Mission Statement

The Accessibility Forum is an ongoing collaboration among stakeholders affected by Section 508 including industry, government, and other communities in order to benefit employees and members of the public with disabilities.

The Forum will identify, prioritize, and conduct projects that assist government in making informed decisions about Section 508 related procurement, and allow government, industry, and users to communicate and highlight areas where further effort is needed.

The Accessibility Forum is sponsored by GSA to address Section 508 technical assistance through long-term solutions developed by collaboration among the stakeholders.

Approach:

The approach involves bringing individuals representing key stakeholders together in an open and neutral environment to foster collaboration. Forum projects are aimed at addressing Section 508 technical assistance through long-term solutions. The first two Forum projects are "Assistive Technology and Electronic and Information Technology Interoperability" and "Objective Measures for Section 508 provisions."

Who is involved now?

We have contacts in over 300 organizations representing:

Electronic & Information Technology Industry

Assistive Technology Industry

Advocacy Groups for People with Disabilities

Academic, Research, & Standards Groups

Government Procurement and Information Technology Areas

Tremendous benefits are possible as the various stakeholders take an active part in the Forum’s direction and focus.

Making E&IT products accessible to the 20% of the population with disabilities increases the value of the products for the whole population. The graying population will increase the need for products that are accessible to those with vision, hearing, speech, mobility, and dexterity-related disabilities.