AbleTV.net, the web-based TV channel for the disabled on the TVWorldwide.com network, provided a live interactive and accessible webcast coverage of the Government Sevices Administration's Accessibility Forum, Friday May 11 from 9-12 AM from Gallaudet University's Kellogg Conference Center in Washington D.C. The event, sponsored by GSA's Center for Information Technology Accommodation (CITA) was an industry, user, and government partnership aimed at developing effective and broadly accepted metrics and methods to assess Electronics and Information Technology (E&IT) product accessibility for people with disabilities, as defined by Public Law 105-220, Section 508. The free webcast featured AbleTV.net's live captioned video streaming or "webcaptingsm" process to assist on-line participants with disabilities and serve AbleTV's growing audience. This AbleTV webcast was sponsored by TVWorldwide.com and its strategic partners, Booz Allen and Hamilton and Post Newsweek Tech Media Group.

The mission of the Accessibility Forum is to provide government agencies and vendors of E&IT and Assistive Technology with effective and broadly accepted metrics and methods to assess whether E&IT products comply with Section 508 accessibility standards. The Accessibility Forum seeks industry leadership and user involvement in development of these accessibility assessment metrics and methods. The Accessibility Forum provides the infrastructure for continuing collaboration and dialogue between users and vendors. It should also provide a means for vendors to gain insight into accessibility needs that could be addressed in future products.

Point of Contact:
Ed Reniker, Program Director Accessibility Forum
Phone: (202) 219-1544
Email: Donald.Reniker@gsa.gov