Interagency Accessibility Forum (IAAF) Archives

2024 Interagency Accessibility Forum

The 2024 Interagency Accessibility Forum (IAAF) was a two-day conference built on the theme Achieving Digital Equity: Policies, Tools, and Techniques and featured presentations, panel discussions and workshops led by accessibility experts across the federal government.

The IAAF was hosted by the Government-wide IT Accessibility Program within the Office of Government-wide Policy at the General Services Administration (GSA), and co-sponsored by the United States Access Board and the Federal Chief Information Officer Council’s Accessibility Community of Practice , with support from other federal agencies and ICT professionals.

Conference sessions were recorded, and will be posted on this page in early 2025. Watch for updates!

Presentations & Workshops

• GSA Section 508 Activities Update - IAAF 2024 (PPTX)
• That Doesn’t Need to be a PDF - IAAF 2024 (PPTX)
• Using DevTools for Manual Accessibility Inspection - IAAF 2024 (PDF)
• Exceptions in Section 508 Regulatory Language - IAAF 2024 (PPTX)
• Social Media Presentation and Webinar Slides - IAAF 2024 (PPTX)
• Meet ANDI - Coming soon.
• Section 508 Playbook (Draft) - IAAF 2024 (PPTX)

For event details, visit: 2024 IAAF Agenda and 2024 IAAF Speaker and Presenter Biographies.

2023 Interagency Accessibility Forum

The 2023 IAAF was a three-day conference built on the theme Beyond Compliance: Building a Culture of Digital Accessibility and featured workshops, keynote addresses, breakout sessions, and discussions led by those on the forefront of accessibility in the federal, private, academic, international, and nonprofit sectors.

Attendees of this 10th annual IAAF enjoyed a return to an in-person (hybrid) event - our first since 2019, at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) offices in Arlington, Virginia.

The 2023 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), Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and Department of Veteran’s Affairs (VA), in partnership with other federal agencies.

For event details, visit: 2023 IAAF Agenda and 2023 IAAF Speaker and Presenter Biographies.

• Welcome & Opening Remarks - Day 2

  

  Sylvia Burns, Chief Information Officer and Chief Privacy Officer, FDIC, welcomes guests to the 10th Annual Interagency Accessibility Forum.

  Listen: Welcome & Opening Remarks - Day 2

• Digital Accessibility in the Federal Workplace

  

  Clare Martorana, Federal Chief Information Officer, OMB, moderates a discussion with distinguished guests explore the role of agency leadership in promoting, prioritizing, and improving digital accessibility in the federal workplace and how investments in measuring accessibility cultivate an accessibility inclusive work environment.

  Listen: Accessibility in Workplace

• Keynote Address with Tanya Bradsher

  

  Tanya Bradsher, Deputy Secretary, VA, shared thoughts emphasizing the significance of accessibility, particularly through Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, which has been vital in improving the lives of people with disabilities. Bradsher highlighted the VA's commitment to making its services accessible as a core value ensuring that veterans can access their benefits with dignity and ease.

  Listen: Keynote Address

• Real Talk: A Conversation with Section 508 Program Managers

  

  Betsy Sirk, leads a discussion with an experienced panel sharing its stories of the triumphs and challenges of leading Section 508 programs, and learn best practices on making ICT accessible within your workplace.

  Listen: A Conversation with Section 508 PMs

• Welcome & Opening Remarks - Day 3

  

  Sachin Pavithran, Executive Director, USAB, welcomes guests to the 10th Annual Interagency Accessibility Forum.

  Watch: Welcome & Opening Remarks - Day 3

• A Fireside Chat with Accessibility Leaders

  

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  Watch: A Fireside Chat with Accessibility Leaders

• Accessibility Round Table with the Department of Veterans Affairs

  

  Martha Orr, Deputy Chief Information Officer for Compliance, Risk, and Remediation, VA, ...

  Watch: Accessibility Round Table with VA

• The Accessibility-Powered Future of Work

  

  Andrea M. O’Neal, Senior Advisor to the Administrator for Equity, General Services Administration, moderated a plenary discussion to explore how the federal government can create more inclusive, accessible work environments for people with disabilities, enabled through integrated technology and universal design — and powered by the principles of diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA).

  Watch: The Accessibility-Powered Future of Work

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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

  

  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

  

  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

• Track A: Lead Our Agencies Towards Access
  • Accessible Meetings - Integrating Captioning in Conference Platforms - IAAF 2022 (PPTX)
  • The Human Reason for Accessibility - Part 1 - IAAF 2022 (PPTX)
  • The Human Reason for Accessibility - Part 2 - IAAF 2022 (PPTX)
  • Creating Accessible PDF Forms - IAAF 2022 (PPTX)
• Track B: Create Amazing Content
  • Videos for All - IAAF 2022 (PPTX)
  • Captioning Multimedia - IAAF 2022 (PPTX)
  • Section 508 PMs - What You Need To Know - IAAF 2022 (PPTX)
  • Section 508 PMs - Using What You Know

General Sessions

• Accessibility Maturity Models - IAAF 2022 (PPTX)
• Chair and Committee Members - IAAF 2022 (PPTX)

Breakout Sessions

• Track A: Lead Our Agencies Towards Access
  • Workplace Mental Health - IAAF 2022 (PPTX)
  • Beyond 508 Compliance - A Four-Point Hybrid Testing Approach - IAAF 2022 (PPTX)
  • Advancing Accessibility within a Small Agency - IAAF 2022 (PPTX)
  • WCAG 3 - IAAF 2022 (PPTX)
  • A Different Perspective for Looking at Accessibility - IAAF 2022 (PPTX)
• Track B: Create Amazing Content/Section 508 Wildcard
  • Striving for Universal Access - IAAF 2022 (PPTX)
  • Mission Accessible - IAAF 2022 (PPTX)
  • The UniDescription Project - IAAF 2022 (PPTX)
  • Best Practices for Achieving Digital Accessibility - IAAF 2022 (PPTX)
  • Demystifying Section 508 - IAAF 2022 (PPTX)

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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

  

  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

  

  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

  

  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

• Small Wonder – Building a 508 Program at a Small Agency
• International Digital Accessibilities Activities (PPTX)
• Driving Innovation of Accessible Work Technology to Empower Diverse Workers with Disabilities (PPTX)
• Ask the Expert

Breakout Sessions

• Track A: Lead Our Agencies Towards Access
  • Dancing to Accessibility: How to Fill Your Dance Card - No Special Shoes Required (PPTX)
  • Inclusive Apprenticeship and Career Pathways: the Partnership on Inclusive Apprenticeship (PPTX)
  • Inclusive Design Demands Inclusive User Research: How to develop equitable research and testing opportunities (PPTX)
  • [Neurodiversity at Work: Creating Inclusive Work Futures
  • Moving from task based programs to a Safe, Accessible, Functional, Engaging (SAFE) work-life for federal staff with disabilities (PPTX)
  • Reframe and Reinforce: Using Lessons from Neuroscience to Improve Leadership Understanding and Support for Accessibility (PPTX)
• Track B: Create Amazing Content
  • Accessibility First: Creating a Native Mobile App for Veterans (PPTX)
  • Designing to Support Cognitive and Learning Disabilities (PPTX)
  • [Web Accessibility at the CFPB | Presentation
  • Creating Accessible Fillable PDF Forms in Adobe Indesign (PPTX)
  • From 5,000 to 0: prioritizing documents for remediation (PPTX)
  • What is the Current State of Audio Description in the US Federal Government? (PPTX)
• Track C: Buy and Manage Compliance
  • Ensuring ICT Accessibility Throughout the Acquisition Lifecycle (PPTX)
  • Creating a Machine-Readable ACR (PPTX)
  • Breaking through Silos: Leverage Staff Creativity to Serve the Agency Mission (PPTX)
  • Enhancing Accessibility: AI and Machine Learning (PPTX)
  • Adopting and Aligning to the ICT Testing Baseline (PPTX)

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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.