TecAccess CEO to Present at EC Workshop in Brussels

For More Information:
Contact: Paul Spicer
Senior Vice President of Marketing & Communications
(804) 749-8646
info@tecaccess.net

Manakin Sabot-March 21, 2006-- " I am truly honored to have this opportunity to speak before the international community on the importance of eAccessibility," said Debra Ruh, President and CEO of TecAccess, LLC; a clear global leader in providing Section 508 compliance and electronic and information technology (E&IT) accessibility solutions for domestic and international clients in government, education, and private industry.

This workshop, which will be held in Brussels on 27 March, 2006, is organized by the European Commission, the European standardization organizations and contributions from the US Access Board, the European Disability Forum (EDF), EICTA, ITI and W3C.

There are 45 million people with disabilities in the EU, while the number of older Europeans is steadily increasing. These groups often face many technical barriers when using the internet. Most of these barriers can be easily avoided if website designers were to follow a set of simple rules covering site content, structure, and coding.

The Road to eAccessibility

Since, 1994, the international World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) develops interoperable technologies (specifications, guidelines, software, and tools) to lead the web to its full potential as a forum for information, commerce, communication, and collective understanding. Hence its Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) creates guidelines regarding content, browsers, authoring tools and is actively present for the specification of the new web technologies. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG version 1.0) are recognized as a de facto standard for the design of accessible Web sites. Version 2.0 of the guidelines is now being prepared.

In the United States, President Clinton signed into law the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1998, on August 7, 1998, which covers access to federally funded programs and services. The law strengthens Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act that speaks to various means for disseminating information, including computers, software, and electronic office equipment. It requires access to electronic and information technology provided by the Federal government. The law applies to all Federal agencies when they develop, procure, maintain, or use electronic and information technology. Federal agencies must ensure that this technology is accessible to employees and members of the public with disabilities.

While in Europe, in December 1999, the initiative "eEurope: an Information Society for All" was launched by the European Commission to bring the benefits of the Information Society to all Europeans. In June 2000 the subsequent eEurope 2002 Action Plan, adopted at the European Council of Feira, set out a roadmap to achieve eEurope´s targets. The point "e-Accessibility" includes the specific target of Publication of "Design for all" standards for accessibility of information technology products, in particular to improve the employability and social inclusion of people with special needs.

A United Accessibility Front

The upcoming EC workshop in Brussels will further contribute to the US-EU exchange of information regarding the planned use of ICT (Information and Communication Technology) standards in support of regulations and other public policies, in the field of eAccessibility.

The objectives for the workshop are: to establish a creative dialogue between stakeholders in this important issue of eAccessibility; to identify practical approaches to demonstrating conformance; and to contribute to consensus building around the means to provide eAccessibility conformance within products and services in Europe.

About TecAccess

TecAccess is the most awarded risk management and accessibility consultancy in the world. TecAccess turns potential risks into a marketplace advantage through leading accessibility services and products. With a focus on Section 508 compliance, TecAccess makes Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) accessible to the world´s largest and fastest growing demographic - people with disabilities. TecAccess is a certified Woman-Owned and SBA certified 8(a) and Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB).

For further information about TecAccess, please call: (804) 749-8646, e-mail info@tecaccess.net, or visit our website at www.TecAccess.net.

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