People with disabilities are one of the largest and fastest growing minority groups, with over $220 billion in discretionary income in the US alone. But beyond the business case, access to electronic and information technology by persons with disabilities is protected by law, including Section 508 of the U.S. Rehabilitation Act. Section 508 requires that electronic and information technology developed or purchased by the federal government is accessible by people with disabilities, and government procurement officers are strictly prohibited from doing business with any company that is not Section 508 compliant.

Currently, there are major changes underway in accessibility legislation that all companies must be aware of and prepared to address. Section 508 is under revision, there have been recent amendments to the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the UN is expected to soon ratify the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which includes IT accessibility mandates. This audio conference highlights the changes that will impact your company, and provides important information on compliance.

This audio conference covers:

• The importance of complying with Section 508 of the US Rehabilitation Act
• An overview of upcoming changes to Section 508
• Recent amendments to the Americans with Disabilities Act
• How an accessible design approach to technology can improve your bottom line
• Other legal mandates regarding accessibility

About the speaker:

Debra Ruh is the founder and CEO of TecAccess, providing accessibility solutions to government, education and industry. Debra was appointed to the Olmstead Board and Veteran Employment Board and serves as a board member of the US Business Leadership Network, Virginia Business Leadership Network, VA CEO Council, and the Parent Educational Advocacy Training Center Advisory Panel. Debra is the recipient of numerous awards, including Federal Computer Week’s 2008 “Fed Top 100 Award,” ANCOR Foundation’s 2008 Community Builder Award, Dell’s 2008 “Innovative Business” Award, 2007 Enterprising Women Magazine’s Advocacy Award, Northrop Grumman’s 2007 Community Support Award, and the 2007 Wells Fargo/NAWBO “Trailblazer” Award. She has been invited to speak on accessibility initiatives all over the world, and has been featured on CNN, NPR, CBS, ABC, NBC and in Fortune Magazine, US News & World Report, America’s Best, and Washington Technology.

Paul Quinn is the US Business Manager for BrowseAloud, providing technology to read text-heavy web pages out loud for those with literacy and visual impairments. He is responsible for building and developing the BrowseAloud community within the United States. Previously, he had the same responsibility for the north of England. Over a two-year period, Paul introduced BrowseAloud technology to a wide range of market sectors, including local government, health authorities and corporate organizations. Current high-profile clients include the US House of Representatives. Paul graduated from Queens University with an LLB Honors Degree in Law in 2000, and completed a Masters of Marketing with the University of Ulster in 2002. He spent four years in business-to-business sales for a leading recruitment advertiser in Northern Ireland before joining Texthelp in 2006.

Who should attend?

• C-Suite Executives
• Marketing Directors, Managers & VPs
• Public Relations
• Legal Counsel
• Risk Managers
• Regulatory Affairs
• IT, Usability Experts & Accessibility Managers
• Human Resources