CSUN 2019: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Accessible Work
The PEAT team recently joined thousands of technology industry executives, entrepreneurs, end users, government officials, educators, and others at the 2019 CSUN Assistive Technology Conference. As always, this yearly event offered keen explorations into technology’s potential to break down barriers for people with disabilities in workplaces, community life, and other settings. This year’s CSUN sessions highlighted the sharp rise of artificial intelligence (AI) into everyday life, charting both the challenges and great potential that AI holds from an accessibility perspective. […]
Survey on Workplace Tech for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
The Center for Leadership in Disability (CLD) at Georgia State University is conducting a survey to examine considerations for workplace technology and its use by people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), such as autism and Down Syndrome. Individuals with I/DD and their family members, employers, and rehabilitation service providers (vocational rehabilitation counselors, transition coordinators, job coaches) are invited to respond. […]
DOJ Confirms Websites are Covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act
The Department of Justice (DOJ) recently released a significant statement clarifying that digital accessibility is covered by the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). DOJ has implemented a series of rules since 1991, and as of May 2016, had entered into 171 settlement agreements addressing ICT accessibility. […]
With Emerging Accessibility Leaders, the Future Looks Bright
The PEAT team was excited to return to this year’s ICT Accessibility Testing Symposium, a relatively new conference that has already expanded in leaps and bounds in its third year. This annual conference on ICT accessibility testing and standards draws accessibility technologists and leaders from government, academia, and industry. This year, the conference themes focused on the refreshed rules for Section 508 conformance, as well as the continual need for good, thorough, and practical test methods for mobile applications. […]
Interested in a Career in Accessible Tech? Check Out Teach Access Study Away
This past summer, the inaugural Teach Access Study Away program brought together faculty, industry partners, and 26 students from four universities to explore the field of accessibility in Silicon Valley. The mission of Teach Access is to build a foundation of accessibility knowledge at the higher education level to ensure that current students gain the knowledge they need to help make technology accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities. […]
The Technology Angle of Autism-Focused Hiring Initiatives
From Think Tank meetings to conferences, PEAT has heard from many businesses that actively seek strategies to recruit people with disabilities into their workforces. Businesses are increasingly aware that people with disabilities bring many important assets to the company, but they’re often unsure of where to start. An exciting development in the recruitment of employees with disabilities is the growth of autism-focused hiring and recruitment initiatives. PEAT’s goal is to explore how the technology angle of these initiatives can help drive their success. […]
Teaching Access: Fostering Inclusive Workplaces by Closing the Skills Gap
Every July, we celebrate the anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This landmark civil rights legislation prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and other places frequented by the general public. […]
PEAT Talks Recap: Facebook and the Accessible Workplace
Facebook is one of the most widely used social media platforms in the world; it now has more than one billion daily users and more than two billion monthly users. Usage of Facebook has also grown from a way for people to connect with each other socially to utility as a professional networking and workplace productivity tool. In our latest PEAT Talk webinar, we spoke with Jeff Wieland, Facebook’s Director of Accessibility, and Monica Desai, Facebook’s Director of Global Policy, to discuss why and how Facebook has made accessibility a priority. […]
GSA’s Got Some New Tools for You
Section508.gov, the federal government’s website for IT accessibility, just got a facelift, and it’s awesome. What’s different, you ask? Well… everything. If you haven’t visited our site in a while, you might be surprised. […]
