devIS Announces Launch of DisabilityInfo.gov: The New Freedom Initiative's Online Resource for Americans with Disabilities; Site Mandated by Executive Order from the President of the United States.Business Editors ARLINGTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 16, 2002 Empowering Americans with disabilities Americans with disabilities comprise one of the largest minority groups in the United States. According to the Disability Status: 2000 - Census 2000 Brief [1], approximately 20% of Americans have one or more diagnosed psycho-physical disability. to become a greater part of the 21st century workforce is the goal of a new online resource called DisabilityInfo.gov, launched today by Secretary of Labor, Elaine L. Chao, and developed by Arlington, VA-based, devIS. DisabilityInfo.gov organizes a wealth of online information making it readily accessible for the benefit of Americans with disabilities and employers. On August 28, 2002, President George W. Bush issued an executive memorandum asking for all Federal agencies to work with the Department of Labor to create this specialized spe·cial·ize v. spe·cial·ized, spe·cial·iz·ing, spe·cial·iz·es v.intr. 1. To pursue a special activity, occupation, or field of study. 2. portal -- in only sixty days. "DisabilityInfo.gov represents a major milestone in the quest to provide access to information that employees and employers need to succeed in the New Economy," said Peter Gallagher Peter Killian Gallagher (born August 19 1955) is a Golden Globe-winning American actor. Biography Early life Gallagher was born in New York City, the son of Mary, a bacteriologist, and Tom Gallagher, an advertising executive. , president, devIS. "We're pleased to contribute to this vital component of President Bush's New Freedom Initiative." The New Freedom Initiative seeks to expand learning opportunities, access to assistive technology Hardware and software that help people who are physically impaired. Often called "accessibility options" when referring to enhancements for using the computer, the entire field of assistive technology is quite vast and even includes ramp and doorway construction in buildings to support , and employment opportunities for Americans with disabilities. devIS specializes in designing and implementing standards-based internetworking applications to enable the collection and sharing of large volumes of complex information. Drawing on that expertise -- and its extensive experience working with governmental organizations -- devIS designed and developed the underlying architecture for DisabilityInfo.gov and provides a complete package of secure Web site hosting. The new site highlights Web accessibility For Wikipedia's accessibility guideline, see Wikipedia:Accessibility. Web accessibility refers to the practice of making websites usable by people of all abilities and disabilities. -- features required by the Federal government to ensure that people with visual or other impairments can access the Web. devIS is a strong advocate for "usable accessibility," that means creating sites that are not only technically accessible but that provide a rich interface for all disabled users. The site is fully accessible and provides multiple interfaces including a default graphical view and a High Contrast option for users with low vision. DisabilityInfo.gov received high praise from a committee of accessibility experts in the Department's of Education and Justice, and the Federal Access Board. DisabilityInfo.gov brings together resources from all Federal agencies allowing experts to populate To plug in chips or components into a printed circuit board. A fully populated board is one that contains all the devices it can hold. the dynamic system directly. Through a managed online process huge volumes of information are filtered down to create a more approachable resource. Disability resource experts are empowered to showcase the most relevant information where, in this case, "less is more." DisabilityInfo.gov is actually composed of two sites: one for content contributors and editors in the various Federal agencies and the other for the public. The content administration site provides a staging area staging area n. A place where troops or equipment in transit are assembled and processed, as before a military operation. Noun 1. for the Federal agency collaboration and content organization that is vital to the effort's success. The public site provides easy, universal access to essential information, including distributed learning Distributed Learning means a method of instruction that relies primarily on indirect communication between students and teachers, including internet or other electronic-based delivery, teleconferencing or correspondence; (British Columbia, School Act, 2006). aids and services, based on a flexible topic map oriented o·ri·ent n. 1. Orient The countries of Asia, especially of eastern Asia. 2. a. The luster characteristic of a pearl of high quality. b. A pearl having exceptional luster. 3. by program type and location. Founded in 1992, devIS (www.devis.com) is a specialized information system development and consulting firm Noun 1. consulting firm - a firm of experts providing professional advice to an organization for a fee consulting company business firm, firm, house - the members of a business organization that owns or operates one or more establishments; "he worked for a providing vendor-independent, state-of-the-art eGovernment solutions and technical support. devIS believes their unique "open standards/open source" approach is an important factor in maximizing long-term value for clients. Based in Arlington, Virginia, the company has extensive relationships with many Federal agencies, international organizations and consulting firms. |
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