Leading the way in Accessibility: An Action Plan for South Carolina
The SC Assistive Technology Advisory Committee sponsored a special presentation by Debra Ruh of TecAccess on Thursday, March 20 at the South Carolina State Archives building. Ms. Ruh was the guest speaker at the SC IT and Web Accessibility Conference on March 19, 2008.
Presentation by Deb Ruh (Powerpoint)
Background InformationTecAccess is the most awarded consultancy in the accessibility arena, having received recent honors from the U.S. Department of Labor and the Office of Disability Employment Policy for training and hiring employees with disabilities. TecAccess has implemented accessibility strategies for clients all over the world, providing a unique suite of services focused on Section 508 compliance and electronic and information technology (E&IT) accessibility solutions for government, private industry, and higher education. TecAccess' authority and real-world knowledge of accessibility is evidenced by a commitment to hire people with disabilities to lead the accessibility movement. In 2007, TecAccess launched the nation's first program to train veterans with disabilities, called DVET, to become the country's next accessibility workforce.
In this presentation, Debra Ruh focused on this proven DVET model to show how South Carolina can become a national leader in the accessibility arena by tapping into its population of skilled IT workers with disabilities. Debra presented information on the creation of the DVET program, which is designed to ensure that veterans receive support, job training, and recognition in the IT and accessibility fields. A special emphasis was placed on emulating this one-of-a-kind initiative, and how public-private partnerships between the Department of Veteran Services, Department of Rehabilitative Services, and Virginia Employment Commission have made the model a success.
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