changes in the rules for non profits

Webinar and Discussion:

Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Section 508

Monday, May 24 combining 90-minutes of panel and 30-minutes of Q & A, SL time: 11 am-1 pm. The Sojourner Auditorium, Virtual Ability Island in Second Life:

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Virtual%20Ability/56/169/23

Panel Presenters:

Susan Mazrui, Larry Goldberg, Jim Tobias and Gregg Vanderheiden (see bio info below)

The Webinar is organized by EASI (Equal Access to Software and Information http://ease/cc).

The Webinar portion will be captioned on the web thanks to the kindness of AT&T.

Discussion following the panel will be led inworld by Praxislady Witt.

You can see the slides for the webinar in SL, or you can register to see it on your own computer and take part in the SL discussion separately.

To register individually, please go to the EASI Webinar page at:

http://easi.cc/clinic.htm

Look for the May 24 "508 Webinar" and follow the registration link.

You'll receive info on joining the live Webinar in advance.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

Section 508 (and the less familiar Section 255) are the US federal regulations that require accessible information and communication technologies (ICT). They are currently being revised, and the time is ripe for public comment before they are finalized. The May 28 webinar is meant to discuss proposed changes to Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act and Section 255 of the Telecommunications Act. This is meant to give you an overview of what the sections are about and what impacts, if any, they will have on Second Life residents. This webinar will go over the current environment, changes to the technical provisions, and how we all can participate in the process to make sure that the final regulations will provide the access needed by users to both current and emerging ICT.

1. For the complete text of Section 508, see:

http://www.section508.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=content&ID=12#Video

(Warning! It's long!)

2. For a more readable summary of Section 508, see:

http://www.justice.gov/crt/508/report/exec.php

3. For another overview of the rehabilitation Act in general see:

http://www.webaim.org/articles/laws/usa/rehab.php#s508

4. For some interesting if outdated attempts at addressing Section 508 requirements with web sites, see: http://www.accessibilityforum.org/docs/feb_mtg_02/af-denver cdrom_feb02/Worst_Case_Section_508_Rules/index.htm

5. Starting page for info about the Telecommunications Act of 1996 and Section 255: http://www.access-board.gov/telecomm/index.htm

6. For the complete text of Section 255, see:

see:http://www.access-board.gov/about/laws/telecomm.htm

7. For more information about the Access Board and what it does, see:

http://www.access-board.gov

Dianna Muircastle

Biographies of Panelists

Susan Mazrui

Susan Mazrui serves as Director of Federal Regulatory Affairs at AT&T Mobility, and was the first co-chair of the NSCIA (National Spinal Cord Injury Association) Business Advisory Committee. She has been on the board of directors for the World Institute on Disability and the Women's Concerns Committee of the American Council of the Blind. She is a founding member of the Association of Access Engineering Specialists, and is a strong advocate for marketing with and employment of people with disabilities. http://www.linkedin.com/in/susanmazrui

Larry Goldberg

Larry Goldberg is PBS station WGBH Boston's Director of Media Access. He heads the WGBH National Center for Accessible Media (NCAM) and two access production/service departments at WGBH: The Caption Center and Descriptive Video Service.

http://www.boston-ia.org/library/bios/Larry_Goldberg_Bio.html

Jim Tobias

Jim Tobias has experience in education and the corporate world with technology and disability issues. He founded Inclusive Technologies to offer both technical and non-technical services to companies, agencies, and consumer organizations. He is a member of the Rehabilitation Engineering & Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA), and sat on the Access Board’s Telecommunications Accessibility Advisory Committee. His products include a deaf relay service, and a database-driven customized interface for voice mail and IVR accessibility.

http://www.cast.org/about/council/jtobias.html

Gregg Vanderheiden

Gregg Vanderheiden is a professor in the College of Engineering at the University of Wisconsin, Madion. He's Director of the TRACE R&D Center there. He does research on standards for access to Web-based technologies, operating systems and telecommunicaiton systems. He is interested in interface technologies, information transfer between sensory modalities, and enhancing environmental usability.

http://www.w4a.info/2010/news/2009/09/keynote-gregg-c-vanderheiden-director.shtml

AND

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/gregg-vanderheiden/5/108/bb1

Introductions by Gentle Heron.

Links provided by Dianna Muircastle.