Bruce Bailey

IT Specialist
U.S. Access Board

Bruce Bailey has lead responsibility for the Access Board website and with providing technical assistance on Section 508, especially as that regulation relates to websites, software, and hardware. Bailey supports Access Board members serving on Election Assistance Commission (EAC) boards and committees. Bailey serves as the Access Board 508 Program Manager.

Bailey has worked for thirty-five years in the field of digital accessibility and assistive technology, with the last fifteen years at the Access Board. Since 2001, Bailey has been an invited expert active in the W3C WAI Accessibility Guidelines Working Group (AG WG). Prior to joining the Access Board, Bailey worked at U.S. Department of Education OCIO and, prior to that, with the State of Maryland, Division of Rehabilitation Services.

Bailey has a B.S. from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and an M.Ed. from SUNY Albany. Bailey lives in Frederick, Maryland.

Presenter: Exceptions in Section 508 Regulatory Language, Day 2

John Cotter

IT Specialist
Social Security Administration

John Cotter graduated from Towson University with a BS in computer science and began his career as a web developer at SSA in 2004. John excelled in front-end web development and was responsible for Section 508 compliance for many web apps. John created ANDI in 2017: During a detail with SSA’s 508 Program, John researched discrepancies with screen reader speech. Out of curiosity, John generated hundreds of test cases and recorded screen reader output. John coded an algorithm to capture his observations. He shared his results with SSA’s 508 Program Manager who recognized that what John had “discovered” already had a name: the Accessible Name and Description Computation. John was encouraged to turn his research into a tool which became ANDI, the Accessible Name and Description Inspector. ANDI quickly became the primary tool for manual accessibility testing among SSA 508 testers. John open-sourced ANDI and shared it with interagency groups who worked to make it the recommended tool for the Trusted Tester Conformance Test Process.

John is the 508 subject matter expert for the SSA Design System team, whose primary product is the User Experience Framework (UEF), a web component library used internally by SSA. John ensures that UEF web components are 508 compliant so that web apps that use UEF are “accessible by default”.John’s ability to investigate issues and provide solutions is second to none, and vital to the success of his agency’s goal of Section 508 conformance.

Presenter: Meet ANDI (Part 1), Day 2
Presenter: Meet ANDI, Day 2

Kathy Eng

Senior ICT Accessibility Specialist
U.S. Access Board

Kathy Eng is a Senior ICT Accessibility Specialist with the Access Board. She provides technical assistance on Section 508. Kathy is co-lead of the ICT Testing Baseline Portfolio, co-facilitator of the W3C Accessibility Conformance Testing Task Force, and chair of the Best Practices subcommittee in the Accessibility Community of Practice of the Federal Chief Information Officers’ Council.

Presenter: That Doesn't Need to Be a PDF, Day 1

Chet Frith

Director, Section 508 Compliance
Department of Veteran Affairs

Chet Frith joined the Office of Information Technology at Department of Veteran Affairs in May 2022 and is the Director, Office of 508 Compliance. He began his career in the United States Navy where he served 21 years on active duty and another 7 years as a DoD civilian. While working with seriously wounded, ill and injured service members, he developed a passion for accessibility and personally utilized assistive information and communication technology upon his return from Iraq in 2011. Chet assisted the realignment of the Section 508 office, ensuring the 508 Playbook was implemented through a robust Plan of Action and Milestones. He holds a Master’s Degree in Operations Management from the University of Arkansas.

Presenter: How to Build an Effective 508 Program, Day 2

Shawn Garmer

IT Accessibility Specialist
Department of Education

Shawn is an IT Accessibility Specialist whose expertise is matched only by his dedication to inclusive and accessible technology. With CPACC (Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies) and ADS (Accessible Document Specialist) certifications from IAAP (International Association of Accessibility Professionals) and DHS Trusted Tester, he brings a wealth of knowledge cultivated over 20 years in Federal IT, with a commendable almost decade-long focus on digital accessibility and Section 508 compliance. Not only a seasoned professional, but Shawn is a U.S. Army Veteran. Shawn lives in Central Virginia.

Presenter: Leveraging Browser DevTools to Aid Manual Web Accessibility Testing (Part 1), Day 1
Presenter: Leveraging Browser DevTools to Aid Manual Web Accessibility Testing (Part 2), Day 1

Larry Gillick

Product Manager, Experience
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation

Larry Gillick is the product manager for all things web in the FDIC’s Office of Communications.

You may know him better from a decade at the U.S. Department of the Interior, where he set standards for web and social media and established a common cloud-based Drupal web platform that still hosts DOI.gov and several Interior bureau and office websites (and the Inspector General). He advises other agencies on web and social media issues and enjoys long-term problem solving. Why solve for today, when you can solve for forever?

He presents, whenever they let him, at Drupal GovCon – or anywhere that supplies decent coffee.

He has an MA from Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communication and will forever be ABT on an MFA in Digital Cinema.

Presenter: That Doesn't Need to Be a PDF, Day 1

Michael Horton

Senior ICT Accessibility Specialist
General Services Administration

Michael Horton is a Senior ICT Accessibility Specialist with the Office of Government-wide Policy at the General Services Administration (GSA) providing technical assistance to federal agencies on Section 508. He also serves as the Co-chair of the CIO Council (CIOC) Accessibility Community of Practice (ACOP) Best-Practices Subcommittee.

Mr. Horton is an accessibility and technology professional with nearly 30 years of experience in web-based application development. He is a compliance subject matter expert, DHS Certified Trusted Tester, and digital accessibility advocate who joined the General Services Administration, Government-wide IT Accessibility Program in 2018 to support agencies in their efforts to ensure independence and the dignity of work for people with disabilities.

Prior to joining GSA, Michael served as the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Section 508 Program Manager, and as a software engineer, front-end web developer, partner advocate, and online policy and compliance specialist at America Online (AOL).

Presenter: Section 508 Activities Update by GSA, Day 1
Presenter: That Doesn't Need to Be a PDF, Day 1

Bryson Jones

National Social Media Manager
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Bryson Jones is the National Social Media Manager for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. During his time at the Service, he has led a team of talented digital and social media specialists to various National honors, including two 2024 Webby Awards, a 2024 Golden Post Award for Best Linked Presence, and a 2024 Bronze Honoree at the Shorty Awards. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife team’s innovative approach combines humor and wit to create compelling content that resonates globally, promoting conservation and raising awareness about wildlife, endangered species, and natural habitats. Their strategy has increased engagement and redefined how federal agencies communicate complex environmental issues to diverse audiences. Bryson’s rich background in federal service, including roles at the Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Marine Corps, brings a unique perspective to digital communication in the public sector. His experience spans from safeguarding national resources to national security, giving him a comprehensive understanding of government operations and public engagement. Based in south central Montana, Bryson is a digital communicator and a practitioner of the values he promotes online. When not pioneering digital strategies, he can be found exploring Montana’s wilderness with his family and tending to their livestock.

Presenter: Enhancing Accessibility on Social Media Platforms in Federal Agencies, Day 2

Merrick E. Krause

Enterprise Programs Executive
General Services Administration

Merrick E. Krause was appointed Enterprise Programs Executive October 2024. Prior to that he was Acting and Deputy Chief Human Capital Officer and Director of the Office of Human Capital Strategy, Performance, and Management, for the General Services Administration since October 2018. He was the GSA Executive Sponsor for the Women’s Special Emphasis Program and in 2021 moved to become Executive Sponsor standing up the new GSA Persons with Disabilities Special Emphasis Program. He is engaged with DOL ODEP, OPM, OMB, US Access Board among others in the Interagency Disability Leadership group and as resourcing lead for the Federal Accessibility Center of Excellence now under study. He led the OPM Chief Human Capital Officers Council Local Remote, Remote, and Hybrid Work working groups, achieving a very positive OPM memorandum defining remote work and providing best practices and leeway for agencies to tailor hybrid programs to their needs.

A retired U.S. Air Force Colonel, command fighter pilot, and operational test pilot, Col. Krause, USAF (Ret.) served as Special Assistant to two Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during Operations ENDURING FREEDOM and IRAQI FREEDOM and was Joint Task Force Southwest Asia Weapons Officer during Operation SOUTHERN WATCH. Col. Krause was a combat mission commander in Operations DESERT SHIELD, DESERT STORM, and DESERT RESOLVE credited with over 100 combat and combat support missions, and he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for “Heroic action under fire.”

Presenter: Section 508 Activities Update by GSA, Day 1

Dennis Lapcewich

Section 508 Program Manager
U.S. Forest Service

Dennis Lapcewich is the Section 508 Program Manager for the U.S. Forest Service.

Panelist: Agency View on Assessments & Memorandums, Day 1

Bethany Letalien

IT Specialist
Office of Personnel Management

Bethany Letalien (she/her) has spent the last several years standing up the Office of Personnel Management’s small but mighty Section 508 program office, housed within the Office of Communications. Bethany is Trusted Tester certified and has been active in the ICT testing baseline efforts for web and documents led by GSA, the Access Board, and the Accessible Electronic Documents Community of Practice (AED COP).

Like many Section 508 specialists, Bethany fell into her current role. She has a background in Brazilian studies, web design dating back to the 1990s, and animal rescue. When she started at OPM as a Presidential Management Fellow in 2009, she knew only that she would be placed in the office of the Chief Information Officer. She worked in four OPM offices on open government, open data, records management, plain language, and various related projects before going full-time on Section 508. Before working for OPM, Bethany used her knowledge of the Portuguese language while employed by the Hispanic Division of the Library of Congress and conducted field work in Rio de Janeiro.

Bethany lives with her dog, Otis Blood Pressure Elevator (who refuses to allow her to foster other dogs) in Maryland, where they both enjoy eating from the garden.

Bethany holds a BSLA from Georgetown University and two MAs, an MSIS, and a PhD from the University of Texas at Austin. She maintains that the reason she has so many degrees is she couldn’t decide what she wanted to be when she grew up. She’s finally figured it out.

Panelist: Agency View on Assessments & Memorandums, Day 1

Alison Levy

Director, Office of Technical and Information Services
United States Access Board

Alison Sutton Levy joined the U.S. Access Board in June 2022 as the Director of the Office of Information and Technical Services (OTIS) where she oversees the technical assistance team for both the built and digital environments.

The Access Board is an independent federal agency that promotes equality for people with disabilities through leadership in accessible design and the development of accessibility guidelines and standards. OTIS currently includes a team of eight staff members who write the

guidelines and standards, provide answers to technical questions via a hotline and email, and present training in person and virtually.

Alison most recently served as the Manager of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Disability Resource Center (DRC). The DRC is a centrally funded office that supports internal supervisors and employees in creating an accessible and inclusive workplace through recruitment, hiring, outreach, education, and reasonable accommodations.

As a person with disabilities, and with over 30 years of experience in the disability profession, Alison has worked toward improving workplace attitudes and accessibility, and in providing equal opportunity in the post-secondary, public, and private sectors. She is a person with disabilities and is fluent in American Sign Language.

Introduction: Welcome and Opening Remarks, Day 2

Alex Lindeman

Section 508 Program Coordinator
National Park Service

After working at Denali National Park for many years and developing a variety of skills related to Section 508 in that time, I took a remote job with the NPS Washington, D.C., office in our Information Resources Management Directorate (IRMD), which allowed me to remain in Alaska. One of my current duties is to be the main NPS point of contact for all things Section 508. I maintain many job aids, lead formal and informal trainings, and collaborate regularly with my Section 508 peers across DOI—particularly with our fearless agency Section 508 lead, Sid Sharma. I am an avowed social media curmudgeon but will do my best to represent our social media savant, Matt Turner, and all the NPS employees who work hard to ensure their social media posts are accessible.

Presenter: Enhancing Accessibility on Social Media Platforms in Federal Agencies, Day 2

Laura Miller

Senior ICT Accessibility Specialist
General Services Administration

Laura Boniello Miller is a Senior ICT Accessibility Specialist with the Office of Government-wide Policy at the General Services Administration (GSA) providing technical assistance to federal agencies on Section 508.

Miller’s career has been spent largely in the private kiosk software and accessibility sector. She is an accessibility hardware and closed system subject matter expert. She most recently served as a contractor with various agencies on their Section 508 digital accessibility programs and is a DHS Certified Trusted Tester.

Miller serves on various working groups addressing self service transaction machine accessibility. She has knowledge of closed system accessibility as it relates to hardware, software, and accessible technology and has conducted and observed kiosk user testing with PwD in various deployments such as fast food ordering, grocery store pickup, government field office services, retail payment devices, and airport check ins. She recently joined the General Services Administration, Government-wide IT Accessibility Program to support hardware baseline efforts and kiosk accessibility standardization.

Presenter: Section 508 Activities Update by GSA, Day 1

Andrew Nielson

Director, Government-wide IT Accessibility Program
General Services Administration

Andrew is the Director of the Government-wide IT Accessibility Program in GSA’s Office of Government-wide Policy, which has the mandate, under Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to provide technical assistance to federal agencies and individuals in meeting Section 508 requirements. Andrew is an expert in the field of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) accessibility. He is Co-Chair of the annual ICT Accessibility Testing Symposium, which brings together other experts from around the world in the field of ICT accessibility testing to exchange academic analysis of current ICT accessibility testing issues and explore approaches to improve accessibility testing practices. He is a principal co-author of the current version of the Harmonized Processes for Revised Section 508: Baseline Tests for Web Accessibility (aka the “ICT Baseline”). Andrew was also the coordinator and facilitator of the inter-agency team of experts that developed both the Baseline and the current version of the “Trusted Tester” accessibility testing process, which is recognized across the federal government as a leading practice in accessibility testing.

Introduction: Welcome and Opening Remarks, Day 1
Presenter: Section 508 Activities Update by GSA, Day 1
Speaker: Closing, Day 1
Speaker: Closing, Day 2

Amy Nieves

Public Affairs Specialist
United States Access Board

Amy Nieves serves as the Public Affairs Specialist in the Office of Executive Director at the Access Board. As a neurodivergent and disabled individual who is unilaterally deaf, Amy has built her career in the non-profit advocacy space as well as within local, state, and federal government by centering on accessibility and disability justice. She is a nationally recognized facilitator, keynote speaker, and community leader. Prior to her appointment to the Access Board, she was the Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities for the city of Philadelphia. Additionally, Nieves is a Governor-appointed Council Member of the PA Developmental Disabilities Council and the PA Statewide Independent Council for the state of Pennsylvania. She completed her undergraduate degree at York College of PA and her Master’s in Human Relations: Diversity, Equity, & Strategic Impact at the University of Oklahoma. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Organizational Leadership at Eastern University. Nieves has long advocated that access, equity, and opportunity are rights for all people.

Presenter: Enhancing Accessibility on Social Media Platforms in Federal Agencies, Day 2

David O'Keefe

Events and Communication Specialist
United States Access Board

David O’Keefe serves as the Events and Communication Specialist in the Office of Executive Director at the Access Board. His work involves planning and coordinating logistics for virtual and in-person public events, as well as managing the Board’s social media content and engagement. He previously served as a Team Leader for FEMA Corps (AmeriCorps NCCC) and as the Cultural Affairs Assistant for the State University of New York (SUNY) at Orange County Community College. O’Keefe holds an M.A. in Technical and Professional Writing from Middle Georgia State University and a B.A. in Digital Media Production from SUNY New Paltz.

Presenter: Enhancing Accessibility on Social Media Platforms in Federal Agencies, Day 2

Katherine Otts

Section 508 Program Manager
National Science Foundation

Katherine Otts currently serves as NSF’s Section 508 Compliance Officer and formerly held the roles of Acting Section Chief, Technology and Operations Section, and Unified Communications (UC) Manager. In these roles, she provided training, technology demonstrations, technical assistance, and accessibility guidance to aid early adopters in transitioning smoothly to new communications tools and eliminating barriers to information and communication technology (ICT) for individuals with disabilities.

Katherine’s professional experience spans more than 32 years and includes positions as Project Director, Section 508 Coordinator, Virtual Technology Manager, Section Head, Senior Conference Manager, and Assistant Director for Conference Technologies International. She managed NSF’s Meetings and Events Management (MEM) Office for 12.5 years, helping to convene more than 10,000 onsite events per year and playing a pivotal role in training MEM staff and AV contractors to produce virtual events. Katherine is a passionate advocate for unified and assistive technologies to broaden meeting participation and communications.

Katherine is a certified Government Virtual Event Producer, holds a B.A. in Psychology from American University, and is a graduate of American University’s Key Executive Leadership Program. Her professional interests include Section 508 accessibility, UC technology training, photography, and enhancing employee and team productivity.

Speaker: Closing, Day 2

Dr. Sachin Pavithran

Executive Director
United States Access Board

Dr. Sachin Dev Pavithran is the Executive Director of the Access Board. In this role, Pavithran oversees research funded by the Access Board that supports the development of rules and voluntary guidelines in the areas of transportation, information communication and technology, the built environment, and outdoor recreation. With over twenty years of direct involvement in development, testing, and training for assistive technology, Pavithran has given lectures and training in accessible information technology for individuals and groups, as well as assisted in the evaluation of products related to web accessibility and design. Pavithran also has extensive experience working with the higher education community in providing access to instructional materials to facilitate transitioning from K – 12 to post-secondary education into the workforce. As a lifelong advocate for the rights of people with disabilities, Pavithran has presented and provided training in the U.S. and worldwide, including in the United Arab Emirates, India, Egypt, Syria, Philippines, Thailand, Turkey, and Mexico.

Speaker: Welcome and Opening Remarks, Day 2

Dan Pomeroy

Deputy Associate Administrator, Office of Technology Policy
General Services Administration

Dan Pomeroy currently serves as the Deputy Associate Administrator in the Office of Technology Policy within the Office of Government-wide Policy at the General Services Administration (GSA). Dan’s work is focused on enabling Federal CIOs to deliver world-class information technology services across government, particularly in the areas of accessibility, identity credentialing, digital services, IT infrastructure modernization, and IT capital planning. In 2020, Dan established a dedicated emerging technology policy office in GSA.

Dan Pomeroy has also served as the first Director of the Infrastructure Optimization Center of Excellence under the White House Office of American Innovation, and as the Director of GSA’s Data Center and Cloud Optimization Initiative (DCCOI) Managing Partner PMO.

Dan is a native of Las Vegas, Nevada. He possesses a Masters in Public Service and Administration from Bush School of Government at Texas A&M University, and a Master of Science in Government Information Leadership from the National Defense University.

Speaker: Welcome and Opening Remarks, Day 1

Kristen Smith-O'Connor

Senior ICT Accessibility Specialist
General Services Administration

Kristen Smith-O’Connor is a Senior ICT Accessibility Specialist with the Office of Government-wide Policy at the General Services Administration (GSA). Mrs. Smith-O’Connor draws on over twelve years of experience in digital accessibility, ranging from document remediation, to web/software testing, to accessibility program maturation and brings a wealth of knowledge to assist Federal Agencies in complying with Section 508.

Prior to joining GSA, Kristen was a Project Manager and Senior Accessibility Subject Matter Expert at New Editions Consulting Inc, providing accessibility strategic planning and program maturity for public and private sector clients, with a focus on maturation of digital policy. She has created and led trainings such as Trusted Tester bootcamp, Section 508 incorporation into Acquisitions, and testing using automated browser tools. She is a certified DHS Trusted Tester and an IAAP Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies.

Presenter: Section 508 Activities Update by GSA, Day 1

Kate Sweeney

Director, Section 508 Program
Health and Human Services

As the HHS Section 508 Program Director, Kate provides leadership and oversight of the department’s Digital Accessibility program in support of the Department’s mission and to ensure federal employees, and consumers of HHS information, with disabilities have access to information and communication technology (ICT) that is comparable to the access enjoyed by federal employees without disabilities unless doing so would impose an undue burden on the agency. Kate oversees the development of departmental policies, process, and procedures; providing guidance and support to IT project teams on the application of Section 508 requirements; managing the HHS and OS Section 508 Program budget; and conducting process improvement activities to provide better services and resources to HHS employees.

Kate brings over 15 years expertise in policy, IT program and project management, and process improvement solutions to HHS. She has extensive experience in facilitating and managing cross-functional process improvement activities and has served in a broad range of roles including document specialist, facilitation and logistics analyst, IT specialist, and management and program analyst.
She graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin-Stout with a concentration in Quality and Industrial Management.
She stays connected with the academic community by engaging in the Department of State’s Virtual Student Internship Program and mentoring virtual students pursuing undergraduate and graduate degrees.

Panelist: Agency View on Assessments & Memorandums, Day 1

David Whittington

Section 508 Coordinator
United States Census Bureau

David Whittington is currently the Section 508 Coordinator for the U.S. Census Bureau and works in the Application Development and Services Division (ADSD). As the Section 508 Program Manager, his team provides accessibility guidance, governance, and training for the Bureau to help make our digital products accessible to the disabled community. Prior to joining the agency, he worked for the Defense Information Systems Agency (DoD-DISA) where he was a Test Director, helping the US military develop, maintain, and operate mission critical Information Systems for the warfighter.

David holds a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from Morgan State University as well as a plethora of leading IT industry certifications including PMP, ITIL, COR Level III, Certified Scrum Master, and Certified Test Engineer. He lives in Washington, DC and when not busy working, he enjoys spending time with his family and friends as well as coaching youth sports and bike riding.

Panelist: Agency View on Assessments & Memorandums, Day 1

Alex Wilson

Program Analyst
General Services Administration

Alex Wilson is a program analyst within GSA’s Office of Government-wide Policy (OGP). Alex works within the Digital Strategies, Government-wide IT Accessibility and Content Management teams supporting content creation, metrics & analytics, content rationalization and strategic planning efforts, among other activities. Alex is a disabled Army combat veteran.

Presenter: Section 508 Activities Update by GSA, Day 1