seen amazing strides with accessible social media and now it is BAD design if you do not blend accessibility into the process level.

Want to know more?  Join our free webinar on Accessible Social Media or download a free trial version of our Accessibility Management Platform (AMP) it is a knowledge platform that has tons of tips, online training and suggestions for making applications fully accessible.

For further information about TecAccess and their current endeavors, visit their website at SSB Bart Group

The ROI of Hiring Technologists with Disabilities

By Debra Ruh, Founder of TecAccess, CEO and Founder of Ruh Global Communications

Employers looking to gain a strategic edge may find that hiring technologists with disabilities provides an attractive return on investment.  Technologists with disabilities give everyone from private industry to educational institutions a way to improve the accessibility of their technology, hire a diverse workforce, and drive in more business by focusing on social responsibility and inclusion.

Individuals with disabilities represent a huge market segment and a large untapped workforce.  Additionally, with the recent amendments to the ADA and the updates coming soon to Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, technological accessibility needs to keep pace with the new legislation.  These developments will require employers to address accommodation issues in the workplace, something that can be helped by having employees with disabilities in high tech and management positions.

However, disability related myths can impede this process.  I worked with one large company that basically said, “We are going to decide what jobs can be done by persons with disabilities and then direct individuals with disabilities to those positions”.  But it’s not the place of the employer to determine what jobs people with disabilities can do.  An employer simply need to make sure that its HR systems and processes are fully accessible, and if a candidate applies and is qualified for the job, interview them and hire them to do the job.  Period.

Employers can make a wise investment in hiring technologists with disabilities.  A recent Department of Labor report indicated that workers with disabilities consistently meet or exceed the job performance of coworkers without disabilities.  One good example can be found in a Canon facility outside of Chicago that began refurbishing cameras.  They hired people with intellectual disabilities and the first year the program saved over $19 million.  They also noticed that the plant’s overall productivity increased at a higher rate than other locations.  Employees at the plant also reported increased morale and pride to work for the company.  Such intangibles can be valuable to employers seeking a competitive edge in the marketplace.

By Debra Ruh, CEO and Founder of Ruh Global Communications

My family has been an Amazon customer for many years and I use the Kindle application.  I was discouraged to learn that Amazon’s latest Kindle the Kindle Fire is once again NOT accessible to people with vision loss.  I was shocked to read the NFB and AFB press release and blogs noting that Amazon Kindle Fire was not accessible to people with vision loss?  How can that happen again?  Accessibility has built accessible products and this process should have been built into the process life cycle?

National Federation of the Blind Condemns Lack of Access to New Kindle Fire, Baltimore, Maryland (September 29, 2011):  Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said:  “Blind Americans have repeatedly asked Amazon to include accessibility for the blind in its Kindle product line.  The feasibility of including accessibility in similar products has been demonstrated.  The Department of Education and the Department of Justice have made it clear that Kindle devices cannot be purchased by educational institutions, libraries, and other entities covered by this country’s disability laws unless the devices are fully accessible.  Despite all this, Amazon has released a brand new Kindle device, the Kindle Fire, which cannot be used by people who are blind.  Enough!  We condemn this latest action by Amazon and reiterate that we will not tolerate technological discrimination.  The National Federation of the Blind seeks nothing less than equal access to all technology for blind people.  It is one of the most critical civil rights issues facing blind Americans in the twenty-first century, and we will do everything in our power to see that this right is secured.”

Darren Burton writes a blog for AFB: “I have written several articles in AFB’s AccessWorld Magazine chronicling the lack of accessibility of Amazon’s Kindle electronic book reading devices as they have evolved over the last few years. The original Kindle was completely inaccessible to blind people, and our community protested loudly and clearly. Amazon responded by adding some text-to-speech functionality to the second and third versions. Although that still did not lead to what I would call an accessible Kindle, the incremental improvements did give us some hope for the future.

Unfortunately, that appears to have been wasted hope as Amazon recently announced the impending release of the new Kindle Fire. The Fire is a touch-screen version of their popular device, and I understand that this version will again be completely inaccessible to blind people. To be blunt, I am absolutely disgusted with Amazon, as they apparently have no shame. They have no excuse in this day and age, as it has already been proven by Apple that a touch screen tablet can be made accessible. Amazon knows very well that we expect equal access to their devices, and they turned their backs on us once again. It is simply outrageous that Amazon and others who create many of today’s electronic books also create barriers for millions of potential customers who are blind.  For people with vision loss eager to read, I recommend ebooks from Apple’s iBooks app on the iPhone/Pod/Pad. Bookshare is also a great resource.” 1

As noted by NFB and AFB, the community has been through this situation with Amazon several times before.  The first version of the Kindle was accessible and was applauded by the community of people with disabilities.  The community also bought many of these devices.  We were dismayed when they next version was inaccessible and the community voice their concerns.

“Arizona State University’s decision to use the Kindle 2 in a pilot program has drawn criticism from advocates for the blind, who say the electronic book reader is inaccessible to blind students. The National Federation of the Blind and the American Council of the Blind are seeking a preliminary injunction in federal court to stop ASU’s plan to use the device in place of traditional textbooks in three class sections. They say ASU’s decision to pilot the Kindle discriminates against blind students because they cannot access all of the device’s features.  At issue is the Kindle’s navigation menu, which contains no audio option. A blind person cannot select a book or activate features such as the function to have the book read aloud.  Advocacy groups want ASU to hold off until the device is fully accessible. They worry that if the pilot succeeds, more professors will start incorporating Kindles into their classrooms.”2

The debate raged and got international attention and Amazon finally decided to make the Kindle 2 accessible.

“The Authors Guild has objected to the Kindle 2’s text-to-speech feature and Amazon — which also sells audiobooks — is giving publishers the ability to stop it working.  Following objections from the Authors Guild in the US, Amazon has caved on the text-to-speech features of the new Kindle 2 ebook reader. It will now enable publishers and authors to disable the text-to-speech (TTS) function if they want.  There shouldn’t be anything controversial about TTS: it’s been available on personal computers since the 1970s. It’s important to people who have impaired or no vision, but little used by anyone else. However, the Authors Guild argues that the audio rights for a book are different from the reading rights, even if the audio is provided by a software robot.”3

The community also took the time to praise Amazon after the made the Kindle accessible and we rewarded them by purchasing their products and services.  See the following note by the NFB after Amazon released an accessible version.

“National Federation of the Blind Commends Amazon on Unveiling of New

Accessible Kindle, Baltimore, Maryland (July 29, 2010): The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) today commended Amazon on the unveiling of a new, accessible Kindle.  Amazon announced Wednesday that the new Kindle will come equipped with a voice guide that reads all menu options aloud so blind and other print-disabled people can navigate the device menus.  Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said: “We commend Amazon on the unveiling of a new Kindle that blind and print-disabled people can use.  In order to compete in today’s digital society, blind and print-disabled people must be able to access the same reading technologies as the sighted.  The National Federation of the Blind has long been urging Amazon to make its reading device accessible, and we are pleased that our efforts have come to fruition.”4

It is a shame when the next version of an accessible product was released in an inaccessible version.  1 out of 3 households in the U.S. is impacted by disabilities. Worldwide, this group numbers 500-750 million people and is a key influencer of the public’s perceptions. The Internet has opened many opportunities and has greatly improved the quality of life for these users, but they still face barriers. You might think of disabilities in extreme terms such as blindness and deafness, but it also includes many others with visual or hearing impairments that are increasingly common in our aging population, and other challenges such motor and cognitive impairment. Can any organization afford to lose this audience?

Amazon is a wonderful company and I am sure they will make the new Amazon Kindle Fire accessible but it would be nice if it could become part of the process so that all future released will be accessible.  It sends mixed messages to the community for the products to be released inaccessible and then after we make a fuss the product is made accessible.  Why not just make is accessible from the beginning?   We all want to buy and enjoy your products, please consider making all products and services accessible during the development life cycle.

References:

1. The Latest Amazon Kindle: Lighting a Fire of Outrage by Darren Burton on 10/5/2011 2:32:50 PM
http://www.afb.org/blog/blog.asp?BlogID=7&BlogEntryID=196

2. Advocates for blind students sue ASU over Kindle use. Anne Ryman – Jul. 27, 2009 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2009/07/27/20090727nobooks0724lawsuit.html

3. Amazon caves to Authors Guild over Kindle’s text-to-speech reading

4. National Federation of the Blind Commends Amazon on Unveiling of New Accessible Kindle7/29/2010
http://www.nfb.org/nfb/NewsBot.asp?MODE=VIEW&ID=625

5. The Latest Amazon Kindle: Lighting a Fire of Outrage by Darren Burton on 10/5/2011 2:32:50 PM
http://www.afb.org/blog/blog.asp?BlogID=7&BlogEntryID=196

For many, the ability to telework — working remotely, usually from home, via computer — is viewed as a pleasant convenience, a benefit offered by progressive employers to enhance the work environment. But for the employees of TecAccess, it is a necessity of professional life.

“Commuting to work is annoying for many of us,” said TecAccess founder Debra Ruh. “But for most of my employees, it’s impossible.”

TecAccess, an electronics and information technology (E&IT) company, employs more than 30 associates, nearly all of whom have disabilities ranging from quadriplegia to cognitive disabilities. Many TecAccess employees, including market analyst Rosemary Musachio, require access to assistive technologies or personal care assistance that makes it difficult to work outside the home. Musachio, who has cerebral palsy, cannot speak or use her hands, but uses a word board and headpointer to communicate, both in her work for TecAccess and as a regular columnist for Sun Newspapers.

According to a 1997 U.S. Census Bureau report, the employment rate for adults aged 25 to 64 with a severe disability is just above 30 percent (and has hovered at this level for the past 12 years), with median earnings of $13,272, compared with an 84 percent employment rate for adults without disabilities, who also draw nearly $23,000 in median earnings. But constantly improving assistive technologies and a global telecommunications infrastructure have made access to higher paying, flexibly scheduled jobs more achievable.

And broadband, said Ruh, has made it practical.

About 70 percent of TecAccess associates use broadband to telecommute, collaborating with one another and with their clients. The remaining 30 percent, including Ruh herself, are dialing up and waiting not-so-patiently for broadband to become available in their areas.

“Broadband is so important to where we’re going. Some people think broadband is trendy, that it’s a nice convenience, but not really necessary,” Ruh said. “But not for TecAccess associates and for the millions of other people with disabilities.

“Broadband isn’t a luxury. Broadband is the difference between quality of life or not. It’s about being able to work and being able to interact in ways that haven’t always been possible for people with disabilities. One of our associates said to me, ‘You gave me my life back. You gave me my respect back.’ “

TecAccess specializes in information technology (IT) accessibility as well as compliance solutions for Section 508 of the U.S. Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and 1998, providing accessibility testing and assessment, training, engineering, policy review and consulting. Section 508 requires federal agencies to make their electronic and information technology accessible to people with disabilities. The quickly growing company’s clients include some well-known corporations, including Avaya, Wachovia, Verizon, Canon and Circuit City, not to mention U.S. government bodies, including the Navy, the Social Security Administration and the Department of Agriculture.

Ruh, who started TecAccess in the late 1990s, was inspired by her daughter, Sara, who has Down Syndrome. Ruh, a former telecommunications and IT professional, realized that the future employment options for Sara were limited, so she decided to create an IT company that would hire mainly people with disabilities.

“People said, ‘Oh, open up a bakery, open up a T-shirt shop,” said Ruh. “But what do I know about cakes or clothing?”

Instead, Ruh created a company with a specialized mission and a compelling logic: evaluation and development of disability-accessible technologies by people with disabilities.

Originally, the company’s focus was on building accessible Web sites for companies, work that is clearly a perfect fit for the telecommuting model. But as the company expanded, they found an increasing number of their clients were looking for assistance in Section 508 compliance and the accessibility of technologies beyond the Internet. From there, growth has been rapid and exciting.

For example, one corporation that was working with TecAccess on various accessibility projects asked the company for its recommendation on the “dream copier.” If money were not a consideration, what would a totally accessible copier look like? Sean Stapleford, a TecAccess associate who is paralyzed from the neck down, came up with 15 pages of ideas, from symmetrical voice automation (the copier both responds to voice commands and provides voice prompts to assist users with tasks) to a copier that senses when it needs to be repaired and automatically contacts the technician, or in some cases, repairs itself.

“The client brought Sean’s ideas to their engineers in Japan, who were really excited by what he suggested,” Ruh said. “They are actually building some of his ideas into their next design.”

Ruh is counting on broadband to continue to open doors for people with disabilities. True high-speed connectivity not only supports a “virtual office,” by allowing video conferencing and transmission of large files and applications between locations, but provides people with disabilities — typically a more isolated and under-served population — with more opportunities to interact socially, learn marketable skills and achieve increasing fiscal and social independence.

Ruh is excited about the possibilities for herself and her employees with fiber to the home. For now, she’d settle for access to a DSL line (she estimates that she’s contacted her local carrier no fewer than 30 times in the last year or so to see if broadband is available in her area yet!), but for the long term, she knows her associates, and millions of other individuals with disabilities, will need as much bandwidth as they can get.

“The technologies that assist people with disabilities are constantly improving, offering more options, more independence and more accessibility,” said Ruh. “If telecommunications can’t keep up with our technology, we might as well just slow down our technology. And that’s not going to happen. That can’t happen. So let’s make sure the telecommunications can keep up with us.”

As for TecAccess, Ruh and her associates continue to draw big corporate clients, with the dual goals of both improving technology accessibility as well as growing the employment opportunities for people with disabilities. Ruh has set her sights on developing a curriculum for training people with disabilities for information technology professions.

“It’s time for more companies like this, don’t you think?” said Ruh. “And without broadband, without the Internet, we could not have this company. We would not exist.”

For further information about TecAccess and their current endeavors, visit their website at SSB Bart Group

Debra Ruh makes high-tech available to those who are Disabled

TechAccess, works with businesses large and small to ensure the disabled can use their products.

By David Karas, Contributor / August 2, 2011
Christian Science Monitor

Debra Ruh’s life changed dramatically when her four-month-old daughter, Sara, was diagnosed with Down syndrome.

While the news was devastating, Ms. Ruh decided to turn her family’s challenge into a blessing and a redirection.

Harnessing her technological expertise, Ruh started TecAccess, a company with the core mission of making Information and Communication Technologies more accessible, notably to those with disabilities.

“We make sure technology is accessible to everybody,” Ruh says. “Everything that we choose to put out on the internet [as well as the newest gadgets on the market] … all of that should be accessible to people with disabilities.”

Working with corporations and businesses large and small, Ruh’s Rockville, Va.-based company aims to ensure that those with any disabilities, whether physical, developmental, or mental, have the same access to web pages, videos, programs, and tech products as do those without disabilities.

Her firm has worked with prominent companies such as Canon, Dell, HP, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Bank of America, among others, to help them meet accessibility mandates, serve as models for best practices, and reach an audience that is often left out of the market.

Her firm has also studied the accessibility of websites for Best Buy, Walgreens, and CVS, among others.

“These large, multinational companies – they truly do want their products and services to be fully accessible,” says Ruh, adding that there is a business opportunity in broadening the market for a given company’s products. One in three American households is touched by a disability, Ruh says, making these families a sizable market.

It’s also important that those with disabilities have access to social media sites. “By not including people with disabilities, we are increasing the digital divide,” she says.

“Practice what you preach” has not been lost on Ruh: A majority of her own employees are disabled.

“We just welcome technologists with disabilities into our workforce,” Ruh says. Her staff includes members who are blind, hard of hearing, quadriplegic, and bipolar, as well as those diagnosed with traumatic brain injury, cerebral palsy, and severe depression.

“Companies still don’t see the value in employing people with disabilities,” she says, adding that her company sees it as making sense, especially given its mission.

Many people are not born with disabilities, but rather acquire them at some point in their lives, she says. But that does not mean they cannot be good employees whose expertise and skills can be harnessed.

The recession has hit her company hard, and Ruh has worked out a merger with another company with the same mission – SSB Bart Group. Today, the two function together, harnessing shared resources and client bases.

Ruh says she feels a purpose behind what she is doing and a calling that she strives to serve.

“I have a story that is unfolding, and I’ve been fascinated watching it unfold – and at times stressed out watching it unfold,” she says during a phone interview.

At the center of that story is her daughter, Sara.

She recalls the shock that came after her daughter’s diagnosis, which neither she nor her husband had even considered during her pregnancy. While there have been struggles, Ruh says, she calls her daughter to be a blessing.

“We’ve always lived our lives like that,” she says. “Sara was always a gift. It’s not a tragedy.”

Sara is now 24, and she remains the focal point of her mother’s efforts.

Ruh says there’s still a need for a better understanding of disabilities in America.

“We still tend to look at people with disabilities with sadness or the charity model,” she says. “People are still very uneducated on the topic … [but] there are too many people impacted to ignore it.”

For further information about TecAccess and their current endeavors, visit their website at SSB Bart Group

Abstract:   Technology is accessible if it can be used just as effectively by people 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 government, private industry, and educational institutions.

To understand the impact one has to look no further than the World Health Organization which indicates that people with disabilities are the world’s fastest growing minority group.  With the world’s 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.

An inclusive and universal design approach to technology is critical to organizations wishing to serve the disabled population, and to tap into the many possibilities now made available through advancements in assistive technology.

The purpose of this paper is to review current and pending Worldwide Electronic and Information Technology (E&IT) Accessibility trends, regulation, standards and guidelines and understand their impact on the end user.   The objective is to identify and analyze significant issues, risks and opportunities and to develop recommendations to assist E&IT decision makers in planning and positioning so that to take advantage of opportunities.

This paper will provide a baseline for monitoring trends in each of these areas and a repository of legislation, regulation, standards, guidelines and best practices to guide E&IT researchers in making decisions with regard to the accessibility of E&IT products, programs, services and information.

1. Introduction

Yet many people are still 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 further than the World Health Organization (WHO) (2003) which indicates that people with disabilities are one of the largest and fastest growing minority groups. It is becoming clear that public and private entities who make their technology accessible can reach a largely untapped and underserved market, a demographic that represents both spending and voting power, a population that exhibits a strong desire to learn and improve despite facing physical and cognitive challenges (The Solution Marketing Group, 2007).

Approximately 750 million people live with disabilities of various types, says the World Health Organization (2003), and the number is increasing due to the rise of chronic diseases, injuries, war, car crashes, falls, violence and aging.

In recent years the international community has recognized the importance of reliable information on various aspects of disability prevention, rehabilitation and care, and most importantly the need to invest in assistive technology services that can ensure equality of opportunities and good quality of life for persons with disabilities.

As an example, the United Nations’ Millennium Declaration; the United Nations’ Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities; International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health officially endorsed at the Fifty-fourth World Health Assembly in 2001; the United Nations World Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons; the African Decade of Disabled Persons, 2000-2009; the Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons, 1993-2002; the New Asian Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons, 2003-2012; and the European Year of People with Disabilities, 2003 (United Nations Statistics Division, 2007).

An inclusive and universal design approach to technology is critical to both government agencies and private industry wishing to anticipate future needs of this growing population.  By recognizing the importance of the protection and promotion of the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities through assistive technology, the world is just beginning to strengthen national policies, strategies, and programs along with an increase in awareness of the public at large of the importance of the issue of disability and assistive technology.

2.  Findings

There are many types of disabilities:

• Blindness and visual limitations
• Deafness and hearing limitations
• Speech limitations
• Mobility limitations
• Multiple limitations
• A person with any one – or even all – of these disabilities can still enjoy the many benefits of goods, products, business, governmental services, and education when organizations take into consideration a few key points (National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, 2004).
• Often times some of the most simple and cost effective solutions are ignored or overlooked, a mistake that organizations can no longer make when trying to attract, serve, and retain this loyal consumer base.
• Many related laws, regulations and standards (LRS) for accessibility of electronic and information technology (E&IT) currently exist and are gaining significant recognition.

Most notably:

• World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Web Guidelines
• Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended
• Section 255 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996
• Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
• The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) of the United Kingdom
• The Federal Disability Discrimination Act of Australia (1992)
• Canadian Human Rights Act of 1977
• World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Web Guidelines.

• There is an increase of new accessibility laws, regulations, and standards being developed across most geographic regions of the world, in particular EMEA and Japan.  However, it is widely publicized that these efforts are not being developed in a unified and consistent manner and therefore reports of fragmentation of these standards has become a major issue (United Nations Statistics Division, 2007).
• Fragmentation of accessible E&IT laws, regulations, and standards is prevalent across all geographic regions, countries, and states.  As a result, fragmentation has driven up costs due to E&IT vendors needing to develop and test their products to multiple standards, creating longer lead times for industry and consumers, and establishing a need for global standards harmonization.
• Formalization of standards or efforts to create a “certification of compliance” vs. a “self declaration of conformance” for accessible E&IT products and services may continue to guide standards towards fragmentation.  Risks associated with formalization of certification include; restricted innovation, increased costs, and delayed time to market.
• Individuals and consumer groups are using non-E&IT legislation; Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) of the United Kingdom and the Federal Disability Discrimination Act of Australia (1992), to satisfy E&IT accessibility-related grievances. These initiatives drive the momentum of E&IT accessibility standards.
• Identification of key “players” to monitor, for example, governments and organizations whose efforts may realize the greatest impact on the adoption of common E&IT accessibility laws and standards.
• Where environmental and privacy issues are more homogenous, issues around E&IT tend to be more disparate.  Due to the many types of disabilities and age-related impairments, one size accessible product solution does not fit all.
• Providing accessible E&IT products and services also benefits the growing population affected by age related impairments in addition to people with disabilities.

3.  Opportunities

Demand for accessible technology and services will continue to rise as governments move to meet the needs of citizens. According to Forrester Research (2003), there are several notable opportunities currently available for those successfully involved in this endeavor:

• Provide and market accessible E&IT products and services as a market differentiator.
• Leverage the growing global population of aging users of technology – E&IT as a separate market segment by providing accessible products and solutions.
• Leverage accessibility solutions for the growing needs of mobile computing, i.e. PDAs, cell phones, low-bandwidth areas.
• Sale of third party Assistive Technology products.
• Gain loyalty of users of accessible products and features.
• Working with enterprises that need to provide accommodations for their employees.
• Web and Software Accessibility consulting opportunities which include provisions for design, remediation and services with specific public sectors.
• Accessibility consulting opportunities which include provisions for design, remediation and services.
• Partner with other 3^rd party web consulting services.
• Provide an all inclusive E&IT/Web Accessibility “solution package” to include standard products bundled with assistive technology products, and provides for installation, training, and support.
• Improve efficiency and ease of use for all end users.

4.  Defining the Market

Now that accessibility is evolving into a sound organizational practice for private industry and an efficient method of service delivery for governments, it is critical to be able define the growing market, and most important – understand how to reach this untapped consumer base.

Around the world more than 750 million people with disabilities are gaining recognition as a significant and growing market for products and services, and they are making their needs and expectations known.  Using information and communication technology that is accessible is the fastest way in which to reach people with disabilities and the elderly.

Millions of people with disabilities regularly travel, shop, go to school, and eat out with family and friends.  A study by the U.S. Department of Education found that one in five households in the U.S. is affected by a disability (US Census Bureau, 2003). The 2000 U.S. Census (nd) reported that almost 42% of older adults (65+ years) have one or more disabilities. In fact, in the US the percentage of people with disabilities is larger than any single ethnic, racial, or cultural group.  At 19.3%, the number of people with disabilities exceeds the next largest group — Hispanic people (14.9%) — by a fairly wide margin (U.S. Department of Justice, 2005).

In the UK, CSR Europe (n.d.) estimates that 8.6 million people (aged 16 and over) self-indentify as having a disability, which translates into 15% of the population.  By the year 2010, 40% of the UK population will be over 45 – the age at which incidence of disability increases.  Those over 50 years of age currently account for one fifth of the UK population, and they own more than 80 percent of the country’s asset wealth and are the group most likely to vote in general elections.  Surprising to some, 33% of 50-60 year olds now have a disability.

As pointed out by the U.S. Department of Justice (2005), as these numbers continue to grow, so does the spending and voting power of persons with disabilities.  Examples of the global spending power of people with disabilities include:

• United Kingdom: The Institute of Employment Studies reported that in 1999, Britons with disabilities had a disposable income total of £80 billion.
•  United States:  The President’s Executive Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities says individuals with disabilities control well over $220 billion in discretionary income.
• Australia: The Australian Bureau of Statistics estimated that Australians with disabilities have a discretionary income of at least AUS $26 billion.
• Canada: The Conference Board of Canada reported that the combined annual disposable income of working-aged Canadians with disabilities was a minimum CAN $25 billion.

This growing demographic now represents additional business and profit for private enterprise, and a swelling consumer base for government agencies. Accessibility attracts not only people with disabilities, but also their families and friends. Like anyone else, people with disabilities often visit stores, restaurants, movie theaters, and other businesses accompanied by family or friends. This expands the potential market exponentially (The Solutions Marketing Group, 2007).

Recent trends demonstrate that everyone – people with and without disabilities — benefit when businesses give customers with disabilities an equal opportunity to obtain their goods, and governments provide equal access to services. By positively recognizing people of all ability levels — businesses, schools, and government agencies can make it easier for people with disabilities, as well as others, to more easily access and purchase the services or products they have to offer. In other words, accessibility pays dividends and makes good business and organizational sense.

Making it possible for customers with disabilities to access your goods and services is not only an important part of complying with international accessibility standards, but is also an important part of any organizational management plan.

A historical perspective of the advancements in accessibility shows that in the past we have built ramps and elevators in lieu of stairs for people with disabilities to better access goods and services.  As the online landscape becomes a more critical aspect of daily life, it is now time that we build ramps to technology as well.

5. Perspectives from the Field

TecAccess, an international accessibility consultancy, recently conducted a brief survey to sample the opinions of people with disabilities when working with businesses, government agencies, and schools.

A sample of the responses included:

• “There is a general lack of awareness about how people with disabilities function,” was the most common statement.

• “There is little knowledge about how to write and speak with and about people with disabilities” was another.

• “Most people are deficient in knowledge about assistive technologies.”

• “There is a lack of patience in interacting with people with disabilities.”

• “People don’t listen” or are “Too quick to try to reach a solution without understanding the problem.”

• “No assistance for on-hand staff to answer questions and walk you to a specific area.”

• “There are typically a lack of shopper assistants, mobility devices, and bar code scanners for people who are blind.”

• “There is a deficiency in employee training with regard to disability awareness.”

• “Some organizations don’t accept relay calls for people who are deaf or hard of hearing.”

• “There is a lack of knowledgeable about accessibility features and devices.”

Moving forward, it is important to understand such responses in order to truly comprehend this audience.  A key element to this critical step is to know the basic functionality of standard assistive technologies used by people with disabilities.

In its most general form, “assistive technologies” refers to variety of technology used by people with disabilities such as screen readers, speech recognition, and Telecommunication Devices for the Deaf (TDD) or TTY.  By becoming familiar with these devices organizations can better understand how people with disabilities access and use programs, products, and services.

There are many types of assistive technology used by people with disabilities.

Examples include:

Augmented Output Devices

• Screen readers (JAWS, Window Eyes)
• Screen Magnification (MAGic, ZoomTEXT)
• Braille displays

Visual representation of auditory information for people who are deaf or hard of hearing

Augmented Input Devices

• Voice recognition (Dragon Naturally Speaking)

  

• Alternative keyboards
• Alternative pointing devices

There are as many accommodations and assistive devices as there are forms of disabilities.  It is therefore important not to forget that limitations come in many forms and organizations should be prepared to confront the many possibilities.

Its assistive technology examples such as these that demonstrate how services, programs, and products are not truly accessible until they are usable by everyone—this includes people with and without disabilities, many of whom use assistive devices.  Best of all, accessibility aids more than those with disabilities.

It also aids:

• an active aging population
• people who speak another language
• people with low vision
• people with learning disabilities
• people with low bandwidth

In other words, accessibility assists everyone.

It is therefore critical for businesses, government agencies, and schools to understand the common problems encountered by people with disabilities.  For example, if an organization is web-based or uses an IT component as part of sales management and customer outreach, then they should integrate all systems by configuring requirements and issues between assistive technologies used by consumers with disabilities (National Telecommunications and Information Administration, 2000).

This is actually much simpler than it sounds.  There are numerous easy-to-implement and cost effective solutions that allow people with disabilities to easily navigate IT systems. This holds true naturally for all manners of communicating with individuals with disabilities – whether it is over the phone, in person, by mail or onsite.  Most, if not all of potential issues, can be eliminated or improved upon by proper training of employees and staff that interact with people with disabilities, as well as marketing and sales teams that address consumers.   This goes back to simply knowing your audience, their needs, and their challenges (NCI, nd).

6.  Who’s Doing it Right?

Best Practice Examples:

Hewlett Packard’s goal is to develop technology that can meet the growing demand and expectations of consumers worldwide, including people with disabilities and age-related issues.

HP provides extensive Executive Support:

• For example, accessibility has become “proceduralized” at all levels of HP – from management to marketing – which maximizes the company’s potential to develop truly accessible electronic and information technology products.

• HP uses what they call the “Total Customer Experience” or TCE. HP looks at all of the touch points, from how a customer selects their product, to how the customer will use their product.

• HP also stresses Self Conformance – though not required by law, HP designs all products and websites towards Section 508 and W3C guidelines.

• HP provides detailed VPATs/Supports the Buy Accessible Wizard – HP provides summary-level and detailed VPATs for all products through an online VPAT Database, and provides accessibility/VPAT information for all products through the GSA Buy Accessible Wizard (BAW).

  

• HP’s AT Partner Program – HP partners with over 50 AT vendors to develop assistive technology on HP technology (desktops, notebooks, handhelds, printers, scanners, etc).  HP tests AT products and includes those results in their VPATs, and HP supports Microsoft and AT vendors in reporting their applications to next generation operating systems.

Similar to HP, IBM has also invested years in research to better understand the needs of people who experience a wide range of physical impairments or other difficulties that can affect their computer use and they continue to do so.

IBM is an industry leader, serving as a best practice:

• IBM’s slogan – Innovation for everyone. Enough Talk. Let’s Make it Happen.  IBM has demonstrated an understanding of the wide range of differences and abilities of computer users, and has turned questions of accessibility upside down.  “Instead of creating a world of ideal forms to which we then find ways for people to adapt themselves,” IBM asks, “Shouldn’t we be adapting the world to the people.”
• IBM has pioneered the cause to open the world of information technology (IT) to more people, regardless of ability or disability. IBM’s long-standing commitment to people with disabilities began in 1914 when IBM hired its first employee with a disability, 76-years before the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). From its fair hiring practices, to its dedication to making products and services accessible, to its commitment to research, IBM has been an industry leader in the accessibility arena for more than 50 years.
• For these efforts, IBM is the winner of the 21^st Century Business Partner Award by Goodwill International. In addition, IBM is the winner of the Helen Keller Award, and countless Disability Employment Awareness Awards and Business Awards for Partnership Programs with People with Disabilities.  Employees such as IBM’s Sr. Project Manager have received such distinctions as the National People with Disabilities Professional Achievers Award from the President of India.
• What began early on as a philanthropic effort has evolved into a business transformation effort for IBM and its clients.  IBM, along with all of private industry, is now seeing both the public and private sectors driving accessibility adoption.
• In 2000, IBM merged existing accessibility groups to form a worldwide Accessibility Center with locations in the United States, Europe, Japan and Australia. The Accessibility Center fosters product accessibility, works toward the harmonization of worldwide standards, applies research technologies to solve problems experienced by people with disabilities, creates industry-focused solutions and generates accessibility awareness.
• Helping people with disabilities access IT requires innovative technology. As part of the IBM Research organization, the Accessibility Center has a direct line to the scientists developing new technology. After promising ideas emerge from IBM Research, the Accessibility Center works with influencers, advocacy groups and clients to pilot these technologies. Successful pilot programs are turned into offerings that help more people access IT – regardless of ability or disability.

• As accessibility has evolved into a business transformation effort, IBM has remained dedicated to recruiting and hiring people with disabilities and helping them to be successful in the workplace. IBM advocates for people who have disabilities by instituting and maintaining favorable hiring practices and sponsoring education and employment programs.

Similar to the success of IBM and HP, there are plenty of other best practices to be found within the U.S. Federal Government.   The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is one such accessibility success story.  In fact, the USPTO has hired over 60 federal employees with disabilities due to their success.

The USPTO and its skilled employees today train vendors that do business with the government so that they too can “procedualrize” Section 508 and other accessibility law into their agency or business.

To assist in this process, the USPTO hosts hundreds of free training courses each year.

• In 2005, over 2,000 participants – government employees as well as private contractors – received training in everything from accessible software and web development, to telecommunications and PDAs.

• As a result, the contractors and vendors that participated in the accessibility trainings produced products faster, better, and cheaper than those that did not learn the benefits of accessible design.

• The end result – accessibility is the law; but it also saves money, increases productivity, and improves the quality of the end product.

• USPTO believes that the accessibility process should start from DAY 1.  As a vendor begins to create their product, the USPTO will evaluate the progress so that there are no surprises when the product is finally tested.

• The “evaluation team” keeps vendors on schedule, saving them time and money, so that the product is compliant before testing – opposed to other federal agencies that evaluate after testing, causing vendors to have to retrofit later.

• Because of the USPTO’s standardized approach, private industry and government are more productive and fiscally efficient.

• In fact, because of their ability to “standardize” Section 508 compliancy, the USPTO saves $19,000 per person a year, proving that it pays to make reasonable accommodations.

• The USPTO calculates their cost savings now that they are building compliance up front and don’t have to pay for remediation and retrofitting. They have embraced Section 508 and other accessibility law from the beginning.

• For these efforts, the USPTO earned the “Federal Government Best Practice for Outstanding Individual Federal Team,” and its E&IT Coordinator received the “Change Agent” Award by the Office of Civil Rights.

7.  Results

• By implementing some of these very simple and cost effective strategies, organizations can anticipate setting themselves apart – creating a market differentiator.
• Organizations can increase government services and sales by demonstrating and documenting product accessibility.
• Organizations can leverage a new market segment by demonstrating their leadership in the growing accessibility movement, and therefore capture a valuable consumer base that is currently up for grabs.
• Organizations can increase their public image and socially conscious standing by demonstrating their embrace of all people – those with disabilities, those without disabilities, as well as those who may be aging and acquiring a disability for the first time in their lives.
• Enables organizations to use accessible products to recruit and hire from an untapped, qualified labor pool.
• Organizations will also gain loyalty of users and positive brand recognition from those who rely on their accessible products and services.

8.  Recommendations

In carrying forward this message; there are key factors in developing a successful plan to promote your dedicated accessibility efforts.

• First, you must promote your accessibility solution up front.  Use it to set your organization apart, leverage the steps that you’ve taken, be proud of them, and make sure others are aware of your efforts.
• Get the “right” people involved.  Create an accessibility team, or host of experts on the topic.  Partner with experts in the field, and whenever possible, ask a person with a disability how you’re doing – using a person with a disability to test the accessibility and usability of your product will allow your organization to use a firsthand perspective as to what does and does not work.
• Become a trusted advisor, set yourself apart as experts on this topic, and leverage this knowledge to attract new customers, new employees, and new partners.
• Understand the end user’s motivations and requirements. Understand that this market is no different from the rest of us.

There is also an increasing need to educate everyone from front line staff up to top level management in disability awareness and in some of the difficulties people with disabilities might encounter with your program, products, and services.  It is important to educate these employees with such information so that they become more efficient, more comfortable, and more sympathetic to the concerns of people with disabilities.

Many issues relating to disability awareness and accessible technology can be fixed by properly training your employees and staff that interface with consumers. Topics should include:

• Understanding the different types of disabilities and common issues relating to each area.
• Be aware of hardware and software used to support these disabilities.
• Understand system requirements and configuration issues between assistive technology and IT.
• Present troubleshooting tips, checklists, and process for problem escalation.
• Provide disability awareness training – for example, disability awareness training that uses simulation exercises works best, (such as putting people in wheelchairs or blindfolding them) in order to allow non-disabled people to have an idea of what having a specific disability may be like.

Lastly, it is important to remember that an organization’s accessibility efforts represent a unique selling proposition and proof point.  It is therefore beneficial to promote your “disability-friendly story” based on your successful accessibility history and commitments. Promote your knowledge regarding disabilities and accessibility, emphasize your awareness of international disability movements, and publicize your accessible product knowledge.

9.  Summary

In order to improve services and interaction with people with disabilities, it critical to understand and have the data in place that is representative of today’s market.  The changing landscape of our current marketplace has resulted in a dramatic increase in the number of people who have disabilities and those acquiring disabilities for the first time in their lives as our population ages (Siegel, 1996).

It is now imperative that organizations understand and utilize assistive technologies while providing disability-friendly services, accessible solutions, and universally designed options for consumers and potential new consumers with disabilities and those with age-related limitations.

The advantages of effectively reaching people with disabilities are clear. If your goods and services prove to be functional and adaptable, and your support staff are familiar with and able to work with people with disabilities, then your organization stands to gain a tremendous marketplace advantage as this population continues to boom. In turn, organizations will increase loyalty to their goods and services, and ultimately their brand.  Investing in relationships increasingly requires understanding of how to connect to consumers – with and without disabilities, as well as those who self-identify with having a disability, and those who do not.  The benefits of attracting and maintaining consumers with disabilities extends beyond a niche audience, and moves firmly into supporting the needs of all people.

As people with disabilities drive the creation of new communities, they are forever changing the way we live, learn, work, and play. Increasingly, organizations are expanding their presence into emerging markets. Organizations are now serving populations that they have never before served. Every consumer is different. No two people have the same exact set of learning-styles, abilities, experiences, or educational background.

Good organizational management practices dictate that schools, businesses, and governments avoid unintentionally excluding large groups of consumers from accessing and using their product and service. Therefore, designing your goods and services with people with disabilities in mind can significantly increase the size of your audience, as well as the way in which you treat and manage your audience.

In conclusion, it is recommended that the reader remember and implement these examples and success stories, and to look within their respective organizational environments. Think about what you can do to better reach people with disabilities, and find creative ways to make it happen through accessible technology.

For further information about TecAccess and their current endeavors, visit their website at SSB Bart Group

References

CSR Europe, (N.D.), Disability: Facts and figures, Retrieved March 1, 2007, from http://www.csreurope.org/csrinfo/csrdisability/DisabilityFactsandfigures/Forrester Research, (2003). The Market for Accessible Technology, Retrieved March 1, 2007, from http://www.microsoft.com/enable/research/phase1.aspx

National Telecommunications and Information Administration, (2000, October). Falling Through the Net: Toward Digital Inclusion, Retrieved March 1, from http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/fttn00/Falling.htm#61

National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, (2004). NIDRR Chartbook, Retrieved March 1, 2007, from http://www.infouse.com/disabilitydata/workdisability.html

NCI, (n.d.). Commercial and Infomercial Captioning, Retrieved March 1, 2007, from http://www.ncicap.org/commcap.asp,

Siegel, J. (1996). Statistics: Aging into the 21st Century, National Aging Information Center, Retrieved March 1, 2007, from http://www.aoa.gov/prof/Statistics/future_growth/aging21/aging_21.asp,.

The Solutions Marketing Group, (2007). Benefits of disability marketing, Retrieved March 1, 2007, from http://disability-marketing.com/facts/

United Nations Statistics Division, (2007). Human Function and Disability, Retrieved March 1, 2007, from http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/sconcerns/disability/disab2.asp

U.S. Census Bureau (2003).  Anniversary of Americans with Disabilities Act, Retrieved March 1, 2007, from http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2003/cb03ff-10.html

US Census Bureau (n.d.).  American Fact Finder – Disability Data, Retrieved March 1, 2007, from http://factfinder.census.gov/home/saff/main.html?_lang=en

U.S. Department of Justice, (2005).  Expanding Your Market: Customers with Disabilities Mean Business, Retrieved March 1, 2007, from http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/buisstat.htm

World Health Organization, (2003). “Access to Rehabilitation for the 600 Million People Living with Disabilities,” Retrieved March 1, 2007, from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/notes/2003/np24/en