>Date: Mon, 16 Jun 2003 05:08:36 -0400 (EDT)
>From: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: important web cast on 508 implementation
>To: [log in to unmask]
>X-Mailer: 8.0 for Windows sub 6011
>
>Hello,
>(O/P)
>
>          What is the current status of Section 508 implementation within
> the federal government? Is 508 benefiting federal employees with
> disabilities? Are there ripple effects for 508 to the consumer or other
> government levels, and if there are where are they? Who is the lead
> federal agency involved in implementing 508? These questions and others
> will be discussed Friday, June 20 at a town meeting on the web.
>
>          Join us and tell your friends to join us.
>
>          Thanks,
>
>          John Williams
>
>
>
>TVWORLDWIDE.COM PRESS RELEASE
>
>
>       For Immediate Release                    Thursday, June 12,
> 2003
>
>Disability Experts to Webcast National Town Meeting on Rescuing Section
>508 at AT508.com
>Noted Panelists to Convene Disability Community On-line to Issue "Federal
>Agency Report Card on Section 508 Compliance" as Concern over Government
>Implementation Grows: Friday, June 20, 2:00 PM ET at www.AT508.com
>
>
>Contact: Dave Gardy                John Williams
>TV Worldwide.com                       AT508.com
>[log in to unmask]          [log in to unmask]
>www.tvworldwide.com                 www.at508.com
>(703) 961-9250 ext. 221                  (703) 404-0071
>
>
>
>Chantilly, Va.  Internet TV Channel and leading assistive technology
>portal AT508.com, an affiliate on the TVWorldwide.com network, announced
>it will offer a free live video webcast of the National Town Meeting to
>Rescue Section 508, to be held June 20, 2003 2:00 PM ET, on-line at
>www.AT508.com. The event will highlight Section 508 of the National
>Rehabilitation Act on its 2nd anniversary and feature prominent expert
>panelists from the community of those people with disabilities who will
>issue a "Federal Agency Report Card on Section 508 Compliance". The panel
>will be led by world-renowned disability columnist John Williams of
>AT508.com and Mike Paciello, President of The Paciello Group (TPG), a
>leading international authority on Internet and software accessibility.
>Other panelists from industry and government will be announced shortly.
>The meeting will be webcast with open captioning of the streaming video,
>or "webcaptingsm", developed by TVWorldwide.com to assist federal agency
>clients in complying with Section 508.
>
>"Our goal is to generate mainstream awareness of the inherent weaknesses
>in the federal government's implementation of the important Section 508
>legislation," stated Mr. Paciello. "A key flaw in the effective
>enforcement of Section 508 involves a consistent and reliable set of
>usability, quality assurance, and certification measures that ensure E&IT
>product accessibility. Consequently, federal agencies aren't truly
>complying -- and vendors are given mixed messages about what is or isn't
>accessible. This town meeting will result in a viable plan of action, with
>real proposals for re-structuring conflicts of interest in Section 508
>enforcement and federal agency oversight as we unite our community to
>rectify this problem."
>
>"President Bush's administration has not made the enforcement of section
>508 a priority, despite the fact that they've claimed credit for doing
>exactly that," remarked Mr. Williams. "There are more than 56 million
>Americans with disabilities, and its time that the federal government's
>enforcement of disability legislation is granted the same dedication of
>resources as other ongoing federal efforts such as the war on drugs."
>
>"Individuals with disabilities are a very close-knit community and we've
>found through the rapid growth of AT508.com, that the web is a strong
>enabling factor for this demographic," commented Dave Gardy, CEO of
>TVWorldwide. "I am very proud of our accessible video streaming
>applications being utilized to engage the community of those people with
>disabilities and pleased to be working with AT508.com to make this
>interactive webcast event a reality for the thousands we expect nationally. "
>
>Visitors to the live webcast town meeting will be able to post questions
>to panelists and participate in Q&A via e-mail, providing a fully
>interactive forum for sharing of information.
>
>The event will be webcast live and archived for viewing at
>www.tvworldwide.com and www.AT508.com. Participants should have the free
>Real Video Player installed prior to the event and should log on by 1:45
>PM ET on Friday, June 20.
>
>About AT508.com
>TVWorldwide's AT508.com Internet TV channel was launched in October at the
>World Congress on Disabilities in Orlando, Fla, featuring world-renowned
>disability columnist John Williams covering the latest in assistive
>technology and Section 508 news and since then has webcast the TASH, ATIA,
>CSUN and CEC events for the community of people with disabilities.
>AT508.com features articles and videos on the latest in assistive
>technology products, services and issues and during trade show events,
>highlights keynotes, presentations and interviews with exhibitors and
>speakers. AT508.com events are webcast live and archived in fully
>accessible format using the captioned video streaming of TVWorldwide.com's
>"webcaptingsm" process. AT508.com sponsors include The Paciello Group,
>Keybowl, HP, Kurzweil Educatonal Systems, Corda, Deque, Audio Eye, Sighted
>Electronics Freedom Vision and Vcom3D.
>About The Paciello Group (TPG)
>
>Founded by Mike Paciello, TPG is an international leader in Accessibility
>Consulting and Engineering. TPG is dedicated to helping corporations,
>government agencies and educational institutions make their IT
>resources accessible to all people, including those with disabilities.
>They offer professional consulting, technology solutions and monthly
>monitoring services to ensure that clients reach and maintain the ongoing
>accessibility of their digital assets. Further information on The Paciello
>Group can be found
>online at www.paciellogroup.com.
>
>About TV Worldwide
>As a leading global Internet broadcasting and streaming media company, TV
>Worldwide (www.tvworldwide.com) is developing a network of video channels
>that is an affiliation of community-based Internet television stations,
>each underwritten by a strategic partner, "aimcastingsm" to targeted
>demographic audiences worldwide. TVWorldwide.com works with strategic
>partners to develop the latest in live and archived state-of-the art video
>streaming content applications. . TVWorldwide.com was recently named one
>of the streaming video industry's "Hottest Streaming Companies" by
>Streaming Magazine, www.streamingmagazine.com, and CEO Dave Gardy was
>honored by the magazine as one of the 50 Most Influential People in
>Streaming Media.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>

                                                         ------------------------------
EASI's July, month-long online courses:
Beginner Barrier-free Web Design
Train the Trainer
http://easi.cc/workshop.htm

                                         Norman Coombs, Ph.D.
CEO EASI (Equal Access to Software and Information)
22196 Caminito Tasquillo
         Laguna Hills CA 92653
home: (949)  855-4852
         Cell: (949) 922-5992
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
                 http://www.rit.edu/~nrcgsh