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Interagency Accessibility Forum (IAAF) Archives

2022 Interagency Accessibility Forum

The 2022 Interagency Accessibility Forum (IAAF) celebrated accessibility as a foundation for inclusion, diversity, and equity within the federal government.

Attendees of this ninth annual IAAF heard two keynote addresses, along with presentations and panel discussions that focused on Unlocking the Power of Accessibility. In addition, the forum – for the first time – included virtual workshops hosted by accessibility subject matter experts who work within their agency to ensure equivalent access to information and digital services by people living with disabilities.

Whether you were new to IT accessibility or a seasoned content creator, there was something for everyone – acquisition officials, business analysts, project managers, developers, testers, content creators, Section 508 Program Managers, agency management and leadership, and federal personnel and contractors interested in accessibility.

The 2022 Interagency Accessibility Forum (IAAF) was sponsored by the Federal Chief Information Officer Council’s (Federal CIO Council) Accessibility Community of Practice (ACOP) and hosted by the Government-wide IT Accessibility Program from the Office of Government-wide Policy (OGP) of the General Services Administration (GSA), and National Institutes of Health, in partnership with other federal agencies.

Event Highlights

  • Oct 12 Keynote Address: Kim Knackstedt

    Oct 12 Keynote Address: Kim Knackstedt

    Andrew Nielson, Director, Government-wide IT Accessibility Program at the General Services Administration, and Kimberly Knackstedt, Senior Fellow and Co-Director, Disability Economic Justice Collaborative at The Century Foundation, discuss disability as a human experience.

    Watch: Oct 12 Keynote

  • Oct 13 Keynote Address: Day Al Mohamed

    Oct 13 Keynote Address: Day Al Mohamed

    Andrea O'Neal, Senior Advisor to the Administrator for Equity at the General Services Administration, and Day Al Mohamed, Director of Disability Policy at the White House Domestic Policy Council, discuss the state of affairs of accessibility, and progress made for people with disabilities in the post-ADA era.

    Watch: Oct 13 Keynote

Event Agenda & Speaker and Presenter Biographies

The 2022 IAAF was a three-day forum with featured speakers, keynote addresses, workshops, breakout sessions, and discussions led by those on the forefront of accessibility in the federal, private, academic, international, and nonprofit sectors.

For details, visit: 2022 IAAF Agenda and 2022 IAAF Speaker and Presenter Biographies.

Workshops

General Sessions

Breakout Sessions

2021 Interagency Accessibility Forum

The 2021 Interagency Accessibility Forum celebrated the 75th observance of the National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) and the 20th anniversary of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act becoming enforceable.

Attendees of this year’s IAAF will hear presentations and panel discussions that will focus on accessibility as a foundation for inclusion, diversity, and equity within the federal government. In addition, the forum will include virtual exhibitions by accessibility consultants and IT companies with accessibility products and services that support those with disabilities.

The 2021 Interagency Accessibility Forum (IAAF) is sponsored by the Federal Chief Information Officer Council’s (Federal CIO Council) Accessibility Community of Practice (ACOP) and hosted by the Government-wide IT Accessibility Program from the Office of Government-wide Policy (OGP) of the General Services Administration (GSA), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Department of Labor (DOL), and Merit Service Protection Board (MSPB), in partnership with other federal agencies.

Event Highlights

  • Oct 12 Keynote Address: Whitney Quesenbery

    Oct 12 Keynote Address: Whitney Quesenbery

    Whitney Quesenbery, Director of the Center for Civic Design, opens the 2021 Interagency Accessibility Forum (IAAF) with an address on accessible voting, including improvements in voting systems that have allowed more people to independently and privately participate in state, local and national elections.

    Watch: Oct 12 Keynote

  • Oct 13 Keynote Address: Judy Heumann

    Oct 13 Keynote Address: Judy Heumann

    Andrea M. O'Neal, Senior Advisor to the Administrator (Equity) at the General Services Administration, and Judith E. Heumann, International Disability Rights Activist, discuss Diversity, Equity and Inclusion through the lens of accessibility.

    Watch: Oct 13 Keynote

  • Oct 14 Keynote: Panel Discussion

    Oct 14 Keynote: Panel Discussion

    Accessibility is one of the foundations of diversity, equity and inclusion and an instrumental part of what the government stands for in supporting its employees and the American public. Join an inter-agency panel of accessibility practitioners as they share a brief look at this foundation ... its past, present, and future.

    Watch: Oct 14 Keynote

Event Agenda & Speaker and Presenter Biographies

The 2021 IAAF had three, half-day sessions each with featured speakers, keynote addresses, breakout sessions, and discussions led by those on the forefront of accessibility in the federal, private, academic, international, and nonprofit sectors.

For details, visit: 2021 IAAF Agenda and 2021 IAAF Speaker and Presenter Biographies.

General Sessions

Breakout Sessions

2020 Interagency Accessibility Forum

The seventh annual Interagency Accessibility Forum, October 6-7, 2020 was co-hosted by the General Services Administration (GSA) and the U.S. Census Bureau. The 2020 Interagency Accessibility Forum celebrated the 75th observance of the National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) and the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disability Act (ADA).

The event, with a theme of “Enabling Missions Accessible Technology - Leaving No One Behind,” featured keynote addresses by four fabulous speakers, four panel discussions, and nine breakout sessions across a range of topics. Presentation files, videos and transcripts will be posted as they become available.

The 2020 IAAF was attended by accessibility professionals across 42 U.S. states and territories, and 8 countries including Australia, Canada, France, India, Mexico, Morocco, South Africa, and Sweden.

Event Agenda & Speaker and Presenter Biographies

The 2020 IAAF had a full, two-day agenda, with featured speakers, keynote addresses, and breakout sessions and discussions led by those on the forefront of accessibility in the federal, private, academic, and nonprofit sectors.

For details, visit: 2020 IAAF Agenda and 2021 IAAF Speaker and Presenter Biographies.

Keynote Speakers

  •  The Honorable Thomas Harkin, Former Senator and author of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
  •  Janet Dhillon, Chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
  •  The Honorable Congressman Jim Langevin, U.S House of Representatives, Rhode Island’s 2nd Congressional District
  •  Paula Briscoe, PhD, Deputy Director, Intelligence Community Equal Employment and Diversity, Office of the Director of National Intelligence

General Sessions

Breakout Sessions

  • Track A: Customer Experiences & Content Creation
    • COVID-19 Creates the Case for 508 Compliance and Best Practices
    • Embrace Accessibility and Build It Into Every Decision
    • How Program/Project Managers Can Integrate Accessibility Testing into Development Operations

2019 Interagency Accessibility Forum

The sixth annual Interagency Accessibility Forum, October 7-8, 2019 was co-hosted by the General Services Administration (GSA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The IAAF proudly supported the 2019 NDEAM theme - The Right Talent, Right Now - by focusing on ensuring accessibility is a business imperative.

Event Highlights

  • Oct 8 Keynote Address: Tony Coelho

    Oct 8 Keynote Address: Tony Coelho

    Tony Coelho, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California’s 15th district (January 3, 1979 – June 15, 1989) opened the second day of the 2019 Interagency Accessibility Forum (IAAF) sharing his experience sponsoring the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and how living with epilepsy fueled his passion for this legislation.

    Watch: Oct 8 Keynote

2018 Interagency Accessibility Forum

October 9, 2018 - 5th annual Interagency Accessibility Forum. The 2018 theme was Supporting Empowerment through Accessibility, and was hosted by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

John Sullivan, Director of GSA’s Government-wide IT Accessibility Program, set the stage for this year’s theme of empowerment with inspiring testimonies of how accessibility paves the path to inclusion. He spoke to key FY19 priorities for the federal accessibility community, including:

  • Ensuring accessibility requirements are included in agency solicitations;
  • Reducing website accessibility errors; and
  • Addressing the revised Section 508 requirements for internal agency communications.

2017 Interagency Accessibility Forum

On October 13, 2017, General Services Administration (GSA) hosted the 4th annual Interagency Accessibility Forum. The event, with a theme of “The Right Talent, Right Now,” featured nine workshops focused on the transition to the Revised 508 Standards.

Reviewed/Updated: December 2022

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