FCC Holds 2-Day Workshop to Advance Accessible Technology Development

To address the challenge of providing accessible solutions that often lag behind rapid technology advances, the FCC is hosting a free workshop for developers Sept. 6-7 at its headquarters in Washington. The two-day event – “Developing with Accessibility” (DevAcc) – is designed to spur increased and ongoing collaboration on accessibility among developers for various technology platforms.

DevAcc is the part of Chairman Genachowski’s ongoing Accessibility and Innovation Initiative launched in July 2010 in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The A&I Initiative promotes collaboration among stakeholders from government, industry, and consumer sectors so that people with disabilities can reap the full benefit of broadband communication technologies.  Put simply, the Initiative is open government applied to accessibility.

The DevAcc endeavor – which includes a virtual infrastructure for ongoing collaboration – will feature developer training sessions on various accessibility APIs, and opportunities to work on coding projects with others.   Some of our partners include:  Adobe, Apple, Benetech, Bottlerocket Apps, CPC, Datanaut & Code Factory, Department of Labor, Google, GSA, Oracle, Raising the Floor & many more. 

“Those who participate in this unique DevAcc event, in person or remotely, can help equalize opportunities for people with disabilities in the digital age,” said FCC Chairman Genachowski.

Participants may pre-register for the event by sending their name, affiliation and contact information to devacc@fcc.gov by Aug. 31.

The meeting site is fully accessible to people using wheelchairs or other mobility aids. Open captioning and assistive listening devices will be provided on site. Other reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities are available upon request.  If you are unable to attend the Developing with Accessibility event, you can watch live on www.fcc.gov/live. You may also submit your questions by emailing: devacc@fcc.gov or via twitter using the hashtag #DevAcc

To learn more about DevAcc go to http://fcc.us/devacc.