Agenda for The 2008 South Carolina IT and Web Accessibility Conference

Return to the Conference page.

IT and Web Accessibility Conference March 19, 2008

9:00 am - 9:30 am - Welcome by Janet Jendron, Chair, Web Accessibility Committee, SC Assistive Technology Advisory Committee
"Building an Accessible and Inclusive Society in South Carolina." Deb Ruh

Door Prize

9:30 - 10:30 - Deb Ruh. Introduced by Evelyn Evans.
"Section 508 Compliance: An overview of Section 508 and other accessibility legislation."
Section 508 trends and best practices. Where is it headed? Why is accessibility important, and just who is impacted by inaccessible Electronic & Information Technology (E&IT). How can state procurement personnel benefit from Section 508 accessibility standards? How are E&IT vendors impacted by Section 508 or similar accessibility legislation at the state level? What compliance practices at the federal level transition easily to accessibility compliance at the state and local government level? Why should I care?

10:30 - 10:45 - Reality Check: Interview with David Able, who uses assistive technology to access electronic technology.

10:45- 11:45 - Deb Ruh. Introduced by Cheryl Kirkpatrick.
"Moving into the Future: The impact of total technology immersion in our everyday life."
Understanding the types of disabilities that are evident in our population and the challenges today's popular leading-edge technology products pose to changing populations, i.e. veterans returning from combat assignments, the elderly population, people with brain injuries, and "Baby Boomers." Looking at the special challenges these emerging technology products pose for your customers, co-workers, families and friends who are persons with disabilities. Think this does not apply to you? Ever try to work the tiny buttons on the very coolest cell phones or PDAs? Do you find yourself just using the features that are activated by the bigger buttons on your cell phone? Welcome to our world!

12:00 - 1:30 - Lunch

Door Prize

1:30 - 1:45 - Reality Check: Interview with LaMondre Pough, who uses assistive technology to access electronic technology.

1:45 - 2:45 -
Deb Ruh. Introduced by Larry Mallett.
"Return On Investment (ROI) of Accessibility"
Smart companies already know that one way to better bottom-line performance is to empower workers to do their best for the organization. Another key to improved sales revenue is to expand their customer base, or offer products which provide them a competitive edge over their competition. Understanding why investing in E&IT accessibility is a good business practice often leads companies to take the next logical step: building in accessibility and usability best practices into their product design and development cycle. This session will briefly overview why investing in accessibility is not only socially responsible, or something you do to meet a government standard; it is great for business.

2:45- 3:00 - Reality Check

Door Prize

3:00 - 4:00 - Deb Ruh. Introduced by Matt Braaten.
"Buying Accessible IT Products"
This session will discuss how state procurement personnel can use the VPAT™, or Voluntary Product Accessibility Template, as an aid in procuring accessible information technology products and services. The VPAT™ is a standard form used in the federal government to help determine how products comply with specific standards of Section 508. VPATs can help you meet mandatory state Web/IT accessibility requirements, the business requirements of your organization and the accessibility needs of the end users of the IT products and services you specify or procure.

4:00 - Closing Remarks. Larry Mallett

Door Prize

Thanks to the following for their support of this conference:

• Janet Jendron, South Carolina Assistive Technology Program (SCATP) (Chair of the 2008 Accessibility Conference Committee)
• Wendy Mullin, University of South Carolina
• Nancy Piester, South Carolina Department of Archives and History
• Cheryl Kirkpatrick, Midlands Technical College
• Larry Mallett, SC State Budget Control Board
• Don Cantrell, Director, Office of Internal Technology, South Carolina Department of Education
• Matt Braaten, Director Academic Web Based Communications, Office of Academic Affairs, Lander University
• Samuel Hahn, Assistant Webmaster, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources
• Evelyn Evans, Director, SC Assistive Technology Program, USC School of Medicine, Center for Disabiity Resources

Return to the Conference page.