>> GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. I'D LIKE TO WELCOME YOU TO MORE THAN WORDS, NIH CELEBRATES ACCESSIBILITY. WE'RE DELIGHTED TO HAVE TERRIFIC EXHIBITORS WITH US HERE TODAY AND A GREAT PROGRAM READY FOR YOU AND THE EVENT IS BEING OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AND ALSO BEING VIDEOCAST LIVE AND WILL ALSO BE ARCHIVED FOR REFERENCE FOR LATER. DURING TODAY'S PANEL SESSION YOUR QUESTIONS ARE GOING TO BE WELCOME. FOR THOSE OF YOU JOINING US THROUGH CYBER SPACE, SEND NE QUESTIONS TO NIHMORETHANWORDS@MAIL.NIH.GOV. ALSO MUTE YOUR PHONES TO MAKE SURE THEY DON'T GO OFF DURING THE EVENT. ALSO AN ANNOUNCEMENT TO MAKE, UNFORTUNATELY OUR NOTOBER EVENT TOOK OUT POWER TO NEW HAMPSHIRE SO ONE OF OUR SPEAKERS TODAY DUE TO FAMILY NEEDS AN POWER LOSS MIC PATCH LOW WILL NOT BE -- MIKE PACIELLO WILL NOT BE ABLE TO JOIN US TODAY. WE'LL PLAN TO POST THOUGHTS FROM MIKE AFTER THE EVENT AND WE ALSO HAVE A GREAT DEAL OF THANKS FOR AGREEING TO MODERATE IN MIKE'S ABSENCE. NOW IT'S MY PLEASURE TO INTRODUCE ANDREA NORRIS. ANDREA IS THE NEW NIH DIRECTOR FOR IS CENTER FOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AS WELL AS ACTING CHIEF NIH INFORMATION OFFICER. AS THE CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER BECOMES OUR NEW NIH 508 OFFICIAL. ANANDREA COMES FROM THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION, WHERE SHE SERVED AS THE ACTING CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER. WELCOME, ANDREA. >> IT IS SUCH A PLEASURE TO BE ABLE TO BE HERE THIS MORNING TO WELCOME OUR DISTINGUISHED SPEAKERS AND GUESTS ON SUCH AN IMPORTANT TOPIC. WHEN I WAS LOOKING OVER THE AGENDA AND SCHEDULE AND THE THE EXCITING INFORMATION WE'LL BE EXPOSED TO TODAY, HOW APPROPRIATE MORE THAN WORDS, WHATTEN AMAZING NAME FOR THIS OUR COMMITMENT TO ACCESSIBILITY FOR ALL AND ALSO THE FOCUS ON OUR ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN OUR WORDS AND THE INCREDIBLE COMMITMENT THAT THE NIH HAS MADE TO THIS IMPORTANT TOPIC. I WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE AND THANK BRIEFLY ALL THE INDIVIDUALS THAT HELPED PLAN AND THE HARD WORK THEY HAVE PUT INTO ORGANIZING THIS IMPORTANT EVENT THE NIH CENTER FOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND THE NIH SECTION 508 ADVISORY GROUP SO MANY THINGS TO THOSE -- MANY THANKS TO THOSE FOLKS UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF STACY CHAR LAND FOR PUTTING TOGETHER THIS EVENT. WE HAVE A GREAT PROGRAM FOR YOU TODAY, YOU SHOULD HAVE YOUR PROGRAM OVERVIEW WE'RE PRIVILEGED TO HAVE LARRY TABAK, PRINCIPLE DEPUTY FOR THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH WHO DEMONSTRATED AND IS HERE TO SPEAK FROM ALL THE SENIOR LEADERSHIP OF THE NIH HIS AS WELL AS THEIR STRONG COMMITMENT TO THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF ASSURING ACCESSIBILITY NOT ONLY TO THE FOLKS WHO COME TO NIH TO ACCESS OUR INFORMATION SERVICES BUT ALSO FOR ALL OUR STAFF WHO ARE HERE WHO WORK SO DILIGENTLY ON BEHALF OF OF NIH IN ACHIEVING OUR MISSION. WE HAVE THERESA SHEA NEW TO THE NIH, SHE HAS AN AMAZING STORY TO SHARE OF HER PERSONAL EXPERIENCE IN THE AREA OF ACCESSN 'T. -- ACCESSIBILITY. SHE COMES FROM A TECHNOLOGY PERSPECTIVE BACKGROUND SKILLED TECHNOLOGIST AS WELL AS IN USING TECHNOLOGY TO HELP FOLKS HERE AROUND NIH. SO I THINK IT'S SO WONDERFUL THAT WE HAVE SOMEONE TO SPEAK FROM A VERY SPECIAL PERSPECTIVE BECAUSE IT OFFERS US SOME INSIGHT INTO ALL OF THE DIFFERENT WAYS THAT WE CAN CONTRIBUTE HERE AND TO IDENTIFY SOME CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE PERHAPS NOT YET HAVE REALIZED. WE HAVE A GREAT PANEL OF EXPERTS WHO ARE GOING TO EDUCATE AND INFORM US ON EEMERGING TECHNOLOGIES. USABILITY MATTERS, ACCESSIBILITY MATTERS AND STANDARDS AFTER LUNCH WE'LL HAVE A PARTICULAR FOCUS APPROACH FOR AUDIO DESCRIPTION. I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE MAYBE SOME TRICKS OR TREATS AHEAD OF US AFTER LUNCH GIVEN TODAY BEING HALLOWEEN. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION AND EFFORTS TO MAKE THE NIH MORE OPEN AND ACCESSIBLE TO ALL PEOPLE AS THEY SEEK INFORMATION AND SERVICES. AND TO ASSURE THAT ALL OF OUR STAFF ARE ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY USE OUR TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES TO PERFORM THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES WITH EXCELLENCE. IT'S MY HONOR TO INTRODUCE DR. LAWRENCE TABAK, THE NIH PRINCIPLE DEPUTY AND MY BOSS, WHO IS -- HAS PROVIDED SUCH TREMENDOUS LEADERSHIP AND SUPPORT HERE ON BEHALF OF NIH IN ADVANCING THESE EFFORTS. THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] >> GOOD MORNING, EVERYBODY. IT'S GREAT TO BE HERE TO HELP YOU CELEBRATE A DECADE OF EFFORT TO ENSURE ACCESS TO ALL OF NIH'S RESOURCES FOR ALL FOLKS AND KNOWN AS SECTION 508 THIS LEGISLATION WAS A MAJOR AND VITAL REREVISION TO THE REHABILITATION ACT OF 1973. I BRING TODAY BEST WISHES FROM DR. COLLINS, DIRECTOR OF NIH AND HIS REGRETS THAT HE WASN'T ABLE TO JOIN YOU TODAY. I WANT TO THANK THE CENTER FOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, THE OFFICE OF EQUAL OPPORTUNITY AND DIVERSITY MANAGEMENT AND THE OFFICE OF THE CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICE FOR SPONSORING THIS EVENT AND FOR INVITING ME TO HELP YOU MARK THIS MILESTONE. THIS IS NOT DISSIMILAR TO ALL LECTURES I GIVE, EVERYBODY SITS IN THE BACK, YOU'RE AFRAID I'M GOING TO START TALKING ABOUT THE KREBS CYCLE. SO OVER THE LAST DECADE SO MANY OF YOU IN THIS ROOM HAVE WORKED SO HARD TO MAKE THE COMPLEXITIES OF THIS REQUIREMENT AT ONCE BOTH THE MANDATE TRULY WORK FOR ALL CONSTITUENCIES. YOUR EFFORTS ACTUALLY REMIND ME OF THE CHINESE PROVERB, IF YOU ARE PLANNING FOR A YEAR SEW RICE, IF YOU'RE PLANNING A DECADE PLANT TREES, IF YOU'RE PLANNING FOR A LIFETIME, EDUCATE PEOPLE. SO IF YOU PUT THIS INTO GOVERNMENT EASE F YOU'RE PLANNING FOR A YEAR FIND OUT WHAT YOU CAN DO FAST, WHAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO AND START IMPLEMENTING, FEW YOU'RE PLANNING TO LOOK TO THE FUTURE, KNOW WHAT IS CHANGING ON THE HORIZON AND IF YOU'RE PLANNING FOR A LIFETIME, MAKE THE EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES BENEFIT THE CORE COMMITMENT TO ACCESSIBILITY. OUT'S ABOUT DELIVERING ON PROMISES, NOT ONLY SAYING GOOD THINGS AT THE RIGHT MOMENT BUT ALSO MAKING GOOD ON YOUR WORD. EVEN WHEN DIFFICULT OR INDEED SOMETIMES FRUSTRATING. SO A FEW FACTS. 'S ESTIMATED JUST UNDER 20% OF THE CIVILIAN POPULATION HAS SOME FORM OF DISABILITY, 1.8 MILLION AMERICANS 15 AND OLDER ARE UNABLE TO SEE PRINTED WORDS. 1 MILLION AMERICANS IN THE SAME AGE RANGE CAN'T HEAR A TYPICAL CONVERSATION. OUR AGING POPULATION MEANS THAT EVEN MORE OF NIH'S KEY COB STITCH WENTS, -- CONSTITUENT IT IS PUBLIC IN MOST NEED OF INFORMATION ON WEBSITES MAY HAVE A DISABILITY THAT MAY PREVENT THEM FROM GETTING THE INFORMATION AND SERVICES THEY REQUIRE. UNLESS WE TAKE THE STEPS NECESSARY TO ENSURE ACCESS WE WON'T REACH MANY OF THE PEOPLE THAT WE ALL WORK SO HARD TO TRY AND HELP. I REALIZE THAT EVERY EMERGING TECHNOLOGY HAS BEEN A CHALLENGE TO ALL OF US, PARTICULARLY IF YOU DON'T HAVE A 12-YEAR-OLD HANDY TO EXPLAIN IT TO YOU. WE'VE BEEN STRUGGLING TO KEEP UP WITH MEDIA THAT AT LEAST TO MY MIND SEEMS TO MORPH EACH AND EVERY NIGHT. WE HAVE ALL BEEN TRYING TO ADAPT OUR INFORMATION AND YOUR RESOURCES TO THE NEW TOOLS AS THEY ARRIVE NOT INDIVIDUALLY BUT COMPETITIVELY AND IN BATCHES. AT TIMES IT'S FRUSTRATING JUST STAYING WITH ONE SOFTWARE APP, I FINALLY KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS. AND REALLY UNDERSTANDING WHAT IT CAN DO FOR YOU OR ONE SMART PHONE GADGET. I TRULY DON'T KNOW WHAT ANY OF THOSE ARE. THINK IT'S FRUSTRATING AND MIND NUMBERING FOR US AS HEALTH INFORMATION PRODUCERS, IMAGINE HOW DIFFICULT, HOW CONFUSING IT IS FOR HEALTH INFORMATION SEEKERS PARTICULARLY THOSE WHO HAVE A DISABILITY. SO WE HAVE TO KEEP REMINDING OURSELVES THAT WHAT WE'RE DOING CAN BE GAME CHANGING FOR THOSE FOLKS AND THE TECHNOLOGY THAT CAN BE BROUGHT TO BEAR IS THE ENABLER. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY THAT IS ACCESSIBLE HAS POTENTIAL TO LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD FOR EVERYONE, NIH EMPLOYEES, STAKEHOLDERS, CONSTITUENTS, ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY OPENS NIH RESEARCH AND HEALTH INFORMATION TO THE PEOPLE WHO NEED IT THE MOST. BUT TECHNOLOGIES OF THIS TYPE TO WORK, THE STANDARDS DEFINED BY SECTION 508 HAVE TO BECOME PART OF THE REGULAR ELECTRONIC LEXICON. THAT WAY WHEN SOMEBODY SENDS AN EMAIL OUT TO AN ENTIRE INSTITUTE ABOUT AN UPCOMING LECTURE OR SOMEONE ELSE CREATE AS POWERPOINT THAT'S GOING TO SUBSEQUENTLY BE POSTED ON A WEBSITE, OR ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL THE INFORMATION CAN BE ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYBODY TO ALL OF OUR COWORKERS, TO ALL OF OUR CONSTITUENTS AND NOT JUST THE FULLY ABLE. CREATING INCLUSIVE VERSIONS OF OUR MESSAGES, AND ENSURING OPEN ACCESS FOR EVERYBODY, THAT HAS TO BECOME PART OF OUR STANDARD OPERATING PRINCIPLES, EVERYBODY'S WAY OF DOING BUSINESS. NOW, ANNIVERSARIES ARE A GREAT TIME TO REFLECT ON THINGS. I WANT TO GO BACK IN TIME TO SEPTEMBER 5TH, 2001, WHEN THE NIH SECTION 508 WORKING GROUP BEGAN. TIMES WERE DIFFICULT, PRODUCTS ON THE MARKET WEREN'T DESIGNED WITH ACCESSIBILITY IN MIND. I'M SURE Y'ALL REMEMBER SOMETIMES AWKWARD WORKAROUNDS THAT SPRANG FROM A SIMPLE DESIRE TO COMPLY WITH REQUIREMENTS THE CLEVER INNOVATIONS TO MAKE NIH MORE ACCESSIBLE BY A GROWING CADRE OF DEDICATED PROACTIVE EMPLOYEES. REMEMBER THE ECONOMIC IMPACT BACK THEN, THE BUDGETS FOR IT PROJECTS AND ACQUISITIONS HAVEN'T ALWAYS INCLUDED SECTION 508 REQUIREMENTS. WHEN YOU TRY AND RETROFIT IT AFTER THE FACT AS Y'ALL APPRECIATE THE COSTS CAN BE ENORMOUS IN TIMES AND DOLLARS. OVER THE PAST DECADE REPRESENTING THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WORK AND WE RECOGNIZE THOSE EFFORTS TODAY, THE PERSEVERANCE, THE COLLABORATION, THE STRUGGLES AND THE TRIUMPH THAT HAS TAKEN US TO THIS POINT. AND I'LL CONTINUE TO TAKE SOME OF THAT -- IT WILL CONTINUE TO TAKE THAT SAME EFFORT TO KEEP THIS MOVING FORWARD. BUT IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY, OUR COMMITMENT, NOT SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD SIMPLY DISMISS AS AN UNDUE BURDEN. SO WHERE WE ARE NOWRKS SINCE 2008 -- NOW SINCE 2008 WHEN HHS BEGAN PROVIDING A TOOL TO CHECK HHS WEBSITES FOR 508 COMPLIANCE, NIH HAS MADE EXTRAORDINARY PROGRESS TO ENSURE ACCESSIBILITY. THE HHS REPORT SHOW WE'RE ONE OF THE LEADING OPTIVES IN ACCESSIBILITY OF OUR PUBLIC WEBSITES WITH MORE THAN 88% OF OUR WEB PAGES COMPLIANT WITH THE 508 STANDARDS. NOW EACH INSTITUTE HAS A SECTION 508 COORDINATOR TO LEAD THE SPECIFIC EFFORTS OF THEIR ORGANIZATION AND TO REPRESENT THEIR INSTITUTE OR CENTER ON THE SECTION 508 ADVISORY GROUP. IN ADDITION A PROCESS HAS BEEN DEVELOPED TO RECOGNIZE AND PROVIDE EXCEPTIONS TO SPECIALIZED WEBSITES THAT CAN'T REASONABLY BE MADE FULLY ACCESSIBLE. SO NIH AND HHS HAVE A WEALTH OF ONLINE AND IN-PERSON TRAINING AVAILABLE TO ANYBODY AT NIH WHO WANTS TO LEARN HOW TO MAKE THEIR DOCUMENTS, VIDEOS AND OTHER FORMS OF INFORMATION FULLY ACCESSIBLE. WITH CONTINUED DEDICATION WE CAN ENSURE WHAT WE DO WILL NOT CONTINUE TO HANDICAP EMPLOYEES AND WE CAN CLEARLY MOVE BEYOND LIP SERVICE AND DELIVER ON OUR MISSION TO TURN DISCOVERY INTO HEALTH. NOT JUST FOR A FEW PEOPLE BUT FOR EVERYBODY. AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU ON BEHALF OF NIH LEADERSHIP FOR YOUR CONTINUED COMMITMENT ON THIS IMPORTANT EFFORT. THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] >> THANK YOU SO MUCH, DR. TABAK. WE TRULY APPRECIATE YOUR COMMITMENT TO ACCESSIBILITY AT NIH AND THAT YOU WERE ABLE TO BE WITH US TODAY FOR THIS EVENT. IT'S NOW MY PLEASURE TO INTRODUCE OUR KEYNOTE SPEAKER, TERESA SHEA. SHE'S PART OF THE RELATIONSHIP MANAGER PROGRAM AT NIH'S CENTER FOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY. AND IN JUST A SHORT TIME THAT SHE'S BEEN PART OF OUR NIH COMMUNITY, TERESA HAS MADE A BIG DIFFERENCE. BUT I'M NOT GOING TO GIVE AWAY HER STORY, THAT'S WHAT SHE INTENDS TO SHARE WITH US. SO WELCOME, TERESA. WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING WITH US HERE TODAY. [APPLAUSE] >> GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW PROUD AND HONORED I AM TO BE HERE AT THE NIH AND TO BE PART OF THE CELEBRATION FOR DISABILITY AWARENESS MONTH AND THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE 508 COMPLIANCE ACT. FIVE SHORT YEARS AGO MY LIFE CHANGED IN A WAY I NEVER IMAGINED. I CAN'T TELL YOU OR HOW I ENDED UP IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM THAT DAY OR WHAT FOLLOWED IN THE SUBSEQUENT WEEKS I WAS IN THE ICU BUT WHEN I CAN TELL YOU ARE THE FIRST MEMORIES I HAVE WHEN I WOKE UP. AND I REALIZE SOMETHING WAS WRONG. I VIVIDLY REMEMBER I COULD HEAR THE FAMILIAR THEME SONG AND WORDS THIS IS THE HOST OF JEOPARDY, ALEX TREBEK. I REMEMBER SAYING MOM, I CAN'T SEE THE TV, AND HER RESPONSE WAS I'LL MOVE IT. BUT IT WASN'T ON THE WALL. THAT WAS THE BEGINNING. FROM THERE SOMEBODY HANDED ME SOMETHING TO READ AND I COULDN'T SEE IT. I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT WAS HAPPENING AND THE NEXT DAYS WERE A FLURRY OF DOCTORS, THE POKING THE PRODDING, APPOINTMENTS, SCANS AND FINALLY A DIAGNOSIS, RETINOL ISCHEMIA. THEY WERE ABLE TO P KEEP ME ALIVE WHEN I HAD MAJOR ORGAN FAILURE BUT AT SOME POINT WHEN MY KIDNEYS LIVER AND PANCREAS SHUT DOWN COMPLETELY, THE OXYGEN WAS CUT OFF TO MY RETINAS. LEAVING ME WITH NO CENTRAL VISION. ONE MONTH BEFORE MY 25th BIRTHDAY I WAS BLIND AND WITHOUT HOPE FOR REGAINING MY SIGHT. TO GIVE A LITTLE PERSPECTIVE WHEN I P FINALLY WAS RELEASED FROM THE HOSPITAL I MOVED BACK IN WITH MY PARENTS. I HAD NO TRAINING, NO BLINDNESS SKILLS, AND DIDN'T KNOW WHERE TO BEGIN. THE SIMPLEST OF TASKS HAD BECOME TRYING AND FELT IMPOSSIBLE TO MASTER. TASKS LIKE BRUSHING TEETH BECAME ENORMOUSLY FRUSTRATING. I COULDN'T GET TOOTH PACE ON MY TOOTHBRUSH TO SAVE MY LIFE. I WOULD HAVE IT ONMY MY HANDS, THE COUNTER, ON THE MIRROR, MY HAIR, EVERYWHERE EXCEPT THE TOOTHBRUSH. THIS WAS THE AT LEAST OF MY PROBLEMS. HOW COULD I FUNCTION WHEN I COULDN'T GET AROUND ON MY OPEN? -- OWN? I COULDN'T READ OR USE A COMPUTER. HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO WORK OR TO LIVE? I GIN KNOW WHERE TO START. I HAD NO IDEA WHAT RESOURCES WERE OUT THERE AND WHAT COULD HELP IN TERMS OF TRAINING OR PRODUCTS. I WAS CLUELESS I NEVER PLANNED ON BEING BLIND. THE ONLY WAY I EVER FOUND OUT ABOUT TRAINING AND RESOURCES IS BECAUSE OF MY MOTHER. I HAVE ONE OF THOSE MOTHER WHOSE KICKS INTO OVERDRIVE IN TIMES OF CRISIS. NOT ONLY DID SHE SPEND COUNTLESS L HOURS DOING RESEARCH MAKING PHONE CALLS AND BEING AN ADVOCATE FOR ME BUT SHE ALSO PUSHED ME TO JUST KEEP MOVING AND SHE WAS RIGHT. I DO NOT HAVE THE CONSTITUTION TO BE HOLDING ON TO SOMEBODY'S ELSE'S ARM FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE. A FEW WEEKS AFTER LEAVING THE HOSPITAL I ENDED UP AT BLIND INDUSTRIES AND SERVICES OF MARYLAND TO LOOK AT THEIR ADULT REHABILITATION PROGRAM FOR THE BLIND. IT WAS AN INTENTION RESIDENTIAL PROGRAM LASTING 8 MONTHS TO A YEAR WHERE I WOULD BE REQUIRED TO COMPLETE A NUMBER OF PREREQUISITES INCLUDING COOKING CLEANING TRAVELING BRAILLE COMPUTERS AND EVEN A WOOD SHOP CLASS. ALL GEARED TO GETTING BLIND ADULTS BACK INTO THE WORKING WORLD. AND YOU HAD TO DO ALL OF THIS WHILE WEARING SLEEP SHADES AND BEING PLEATLY BLIND AND WITHOUT LIGHT PERCEPTION. THIS WAS A TRUE TEST BUT IT WAS CERTAINLY A LEARNING EXPERIENCE. I WAS FORCED TO FACE FEARS AND INSECURITIES TASK IS WOULDN'T HAVE THOUGHT TWICE OUT BUT I CAME OUT CONFIDENT IN MY ABILITIES AS A BLIND PERSON. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF DRIVING I COULD HAVE DONE ANYTHING I COULD HAVE DONE BEFORE I LOST MY VISION JUST A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY. AT THIS POINT I HAVE THE SKILLS AND THE CONFIDENCE IN MY ABILITY. IT WAS TIME TO FIND A JOB. MY BACKGROUND IS SALES AND MAISHING AND I HAVE EXPERIENCE IN A VARIETY OF LEGAL SETTINGS. SO MY RESUME WAS SOLID. WHEN MY FIRST JOB FAIR WAS PUT ON BY COLUMBIA SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND. THE ONLY POSITION I WAS OFFERED WAS A RETAIL POSITION IN A COMMISSARY. AND I WAS FURIOUS. HOW COULD THEY LOOK AT MY RAZE RESUME AND THINK I WAS ONLY EQUIPPED TO WORK IN RETAIL EARNING MINIMUM WAGE? THE FRUSTRATION CONTINUE AS I CONTINUED TO LOOK FOR WORK. A RECURRING THEM THEME OF INTEREST UNTIL A COMPANY REALIZED THAT I WAS BLIND. YES THERE'S SUCH A THING AS EQUAL OPPORTUNITY BUT WHY DO I WANT TO WORK SOMEWHERE WHERE I'M NOT WANTED? IN M ESTIMATION YOU HAVE TO PICK AND CHOOSE YOUR BATTLES. THIS STRUGGLE IS SOMETHING THAT IS NOT CONFINED THE BLINDNESS ALONE. ANYONE WHO HAS A DISABILITY KNOWS IT'S A CURRENT STRUGGLE AND YOU ALWAYS FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE TO PROVE;o@ YOURSELF. FOR MY MY FIRST JOB CAME AT SOMEWHAT OUT OF FRUSTRATION. I BEGAN LOOKING FOR THINGS I WOULD NOT HAVE OTHERWISE CONSIDERED. THIS INCLUDE AD PART TIME JOB WORKING FOR AN INDEPENDENT VENDING COMPANY DOING THEIR TELEMARKETING. THEY GAVE ME A CHANCE. WITHIN SIX MONTHS I HAD A FULL TIME POSITION AS THEIR MARKETING DIRECTOR. HAD A TELEMARKETING TEAM AND SALES FORCE AT A SISTER COMPANY. IT WAS PROOF I WAS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING THE SAME CALIBER OF WORK I PERFORMED AS A SIGHTED PERSON AND AS A PROFESSIONAL. AFTER SOME PERIOD OF TIME, I HAD GROWN OUT OF THE POSITION, I WANTED MORE. ONCE AGAIN I BEGAN SEARCHING AND THIS TIME IN THE FEDERAL SECTOR AND HOW I ENDED UP HERE AT THE NIH. I WAS SO EXCITED WHEN I GOT THE CALL FOR MY FIRST INTERVIEW. AND THEN THE SECOND AND THEN THE OFFER. I CANNOT BEGIN TO EXPLAIN HOW PROUD I AM TO BE PART OF THIS GREAT INSTITUTION. I KNOW THERE WAS RESEARCH CONDUCTED HERE THAT SAVED MY LIFE WHEN I WAS SO ILL FIVE YEARS AGO. WHEN I ACCEPTED THIS POSITION HERE AT NIH IN THE CENTER FOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY I THOUGHT THAT THIS IS GREAT. NOT ONLY WILL I BE WORKING IN A PLACE I'M PROUD TO BE PART OF BUT THEY WILL HAVE THIS WORKING WITH BLIND PEOPLE DOWN. PEOPLE WILL HAVE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT ACCESSIBILITY AND ACCOMMODATIONS, WEBSITES, ESSENTIAL INFORMATION, I'LL BE ABLE TO ACCESS IT. AND IT WON'T BE A PROBLEM. I'M NOT SURE WHERE THE EXPECTATIONS CAME FROM THAT THINGS WOULD BE SO PERFECT HERE BUT WHEN I CAME HERE I DID REALIZE THAT THE NIH HAS NOT -- IS NOT QUITE THE PICTURE OF PER FEPTION THAT I HAD ONCE THOUGHT -- PERFECTION THAT I ONCE THOUGHT. THERE'S THINGS NIH DOES WELL AN THERE ARE AREAS WE NEED TO IMPROVE. TODAY I'M PART OF THE EFFORT TO MAKE THESE CHANGES. TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK IN SUPPORT OF THE NIH MISSION IS AMAZING TO ME. ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THEY ASKED ME ON MY INTERVIEW IS WHICH OF THE INSTITUTES I WOULD MOST LIKE TO WORK AT. MY RESPONSE WAS ANY OF THEM. MAYBE IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN CIT SINCE THAT'S WHERE THE JOB I WAS APPLYING FOR WAS. BUT THE TRUTH IS, THE WORK CONDUCTED AT THE INSTITUTES AND CENTERS OF THE NIH IS EQUALLY IMPORTANT. UNFORTUNATELY AS A RELATIONSHIP MANAGER I HAVE A CHANCE TO WORK WITH A NUMBER OF THE ICs. THE ROLE OF THE RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT TEAM IS TO SERVE AS LIAISON BETWEEN CIT SERVICE PROVIDERS AND CIT'S CUSTOMERS TO FACILITATE COMMUNICATION ABOUT CUSTOMERS' IT BUSINESS NEEDS. THIS GIVES ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH A NUMBER OF THE ICs AND HHS OPTIVES. AND IT ALSO MEANS I AM ALWAYS ON THE MOVE. MY BLINDNESS IS NOT RESTRICTED THE FUNCTION OF MY JOB OR BEEN LIMITED TO LOCATION OF CUSTOMERS. I WORK WITH CUSTOMERS ON CAMPUS, FISHERS LANE, WISCONSIN AVENUE, EAST JEFFERSON, DEMOCRACY, FERN WOOD, EVEN NORTH CAROLINA. FOR MY DAILY APPOINTMENTS IT'S A COME COMBINATION OF WALKING, TAKING THE SHUTTLE, THE METRO AND THE BUS THAT ALLOWS ME TO FULFILL MY DUTIES. THERE ARE OFTEN DAYS I'M NOT AT MY DESK AT ALL. I LOVE BEING ON THE MOVE AND MEETING AND TALKING TO NEW PEOPLE EVERY DAY. I THINK IN A SMALL WAY IT HELPS TO GROW AWARENESS AND CHANGE THE PERCEPTION OF THE TYPES OF JOBS PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES ARE CAPABLE OF DOING. THAT IS WHY I'M HERE TODAY. NOT ONLY TO CELEBRATE THE PROGRESS THAT HAS BEEN MADE IN THE PAST TEN YEARS THE 508 COMPLIANCE ACT HAS BEEN IN PLACE, BUT ALSO TO BE A CONTRIBUTOR AND TO DO MY PART TO GROW AWARENESS AND TO CONTINUE THE CHANGE THAT WAS STARTED TEN YEARS AGO. I HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COD&O THIS TODAY AND TO MAKE THE DIFFERENCE. ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF WORKING HERE AT THE NIH HAS BEEN A CHANCE TO WORK WITH OTHER CAPABLE PROFESSIONALS WITH ALL TYPES OF DISABILITIES. I HAVE BECOME VERY PASSIONATE AND VERY INVOLVED IN THE DISABILITIES COMMUNITY HERE. I'M PLEASED TO SERVE ON THE EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM COMMITTEE TO HAVE BEEN A RECENT PANELIST FOR CIT EMPLOYEE INTEREST IN DEVELOPMENT SERIES SESSION ENTITLED DISABILITIES 101. AND TO SPEARHEAD A BLIND AND LOW VISION RESOURCE GROUP CALLED THE THREE BLIND MICE. I WANT TO TALK BRIEFLY AB THE THREE BLIEN MICE HOW WE CAME TO BE, WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE. NOT LONG AFTER I STARTED WORKING AT NIH I WAS TALKING A WALK AT LUNCH AND WAS APPROACHED BAY MAN. HE ASKED IF I HAD A MOMENT TO CHAT. HE NOTICED MY CANE AND WENT ON TO SAY HE HAS RETINITIS PIG MEANTOSA. WE TALKED ABOUT BLINDNESS AND I ASKED HIM WHAT TYPES OF ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY HE WAS USING OR KNEW ABOUT TRAINING. THE ANSWER WAS NO. HE WAS STRUGGLING TO ACCEPT HE WAS GOING BLIND. I OFFERED TO SHOW HIM SOME OF THE TECHNOLOGY I USE AND PASS ALONG RESOURCES I'M AWARE OF. WE BECAME FAST FRIENDS AND WOULD OFTEN MEET AT LUNCH TO TALK. SHORTLY THEREAFTER I ATTENDED AN EVENT PUT ON BY NEI ENTITLED GOING BLIND. HERE I MET YET ANOTHER MAN WITH RP. AND WHAT I REALIZED IS EVEN IN PLACE LIKE THE NIH THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH RESOURCES AVAILABLE FOR BLIND AND LOW VISION EMPLOYEES. JUST AS I DID NOT KNOW WHERE TO GO OR HOW TO START, WHEN I LOST MY VISION, THERE ARE OTHERS STRUGGLING WITH THE SAME EXPERIENCE. THE THREE OF US GOT TOGETHER FOR LUNCH MORE AND WOULD OFTEN CHAT. THESE TALKS DEVELOPED INTO SHARING OUR EXPERIENCE BOTH PERSONALLY AND PROFESSIONALLY. AND THIS WAS THE START OF A GROUP. THREE BLIND MICE. BY WORD OF MOUTH TALKING TO OTHER SELF-IDENTIFIED BLIEN AND LOW VISION EMPLOYEES TO CO-WORKERS WITH BLIND FAMILY MEMBERS TO OUR FRIENDS AN COLLEAGUES, TODAY THE THREE BLIND MICE IS AN INDEPENDENT GROUPMENT OUR MISSION IS TO PROVIDE FUNDAMENTAL KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE NEEDS OF THE BLIND AND LOW VISION COMMUNITY. WITHIN NIH AND STRENGTHEN THE OVERALL QUALITY OF ACCESSIBILITY TRAINING AND AWARENESS THROUGHOUT THE WORKPLACE. THE GROUP IS OPEN TO ALL INTERESTED, BLIND, LOW VISION, SIGHTED ALL ARE WELCOME AND ENCOURAGED TO JOIN US FOR OUR MONTHLY MEETINGS. I'M IMMENSELY PROUD TO BE PART OF THE THREE BLIND MICE AND TO BE WORKING SIDE BY SIDE WITH OTHER MEMBERS, PARTICULARLY DAVID (INAUDIBLE) AND CHRIS BIEW BOOKER TO ENCOURAGE CHANGE AND BE AN ACTIVE PART OF TRANSFOCIALING THE NIH TO BECOME A MORE INCLUSIVE WORKPLACE. WE HAVE COME A LONG WAY THE PAST TEN YEARS BUT WORK IS BY NO MEANS OVER. AS A COLLECTIVE COMMUNITY OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES WE NEED TO SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER, TO UTILIZE THE RESOURCES CURRENTLY AVAILABLE AND PERSIST IN OUR EFFORTS TO IMPROVE AWARENESS AT THE NIH AND BEYOND. I CONSIDER MYSELF FORTUNATE TO HAVE GOTTEN THE TRAINING, DEVELOPED THE SKILLS AND TO BE ABLE TO USE THEM EVERY DAY IN A JOB THAT I LOVE. I LOVE WORKING AT THE NIH AND AT CIT. I HAVE HIGH HOPES FOR CIT AND FOR THE FUTURE OF ACCESSIBILITY AT NIH. CIT HAS THE POWER TO IMPLEMENT CHANGE AND INFLUENCE THE FUTURE OF ACCESSIBILITY TO INFLUENCE THE WAY NIH MOVES FORWARD AND CONSIDERS TECHNOLOGY. MY HOPE IS ACCESSIBILITY IS NOT JUST AN AFTER THOUGHT AND A NUISANCE TO THINK ABOUT BUT RATHER EMBRACED AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO ALLOW THE DISABLED COMMUNITY HERE AT NIH TO REACH THEIR FULLEST POTENTIAL AND TO PERFORM THEIR DUTIES IN SUPPORT OF THE NIH MISSION. I SINCERELY THANK YOU ALL FOR ALLOWING ME TO SHARE MY JOURNEY AND AGAIN, IT IS HARD FOR ME TO FIND THE WORDS TO EXPRESS HOW HONORED AAM TO BE HERE TODAY AS PART OF A GREAT CELEBRATION HIGHLIGHTING THE SHEER DETERMINATION, DRIVE AND PROFESSIONALISM OF DISABLED COMMUNITY HERE AT THE NIH. THANK YOU ALL. [APPLAUSE] >> AND NOW I HAVE THE PLEA SURE OF INTRODUCING BRUCE BAILEY STANDING IN FOR MIKE WHO COULD NOT MAKE IT TODAY AND BRUISE IS CURRENT -- BRUCE IS CURRENT MEMBER OF THE ACCESS BOARD WITH OVER 20 YEARS OF IT EXCESSIBILITY EXPERIENCE HE CAN MORE THAN FULFILL THE DUTIES OF OUR MODERATOR TODAY. THANK YOU ALL. I GIVE YOU BRUCE. [APPLAUSE] >> I WANT TO APOLOGIZE BECAUSE YOU GUYS ARE GETTING RIPPED OFF BY NOT HAVING MIKE HERE BUT I'M SO HAPPY, I'M VERY PLEASED TO BE ABLE TO FILL IN, IT'S REALLY QUITE REMARKABLE TO HAVE SNOW IN OCTOBER. THEY GOT A LITTLE WORSE, QUITE A BIT WORSE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE THAN HERE. SO WITHOUT POWER AND QUITE UNDER THE WEATHER LIT ALLEY. BUT I DID HAVE WARNING SO LITERALLY. BUT I DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO TALK TO MY OTHER CO-PANELISTS SO I THINK I'M GOING TO BE THROWING THEM OFF A LITTLE BIT KILTER AS WE GO AHEAD HERE. LET ME GET EVERYBODY UP HERE AND WE'LL START WITH OUR PRESENTATION. FIRST IS MAT MCCULLOUGH. YOU GOT TO BE NICE TO MAT BECAUSE HE'S MY BOSS. I'M ON THE STAFF OF THE ACCESS BOARD BUT MAT WAS JUST A PRESIDENTIAL APPOINTEE TO THE BOARD SHOW TEASE BOSS OF MY BOSS SO IT'S VERY NERVOUS BUT I HAVE HAD IT WORSE TIMES BECAUSE SOMETIMES I HAVE TO TALK TO ALL 15 PUBLICLY APPOINTED MEMBERS. THEN ALSO JONATHAN LAZAR WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, I'M GOING TO GIVE EVERYBODY A CHANCE -- JONATHAN IS DOING SOME VERY, VERY INTERESTING RESEARCH, GLAD HE'S UP HERE NOW BECAUSE WE HAVE TO BE FRIENDLY TODAY. THEN MY OTHER WONDERFUL PERSON ON THIS PANEL IS ANGELA HOOKER WHO I HAVE BEEN WORKING HERE IN D.C. FOR MANY, MANY YEARS. ANGELA IS A GENIUS WITH WEB ACCESSIBILITY AND GAVE A VERY WONDERFUL PRESENTATION OF THE WEB GROUP IN A MINUTE RECENTLY, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, ANGELA WE'RE ALSO ENCOURAGED, I'M GOING TO ASK THE PANELIST TO TAKE 10, 15 MINUTES TO TALK ABOUT WHY THEY LOVE THEIR JOB, I LIKED HOW THERESA STARTED WITH THAT BECAUSE THAT'S ONE THING I WANT TO TALK ABOUT IS HOW WHY I LOVE MY JOB, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO IN THE NEXT TEN YEARS OF 508 ACCESSIBILITY. THEN I'M HOPING WE'LL HAVE SOME CROSS DIALOGUE AND HAVE SOME TIME FOR QUESTIONS BECAUSE YOU DO HAVE A NICE ECLECTIC COLLECTION OF EXPERTS UP HERE. THEN WE'RE ALSO ENCOURAGED TO TALK ABOUT WHAT'S SCARY ABOUT 508, WHAT'S FRIGHTENING, IT IS OCTOBER 31st, HALLOWEEN. TO THAT KIND OF MIND SET, ONE THING I WANT TO MENTION IS I THINK IT'S KIND OF CREEPY HOW WE HAVE COMPUTERS DESIGNED FOR THREE HANDED PEOPLE. BEING HALL WEAN I WAS ABLE TO GET A PROP FOR THAT. I HAVE TWO HANDS ON THE COMPUTER AND THIRD ON THE MOUSE. THAT'S ALL I COULD FIND GOING SHOP PI THE LAST DAY BEFORE HALLOWEEN. I'M SURE YOU'LL REMEMBER THIS PART OF THE STORY IF NOTHING ELSE TODAY. WE HAVE THESE THREE-HANDED COMPUTERS. IT'S JUST ABSURD. YOU GET A NICE PICTURE OF THAT? WHY DON'T I DO THIS FOR YOU. SORRY, NICE RIPPING SOUND. DOES THAT LOOK BETTER? IT'S KIND OF ACCIDENTAL WE ENDED UP WITH THESE THREE HANDED COMPUTERS BECAUSE THE MOUSE CAME AFTER WE USED BOTH HANDS UP FOR THE KEYBOARD. INTERESTING TIME BECAUSE WE'RE ABOUT TO GO TO A TIME WHEN COMPUTERS ARE VERY, VERY -- THEY'RE GOING TOO CHANGE IN VERY INVITING AND INTERESTING WAYS. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE MACHINES THAT ARE DESIGNED FOR PEOPLE RATHER THAN PEOPLE ADAPTING TO THE MACHINES THAT WE HAVE. THAT WILL BE A NICE CHANGE. THE OTHER THING THAT GOT MY INTEREST WITH COMPUTERS, I CAME TO ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY AND REHABILITATION, EVERYBODY LAUGHS IF THEY KNOW ABOUT DISABILITY BUT I CAME INTO COMPUTERS AND TECHNOLOGY AND DISABILITY FOR THE MONEY. AND I HAD A TERRIBLE ALTITUDE ABOUT IT AT THE TIME BECAUSE I WAS LIKE YOU GOT SOMEBODY WITH A DISABILITY YOU WANT TO MAKE THEM USE A EXIERT, KICK THEM WHILE THEY OTHER DOWN. THAT'S A MEAN TRICK TO DO TO PEOPLE. I JUST COMPLETE AD FOUR YEAR DEGREE IN COMPUTER SCIENCE SO I WAS REALLY BURN OUT ON COMPUTERS THIS WAS LIKE IN 1986, I THOUGHT ALL THE INTERESTING PROGRAMS HAD ALREADY BEEN WRITTEN. WE HAD WORD PERFECT, LOCUS -- LOTUS, D BASE AND SEVERAL GRAPHICAL -- I HAD VERY LITTLE IMAGINATION I GUESS BUT IT DID SEEM TO ME EVERYTHING INTERESTING HAD ALREADY BEEN DONE. IT WAS NICE COMPUTERS WERE GETTING SMALLER. BUT I DIDN'T SEE THE POINT. BUT THEN I GOT INTO THE PROGRAM UP IN ALBANY, NEW YORK AND CENTER FOR COMPUTING DISABILITY AND SAW HOW IMPORTANT COMPUTERS WERE TO THE THE STUDENTS AND INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES. AND SO I WAS WON OVER BIG TIME. IT WAS VERY LUCKY FOR ME BECAUSE I WAS I CAME IN WITH A BAD ATTITUDE AND OH I'M GOING DO THIS THE REST OF MY LIFE, I HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY LUCKY SO FAR TO DO THAT. WHAT OCCURRED TO ME WHILE I WAS DOING THAT, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS COMPUTER AND NOT THE PERIPHERALS WE'RE USING TO WORK THE COMPUTER AND NOT THE SCREEN WE'RE GETTING INFORMATION FROM THE COMPUTER. I THOUGHT THAT WAS VERY, VERY INTERESTING THAT WE COME UP WITH THIS ARTIFICIAL ARRAY OF BUTTONS, 101, 103 BUTTONS, I DON'T HAVE 103 KEY BOARDS, THERE'S ANOTHER GOOD HALLOWEEN THEME. WE'RE NOT LIKE OCTOPUS WITH TENTCALS PRESSING ON EACH BUTTON, WE HAVE THIS BIZARRE CONTRACTION THAT WORKS OKAY BUT I DON'T THINK IT'S DESIGNED FOR TWO-HANDED TEN FINGERED PEOPLE. I REALLY DON'T. IF YOU LOOK AT THIS THING, THERE'S NO WAY YOU COULD BACK FILL WHAT THE HUMAN BEING OPERATING IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE. I WISH I KNEW WHAT WAS GOING TO BE THE WAY WE'RE WORKING COMPUTERS TEN YEARS FROM NOW, MAYBE IF I DID MAYBE I COULD BECOME RICH AND FAMOUS. CLEARLY WHAT WE HAVE WORKS OKAY. BUT IT'S NOT -- IT CAN'T POSSIBLY BE OPTIMAL. SO IN COMING BACK TO THE IDEA THAT THE BOX IS IMPORTANT AND DOES SO MUCH IN THE BOX, SO MUCH SPHAL SMALLER NOW, SO COOL, THE iPAD THAT'S OUT PEOPLE USING EFFORT COMMUNICATION DEVICES, THAT WAS A BIG DEAL WHEN I STARTED. THEY'RE STILL VERY EXPENSIVE THINGS ESPECIALLY IN SPECIAL EDUCATION, $6,000 FOR THE DEVICE. THE iPAD RUNNING SOFTWARE CAN DONE THE SAME THING FOR $600. WONDERFULLY CRAZY HOW GOOD THE TECHNOLOGY S. USED TO BE SO EXPENSIVE, TOUCH SCREEN DEVICES, VOICE SPEECH INTO THIS AND NOW IT'S CONSUMER TECHNOLOGY, BIZARRE. YOU USED TO SPEND 3, $4,000 ON SCREEN READERS. YOU STILL HAVE TO SPEND A THOUSAND DOLLARS ON KOREAN READERS AND IF YOU WANT TO GET PRETTY DECENT SCREEN READ THEIR COMES WITH A OSX THE MODERN MAC OPERATING SYSTEM, YOU DON'T HAVE TO SPEND A TIME. SO IT'S VERY NICE THE WAY THESE THINGS ARE MOVING AND GOING FORWARD. I SUPPOSE I SHOULD ALSO TALK ABOUT 508 A LITTLE BIT SINCE THAT IS MY -- ONE OF MY FAVORITES TO TALK ABOUT AND CHAT ON. THAT IS MY DAY JOB, I'M ON THE STAFF OF THE BOARD, I WORK FULL TIME AS FEDERAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEE. AND I'M ONE OF THE FEW PEOPLE WITH THE GOVERNMENT I'M HERE TO HELP, LOVE DOING THAT. MOST IN GOVERNMENT WE FEEL THAT'S TRUE AS DO YOU. SO MY JOB IS TO PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ON 508, PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS GRATEFUL WHEN THEY GET MY NUMBER OR EMAIL, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. I'M NOT DOING YOU A FAVOR. IT'S JUST MY JOB. I'M HAPPY TO SHARE WHATEVER KNOWLEDGE I HAVE AND WHATEVER -- HOWEVER I CAN. I ALSO HELP MANAGE THE ACCESS BOARD WEBSITE. WE'RE A SMALL ORGANIZATION. JUST A SIDE THING IS TALKING ABOUT THE 508 REFRESH. WE'RE BUSY UPDATING THE 508 STANDARDS WHICH WE HOPE WILL MAKE THINGS EASIER AN BETTER FOR PEOPLE TO USE IN TERMS OF WHAT DO WE MEAN WHEN WE SAY SOMETHING IS ACCESSIBLE. JE JUST SENT THAT, MY BOSS'S BOSS. YOU GOT THAT LIKE THIS WEEKEND, LAST WEEK. AND WE VOTE NEXT WEEK SO GLAD I FEEL LIKE THAT BURDEN IS LIFTED OFF. NOW TO THE HARD PART BECAUSE WE HAVE TO DO THE NPRM AND THE FINAL RULE AND PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR THE NEXT TEN YEARS. WITH THAT I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND TURN IT OVER TO OUR NEXT PRESENTER. PLEASE TAKE TEN, 15 MINUTES TO TALK ABOUT YOURSELF, WHATEVER FAVORITE TECHNOLOGY THING IS, TELL US A SPOOKY STORY, WHATEVER YOU LIKE AND THEN WE'LL GO AROUND AND HAVE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS AND QUESTIONS FOR EACH OTHER. >> MAT POINTING AT ME TO GO FIRST? APPARENTLY HE'S EVERYBODY'S BOSS. THAT'S WHAT I LEARNED TODAY. SO -- >> MY BOSS'S BOSS. >> OKAY. WELL, CERTAINLY, BRUCE, IS THAT OKAY? I'LL GO THEN. SURE. SO GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. I'M JONATHAN LAZAR, I'M PROFFER OF COMPUTER INFORMATION SCIENCES AT CALCIN UNIVERSITY, I DIRECT THE USER USABILITY LABORATORY THERE. I WANT TO START WITH A PROVOCATIVE STATEMENT. JUST FOLLOW WITH ME FOR A MINUTE BECAUSE I OTHERWISE IT WILL SOUND LIKE A STATEMENT THAT YOU'LL SAY OH, NO. THERE HE GOES AGAIN. HERE IS MY PROVOCATIVE STATEMENT. NO ONE IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DISOING ANYTHING ABOUT 508 WITHIN AGENCIES. NOW YOU MIGHT WOND E WHY AIM SAYING THAT? TO THE PERSON OUTSIDE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THAT'S THE WAY IT WOULD APPEAR. I KNOW THAT'S NOT TRUE. I KNOW THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE DOING A GREAT JOB. THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WORKING HARD AT 508 COMPLIANCE, PEOPLE WORKING HARD AT THAT TIME ACCESS BOARD. I KNOW THAT BECAUSE I HAVE PERSONAL INTERACTIONS WITH PEOPLE. BUT FOR MOST PEOPLE NOT IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OR DO NOT HAVE CLOSE CONNECTIONS WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SEEMS PUBLICLY ALMOST NOTHING IS BEING DONE ABOUT TECHNOLOGY ACCESS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES. AND I THINK THAT'S A REAL PROBLEM, NOT THE FACT THAT NOTHING IS BEING DONE BECAUSE I KNOW THAT'S NOT TRUE BUT THE PERCEPTION THAT NOTHING IS BEING DONE. AND SO I WANT TO TALK WITH YOU THIS MORNING ABOUT OPENNESS. CERTAINLY THIS IS ONE OF THE THEMES OF THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION. YOU HEARD ABOUT THE OPEN GOVERNMENT DIRECTIVE. WE TALK ABOUT OPEN GOVERNMENT BUT WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO TECHNOLOGY ACCESS AND 508 COMPLIANCE, VERY OFTEN AGENCIES ARE NOT VERY OPEN ABOUT WHAT THEY DO. AND THERE COULD BE A NUMBER OF REASONS FOR THIS. CERTAINLY IF YOU FEEL THAT YOU'RE NOT DOING A PHENOMENAL JOB, YOU DON'T WANT TO SHARE THAT. IF YOU'RE NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THE LEVEL OF COMMITMENT THAT YOU HAVE, YOU DON'T WANT TO SHARE THAT BUT THERE ARE ALSO AGENCIES DOING A GREAT JOB AND NOT OPENLY DISCUSSING WHAT THEY DO. THAT'S A REL MISTAKE. BEST PRACTICES, PEOPLE SAY HOW DO YOU GET THAT FROM THE GOVERNMENT? REA THEY'RE PEOPLE I KNEW AND SPOKE WITH AND BEGGED AND PLEADED AND SAID PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU EAR DOING, I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING BECAUSE YOU DO A GOOD JOB. CAN YOU TELL ME MORE ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE DO SOMETHING A FEW AGENCIES RELENTED BUT ONE OF THE BIG PROBLEMS IS THAT VERY OFTEN AGENCIES DON'T WANT TO TALK IN DETAIL ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE DOING. ARE THERE AGENCIES WHERE THEY'RE NOT 508 COMPLIANT? ABSOLUTELY. BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF AGENCIES THAT ARE REALLY TRYING. THERE ARE A LOT OF DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE REALLY TRYING. I THINK IF YOU LOOK FOR INSTANCE AT NIH THEY'RE DOING GENERALLY A PRETTY GOOD JOB. IS IT PERFECT? NO. THAT'S OKAY. DOESN'T NEED TO BE PER SPECT. IF YOU LOOK AT HHS -- PERFECT. HHS IS DOING ABOVE AVERAGE WORK COMPARED TO DEPARTMENTS DOING BELOW AVERAGE WORK. BUT THE PROBLEM OFTEN IS THESE AGENCIES AN CENTERS DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT WHAT THEY DO FOR 508 COMPLIANCE AND TALKING ABOUT IT IS IMPORTANT. BECAUSE IF YOU'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT IT MOST PEOPLE PERCEIVE YOU'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING. SO THIS WAS A GREAT STATISTIC. ON THE WEB PAGE IT SAID APPROXIMATELY 90% OF THE PUBLIC FACING WEB PAGES FROM NIH ARE ACCESSIBLE. THAT'S GREAT. WHAT I WOULD LOVE TO SEE A MONTH BY MONTH REPORT. NOT JUST FOR NIH BUT ACROSS THE ENTIRE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. A MONTH BY MONTH REPORT. OF HOW THE DIFFERENT CENTERS, HOW THE DIFFERENT AGENCIES DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS ARE DOING. NOT ONLY HOW THEY'RE DOING BUT WHAT TOOLS THEY USE, WHAT APPROACHES. WE OFTEN TALK ABOUT THETRY IF HE CAN TA -- TRIIF HE CAN TA MAKING YOUR WEB SIETD ACCESSIBLE. HOW DO YOU EVALUATE? PEOPLE SAY OUR WEBSITE IS 508 COMPLIANT. WE KNOW. HOW? NO ONE COMPLAINED ABOUT IT. OKAY. THAT'S NOT HOW YOU KNOW. NO ONE COMPLAINED ABOUT ANY GRASS OR MY PLANTINGS IN MY HOUSE RECENTLY BUT I CAN TELL YOU THEY LOOK HORRIBLE. BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN BECAUSE NO ONE IS COMPLAINED THAT YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB. FOR SOME AGENCIES THAT'S HOW THEY MEASURE. NO ONE COMPLAINED THAT'S HOW WE KNOW WE'RE DOING IT AND YOU NEED AN ON GOING PLAN THAT INVOLVES SOME COMBINATION OF USER TESTING. USING TESTING INVOLVING USABILITY TESTING WITH DISABILITIES IS THE GOLD STANDARD FOR ASSESSING INTERFACE ACCESSIBILITY. BUT AT THE SAME TIME I REALIZE IF YOU HAVE 10 MILLION WEB PAGES THAT YOU NEED TO USE AUTOMATED TOOLS THAT AUTOMATED TOOLS NEED TO BE CORE PART OF ANY ACCESSIBILITY EVALUATION PLAN. AND YOU CERTAINLY CAN DO EXPERT -- EXPERT REVIEWS OR SOMETIMING THE MANUAL INSPECTIONS. AND AUTOMATED TESTING. SO THOSE THREE THINGS THAT YOU NEED TO DO. BUT PROBLEM IS IF YOU LOOK AT MOST AGENCIES AT MOST FEDERAL WEBSITES, THEIR ACCESSIBILITY STATEMENT WHAT DO THEY SAY? WE'RE 508 COMPLIANT OR SOME MISTAKENLY SAY WE'RE ADA COMPLIANT OR THEY SAY SOMETHING LIKE OUR WEB PAGE WORKFORCE PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, CALL US IF YOU HAVE COMPLAINTS. AND REREALITY IS WE NEED MORE OPENNESS. WE NEED OPENNESS FORKER EVERY AGENCY AN CENTER. HOW ARE YOU DOING ON ACCESSIBILITY? WHAT PROCESSES DO YOU FOLLOW? WHEN YOU BUILD WEBSITES, HOW DO YOU INVOLVE PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES IN THE PROCESS? WHAT CONTENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS DO YOU USE? ARE THEY ACCESSIBLE? WHAT AUTOMATED TOOLS DO YOU USE? TO TEST ON ONGOING BASIS, HOW OFTEN DO YOU DO TESTING? HOW OFTEN DO YOU DO SCANS ON WEB PAGES FOR ACCESSIBILITY? WHAT'S PLAN? I HAVE HEARD SOME AGENCIES SAY WE DON'T WANT TO TALK BECAUSE WE KNOW WE CAN DO BETTER. YOU KNOW WHAT, YOU NEED TO TALK BECAUSE OTHERWISE PEOPLE THINK YOU'RE DOING NOTHING WHEN I KNOW THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE, 508 COORDINATORS WORKING HARD ON THIS. MANY CIOs WORKING HARD ON THIS. IT ENCOURAGES COMPLIANCE BECAUSE MORE PEOPLE WITHIN THE AGENCY WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON, THEY SEE A PLAN. IF YOU'RE OPEN AND POST EVEN WHEN RESULTS ARE BAD, THAT ENCOURAGES COMPLIANCE BECAUSE NO ONE WANTS TO -- IT'S LIKE WE DON'T POST GRADES IN OUR CLASSES HOW STUDENTS ARE DOING PUBLICLY. I DON'T SAY JEFF IS GETTING A D, BY THE WAY JEFF SCHMIDT IS CIO OF OUR CAMPUS. I DON'T SAY JEFF SCHMIDT IS GETTING A D. IF WE DID SOMETHING LIKE THAT, WHICH WE CAN'T DO BY LAW, THAT WOULD ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO WORK HARDER BECAUSE THEY WANT TO HAVE PUBLIC -- LOOK. THIS PERSON IS GETTING AN A. YOU NEED TO DO THAT FOR AGENCIES, POST PUCK PUB LUCKILY THE RESULTS BECAUSE IT WILL ENCOURAGE AGENCIES TO DO BETTER, TO TAKE IT SERIOUSLY. U I HAVE OFTEN SAID THAT'S HOW WE SHOULD IMPROVE ACCESSN 'T ON OUR CAMPUS -- ACCESSIBILITY ON OUR CAMPUS AN EVERY CAMPUS AROUND THE COUNTRY. NOT THAT MANUAL SKINS ARE THE BEST BUT AUTOMATED SOFTWARE I KNOW IS GOING TO BE PART OF ANY EVALUATION PLAN. IF YOU POST MONTHLY RESULTS FOR EVERY ACADEMIC DEPARTMENT THE CHAIR WOULD BE OUT THERE SAYING HOW DO WE DO THIS MONTH? BECAUSE THERE'S NOTHING ON UNIVERSITY CAMPUS THAT WILL GET US RILED UP IN A COMPUTER SCIENCE DEPARTMENT LIKE BEING BEATEN BY THE ENGLISH DEPARTMENT. I GUARANTEE YOU THAT WILL GET PEOPLE MOVING. SURE THERE'S RIVALRIES IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TOO, CERTAIN AGENCIES WANT TO DO BETTER THAN OTHER, THERE'S CERTAINLY RIVALRIES. SO BEING PUBLIC AND OPEN ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE DOING HELPS PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE DOING, HELPS ADVOCACY GROUPS UNDERSTAND YOU ARE DOING SOMETHING BECAUSE THE PERCEPTION IS OFTEN YOU'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING. IF YOU'RE NOT SAYING WHAT YOU'RE DOING YOU'RE DOING NOTHING. THAT'S WHY I STARRED BY SAYING NO ONE IS DOING ANYTHING ABOUT 508 IN THE GOVERNMENT BECAUSE OFTEN YOU DON'T SHARE WHAT YOU'RE DOING WHICH IS SAD. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE DOING A PHENOMENAL JOB, A NUMBER OF AGENCIES DOING A PHENOMENAL JOB. THERE'S MANY SIDE BENEFITS TO BEING OPEN ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE DOING. I SUGGESTED MULTIPLE TIMES TO THE WHITE HOUSE THERE NEEDS TO BE A 508 COLUMN ON THE OPEN GOVERNMENT DASHBOARD. THERE NEEDS TO BE A DASHBOARD HOW AGENCIES HOW DEPARTMENTS ARE DOING. WITH 508 COMPLIANCE. VERY OFTEN 508 IS IN A CORNER, IT'S A LITTLE BIT DARK -- A LITTLE BIT DARK. WE WANT TO SHINE LIGHT ON IT, MORE ATTENTION BEING PAID. I WANT TO KNOW WHICH DEPARTMENTS ARE NOT DOING WELL. AND I WANT TO WRITE TO THOSE FOLKS. ALSO I WANT TO KNOW WHICH ARE DOING WELL AND HOW THEY'RE MEASURING WHETHER THOSE DEPARTMENTS ARE DOING WELL OR NOT. I WANT TO BE PART OF THE DISCUSSION. I'M NOT FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, I'M A UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR AT STATE UNIVERSITY WHO REALLY CARES ABOUT 508 AND REALLY WANTS TO BE PART OF THE DISCUSSION AND WANTS TO BE INVOLVED WITH THIS AND I WANT TO INVOLVE MY STUDENTS WITH THIS. CAN I TELL YOU IT'S FRUSTRATING THAT I CAN'T GET MORE INFORMATION ON THIS. I WON'T SAY WHICH DEPARTMENT, IT'S NOT HHS THAT I'M TALKING ABOUT HERE. SO THERE'S A DEPARTMENT WHERE THEY HAVE A WEBSITE THAT RELATES TO DISABILITIES AND IT'S FULLY COMPLIANT. I HAVE BEGGED THEM TO TALK ABOUT WHAT THEY DO TO KEEP IT COMPLIANT AND THEY REFUSED. AND THEY'RE DOING A GREAT JOB. I SAID YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB. WHEN I DID THAT STUDY OF 100 FEDERAL WEBSITES YOU HEARD RECENTLY WHERE A LARGE NUMBER SOMEWHERE IN THE 90% RANGE WERE INACCESSIBLE. THIS IS A SITE THAT WAS FULLY ACCESSIBLE, NO PROBLEMS AT ALL. I CANNOT GET THE AGENCY TO TALK OPENLY PUBLICLY ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE DOING. WHAT PROCESSES THEY'RE FLOING. WHAT SOFTWARE TOOLS. FIRST THEY SHOULD TAKE CREDIT FOR IT AND BE OPEN ABOUT HA THEY DO. OTHER AGENCIES IS PEOPLE NEED TO LEARN FROM WHAT THEY'RE DO DOING. MY STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY LEARN FROM WHAT THEY'RE DOING IF THEY WOULD BE OPEN ABOUT IT. BECAUSE WE NEED THAT. WE NEED THAT INFORMATION. WE NEED TO KNOW THE TOOLS YOU'RE USING, WHAT APPROACHES YOU'RE USING. DOES THAT MEAN A PERFECT JOB ON 508 COMPLIANCE? NO. MOST AGENCIES AROUND. YOU KNOW WHAT, IF YOU'RE MAKING PROGRESS, IF YOU IMPROVE AND DOCUMENT WHAT YOU'RE DOING, IF YOU HAVE A PLAN IN PLACE, THAT'S THE IMPORTANT THING. I'M NOT WORRIES ABOUT A PIECE OF CONTENT EVERY NOW AND THEN, ONE WEB PAGE NOT ACCESSIBLE, I'M WORRIED ABOUT PROCESSES IN PLACE, THE POLICIES. I'M WORRIED ABOUT MAKING SURE THIS IS REALLY PUBLIC IN FRONT. PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT IT AND PEOPLE SAY OH, HERE ARE THE POLICIES WE NEED TO FOLLOW. HERE ARE PROCESSES WE NEED TO BE USING. WE TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY AT NIH, AT HHS. AT THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, WE TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY. AND HERE IS THE APPROACH WE TAKE. WHEN IT COMES TO COMPLIANCE AT A UNIVERSITY WE'RE NOT ALLOWED USUALLY TO NOT DISCUSS WHAT WE'RE DOING. WE HAVE TO TALK OPENLY ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING TO IMPROVE DIVERSITY, ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING TO IMPROVE WHEN WE HAVE OUR ACADEMIC PROGRAM REVIEWS AND WE GET CITED. WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT WHAT IT IS WE'RE DOING TO IMPROVE. MY HOPE WITH THE 508 IMPROVEMENT PLAN COMING OUT IN DECEMBER, MY HOPE IS THAT OPENNESS AN TRANSPARENCY WILL BE A CORE PART OF THAT. WHEN YOU'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT IT AND NOT PUBLICLY POSTING ABOUT IT AND RESULTS ARE NOWHERE. FACT IS YOU'RE NOT DOING ANY WORK. YOU'RE NOT DOING THE WORK. IT'S EASY TO TALK ABOUT THE BAD THINGS. I TRY TO TALK ABOUT THE GOOD THINGS BUT IT'S HARD BECAUSE NO ONE WANTS TO TALK ABOUT THEM. BE EPIO IF YOU HAVEN'T DONE A GOOD JOB BE OPEN AND SAY WE'RE WORKING TOWARDS IMPROVEMENT. HERE IS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO TO IMPROVE. OUR ADVOCACY GROUPS TRY TO HOLE YOU TO THOSE PLANS, ABSOLUTELY AND THEY SHOULD. BUT THERE ARE SO MANY BENEFITS TO BEING OPEN. TO TALKING ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE DOING TO DESCRIBING YOUR SPECIFIC PLANS. FIRST IT IMPROVES COMPLIANCE IN YOUR AGENCY, IN YOUR DEPARTMENT. SECOND OF ALL, IT BRINGS ATTENTION TO THE ISSUE. THIRD, OTHER PEOPLE, WITHIN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CAN LEARN, CAN MODEL, SAY OH, THIS IS A GOOD PRACTICE. I HAVE BEEN TRYING THE TO PUSH ON THIS BEST PRACTICES IDEA AND I WAS TOLD BY SOMEONE WE DON'T NEED BEST PRACTICES DOCUMENTED. IT DOESN'T MAKE A DIFFERENCE BECAUSE ONE AGENCY CAN'T LEARN ANYTHING FROM THE OTHER AGENCY. THAT'S -- I GOT A FEW FACES THERE. BUT I DISAGREE WITH THAT STATEMENT. BUT THIS IS WHAT I WAS TOLD BY ONE HIGH-LEVEL OFFICIAL WHO TOLD ME IT DOESN'T MAKE A DIFFERENCE. THE IRS HAS ZERO TO LEARN FROM HHS. HHS HAS NOTHING TO LEARN FROM -- FILL IN THE BLANK, THIS IS WHAT I WAS TOLD BY HIGH-LEVEL OFFICIAL. I TOTALLY DISAGREE. BECAUSE THE PROCESSES ARE THE SAME. IT'S NOT LIKE EVERY AGENCY IS DOING SOMETHING SO UNIQUE. YOU'RE STILL USING THE CORE USER TESTING, EXPERT REVIEWS, AUTOMATED TESTING. WHAT POLICIES ARE YOU PUTTING INTO PLACE, WHAT PRACTICES, WHAT PENALTIES. ONE OF MY PENALTY, IT'S WEIRD TO HAVE A FAVORITE PENALTY BUT HERE IS ONE OUR FAVORITE PENALTIES WITHIN HHS. THERE'S A GROUP IN HHS WHERE YOU MUST ACTUALLY HAVE -- SORRY I SHOULD SAY THIS IS THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION. ONE POLICY I LIKE IS THAT WHEN YOU SIGN UP FOR A CONTENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM ACCOUNT, YOU HAVE TO SIGN A CONTRACT SAYING IF YOU POST INACCESSIBLE CONTENT THAT'S NOT 508 COMPLIANT MULTIPLE TIME YOU'LL USE YOUR ACCOUNT. WE WANT PENALTIES. WE WANT IT TO BE CLEAR. WE WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW I NEED TO FOLLOW THE RULES. IF I DON'T FOLLOW THE RULES, THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS TO ME. THIS IS THE PENALTY. SO BACK TO WHAT I ORIGINALLY SAID. ALMOST NOTHING IS BEING DONE IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ABOUT 508 COMPLIANCE. DO ME A FAVOR, PLEASE BE AS OPEN AS POSSIBLE, SHARE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, DOCUMENT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. SO PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THERE IS WORK GOING ON. BUT TO SOMEONE LIKE ME NOT IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, A LOT OF TIMES I CAN'T SEE THE WORK. I CAN HEAR ABOUT THE WORK. I WANT TO USE THIS WORK TO TEACH MY STUDENTS. I WANT TO POINT MY STIENTS AND SAY LOOK AT THIS AGENCY. LOOK HOW THEY'RE APPROACHING IT. IF YOU GO OUT AND WORK FOR A COMPANY, YOU MIGHT WANT TO TAKE A SIMILAR PATH. MIGHT WANT TO TAKE A SIMILAR APPROACH. SO PLEASE, BE OPEN ABOUT IT. SO THAT PEOPLE REALIZE YOU ARE DOING WORK. RELATED TO 508 COMPLIANCE. DON'T BE AFRAID TO TALK ABOUT YOUR FAILURES. BUT TALK ABOUT YOUR SUCCESSES. SHARE WITH OTHERS. EVERY AGENCY CAN BENEFIT FROM LEARNING FROM WHAT OTHER AGENCIES DO. IT'S LIKE THIS THING SHIDDEN BEHIND A SCREEN SOMETIMES AND I THINK THAT'S REALLY A MISTAKE. SO LET ME ENCOURAGE AND LEAVE YOU WITH THIS FINAL THOUGHT OF OPENNESS. WE NEED TRANSPARENCY. WE NEED OPEN GOVERNMENT BUT WE NEED OPEN GOVERNMENT TO COVER 508 COMPLIANCE. I WANT TO READ ABOUT THE GREAT THINGS THAT Y'ALL ARE DOING. I WANT TO HEAR ABOUT THEM. AND I WANT YOU TO SHARE THOSE THAT ENCOURAGES 508 COMPLIANCE THROUGHOUT THE GOVERNMENT. PLEASE, BE OPEN, TALK ABOUT IT. AND LET OTHERS LEARN FROM YOU. MAYBE THAT'S MY POINT BECAUSE I'M AN EDUCATOR, I COME FROM THAT BACKGROUND, IT'S ALWAYS ABOUT LEARNING. BUT WE NEED TO BE OPEN. WE NEED TO SHARE. I ENCOURAGE YOU, PLEERKS DOCUMENT WHAT YOU'RE DOING, BE OPEN ABOUT IT, SHARE WITH OTHERS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. [APPLAUSE] >> MY NAME IS ANGELA HOOKER.7s I'M AN ACCESSIBILITY SPECIALIST AT THE GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION. I WORK FOR THE OFFICE OF CITIZEN SERVICES AN INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY. AND I'M A CONTRACTOR SO I HAVE A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE ON ACCESSIBILITY AND THE GOVERNMENT. WHEN WE WERE IN THE BACK BEFORE WE CAME OUT, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT OUR EXPERIENCES WITH ACCESSIBILITY AND WHAT IT WAS THAT MADE US WANT TO GET INTO THE THIS FIELD. WE ALL HAVE A PERSONAL STEAK IN IT IT SEEMS. THE THING THAT'S REALLY INTERESTING RECENTLY THE GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION HAD JUST DN AN OPEN DIALOGUE -- DONE AN OPEN DIALOGUE. THIS DIALOGUE WAS ABOUT IMPROVING THE WEB ACROSS GOVERNMENT ONE KEY AREA THEY DISCUSSED ACCESSIBILITY. WE WERE TAKING -- ONE OF THE KEY AREAS WE WERE DISCUSSING WAS ACCESSIBILITY. AND SOMEONE POSTED SOMETHING THAT BROKE MY HEART. THEY SAID STOP WASTING MONEY ON ACCESSIBILITY. IT DOES NO GOOD. NOBODY BENEFITS FROM IT. WELL, AS PEOPLE SITTING HERE BEFORE YOU, WE CAN ALL SAY WE BENEFIT FROM IT. BUT ILS ALL CAN'T BE A PERSONAL TAKE STAKE IN THE MATTER F. WE'RE MOVING BEYOND WORDS WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT WHAT'S GOING TO BENEFIT PUBLIC THAT WE SERVE. WE HAVE TO LEARN HOW TO EFFECTIVELY COMMUNE COMMUNICATE OUR INFORMATION, OUR GOALS, AND TASKS USERS NEED TO ACCOMPLISH. IF WE'RE THINKENING TERMS OF THAT, WE HAVE TO DROP BACK BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE WE HAVE MADE A LOT OF GOOD EFFORT BUT IT'S NOT ALWAYS REFLECTED IN OUR WEBSITES. AND EVEN IN OUR PRINTED MATERIALS. AND HOW WE WRITE AND COMMUNICATE WITH THE PUBLIC. SO IF WE REALIZE THAT WHATEVER WE'RE DOING, WHETHER IT'S CONTENT, WHETHER IT'S SOMETHING TECHNICAL, WHETHER IT'S EVEN SOMETHING PHYSICAL, WE ALWAYS THINK OF THE ANALOGY OF A CURB CUT BENEFITING PEOPLE. WE KNOW THAT CURB CUTS BENEFIT PEOPLE WHO ARE PERHAPS IN A WHEELCHAIR. THEY BENEFIT PEOPLE WHO HAVE ARTHRITIS BECAUSE IT'S EASIER FOR THEM TO WALK DOWN THE SLOPE RATHER THAN TO STEP DOWN OFF A CURVE OFTEN. IT BENEFITS PEOPLE WITH STROLLERS WHO ARE PUSHING THEIR CHILD AROUND. SO IF WE THINK IN THOSE TERMS, THAT WE'RE TRYING TO BE ACCESSIBLE FOR EVERYONE BECAUSE WHATEVER WE'RE DOING IT'S GOING TO BENEFIT EVERYONE, IF WE'RE WRITING CLEARLY, IT'S GOING TO BE ACCESSIBLE FOR EVERYONE. IF WE THINK ABOUT WHERE WE CAN START ACCESSIBILITY IN THE PROCESS, IT'S GOING TO BE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT FROM WHAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING. SO OFTEN WE RELY ON ONE PERSON TO BE INACCESS -- AN ACCESSIBILITY CHAMPION AT OUR AGENCY. BUT I WANT US TO START THINKING ABOUT MAKING ACCESSIBILITY PART OF EVERYONE'S RESPONSIBILITY. I THINK SOMETIMES WE NEED TO ADDRESS THAT WITH OUR MANAGERS. BECAUSE THEY DON'T ALWAYS UNDERSTAND THAT ACCESSIBILITY ISN'T A CHORE, ACCESSIBILITY ISN'T DRUDGERY. ACCESSIBILITY IS GOING TO MAKE A BETTER PRODUCT FOR EVERYONE. SO I THINK IF WE TAKE A TEAM APPROACH TO ACCESSIBILITY, MAYBE WE'LL HAVE A DIFFERENT OUTLET OR DIFFERENT PRODUCT RATHER. IF WE THINK ABOUT PUTTING ACCESSIBILITY AT THE BEGINNING OF A PROJECT RATHER THAN TACKING WHAT WE MAY NEED TO DO ON AT THE END, WE'RE GOING FIND OUT THE=$r PROJECT WILL WORK SMOOTHER, PEOPLE WON'T BE SCRAMBLING AT THE END TO FIX THINGS. I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY TIMES AT VARIOUS AGENCIES I HAVE CONTRACTED AT WHERE WE COME DO THE END OF A PROJECT AND I GET A PHONE CALL HALF AN HOUR BEFORE WE'RE READY TO LAUNCH A PROJECT. CAN YOU RUN A CHECK ON THIS? OH, MY GOSH, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO? YOU CAN'T FINE ANYTHING BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE TIME TO FIX IT. AND THEY'RE SERIOUS. THEY'RE ABSOLUTELY SERIOUS. BUT IF WE START ACCESSIBILITY AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PROCESS, IF WE START IT WHEN WE'RE PUTTING OUR PROJECTS TOGETHER, IF WE THINK ABOUT WHAT OUR DESIGNERS NEED TO DO, WHAT DO OUR DEVELOPERS NEED TO DO? WHAT DO THE PROJECT MANAGERS NEED TO DO? WHAT DO OUR CONTENT MANAGERS NEED TO DO? IF EVERYBODY HAS A ROLE IN THE PROJECT, IF EVERYBODY HAS AN ACCESSIBILITY ROLE IN THE PROJECT, I GUARANTEE THAT WE'LL SEE A DIFFERENT OUTCOME I THINK WE TOO OFTEN FOCUS ON CHECKLISTS. WE NEED CHECKLISTS TO REMEMBER THINGS. I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW LONG I HAVE BEEN TESTING SOFTWARE WEBSITES, DESKTOP APPLICATIONS, BUT I GUARANTEE THAT THERE'S SOMETHING THAT I WILL FORGET. I NEED A CHECKLIST. BECAUSE LET'S FACE IT, I'M AGING AND THE OLD OLD GAL AIN'T WHAT SHE USED TO BE. SO I NEED THAT CHECKLIST BUT IF I FOCUS TOO MUCH ON TICKING BOXES THEN I'M MISSING THE REAL ISSUE HERE. IT IS ABOUT PEOPLE. T IT'S ABOUT GETTING THE INFORMATION TO OUR PUBLIC SO EVERYONE CAN BE INDEPENDENT AND USE THAT INFORMATION AND BE INFORMED. EVERYONE CAN ACCOMPLISH THE TASKS THEY NEED TO GET THROUGH TO BETTER THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE. TO SURVIVE EVEN. WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE WORK NIH DOES, LOOK AT EVERYTHING THEY'VE DONE FOR RESEARCHING DISEASES AND BETTERING LIVES. THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ABOUT. THAT'S WHAT ACCESSIBILITY NEEDS TO BE ABOUT, BETTERING LIVES. SO THAT EVERYONE HAS THE FREEDOM TO INFORMATION AND ACCESS OUR INFORMATION. SO I THINK IF WE CHANGE OUR APPROACH JUST A BIT. MAYBE WE'LL SEE A BETTER OUTCOME IN ACCESSIBILITY. >> THANK YOU ANGELA. [APPLAUSE] >> GOOD MORNING. I MY NAME IS MAT MCCOLLOUGH. OLD ON. SORRY ABOUT THAT. THANK YOU. SO I AM DIRECTOR OF THE DCT -- WHICH IS FUNDED BY THE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES ITS SOLE PURPOSE IS TO TELL US ABOUT -- THE DC SYSTEM, TERRITORY. THAT'S MY DAY TO DAY JOB. I ALSO REPRESENT THE ACCESS BOARD. I WAS RECENTLY APPOINTED BY PRESIDENT OBAMA TO SERVE ON THE ACCESS BOARD IN MAY OF 2011 AND THE ACCESS BOARD REGULATES (INAUDIBLE) AS WELL AS -- I DO HAVE SOME KNOWLEDGE (INAUDIBLE) BECAUSE THE PERSON FROM THE DC GOVERNMENT BUT VERY DTO AS THE BIG WOR FOR PEOPLE, A PRACTICAL PERSON SO I -- VERY END. SO GOING TO START WITH -- WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS THAT REGARDLESS IF YOU'RE BORN WITH A DISABILITY OR ACQUIRE A DISABILITY, IT HAPPENS AS YOU GROW OLDER, YOUR BODY BREAKS DOWN, YOU LOSE YOUR SIGHT, YOUR HEARING, YOUR ABILITY TO MOVE. SO WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT DISABILITY, IT'S NOT JUST FOR POPULATION OR PEOPLE ARE BLIND, PEOPLE WHO ARE DEAF OR PEOPLE WHO (INAUDIBLE) SO ONE NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND WHEN IT COMES TO PEOPLE DEALING WITH A DISABILITIES, HERE IS HOW I GOT INVOLVED WITH ALL THE BEAUTIFUL TECHNOLOGY STUFF. I BECAME COMMUNICATION MANAGER OF DC OFFICE OF DISABILITY RIGHTS. IN THE D.C. GOVERNMENT. YOU MUST PROVIDE EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION TO YOUR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES. STANDARDS TO MAKE SURE THE DC GOVERNMENT WHETHER CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICERS IMPROVE IN TERMS OF BEING INCLUSIVE OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, IN TERMS OF CONTENT. LONGITUDINALLY WHAT I WAS TOLD, YOU'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING SURE THAT CONTENT WAS ACCESSIBLE AND THE DC GOVERNMENT -- SO WHAT I DID BASICALLY IS I CONTACTED THE ACCESS BOARD AND I ALSO NEED TO LEARN HOW TO USE -- WHY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR SECTION 508 COORDINATORS TO HAVE EXPERIENCE? BECAUSE TAKE A WEBSITE, A BLIND PERSON, ONE OF THE QUICKEST WAYS OF UNDERSTANDING IS (INAUDIBLE) IS IF HE CAN RELY ON YOUR KEYBOARD, GO THROUGH THE PROCESS THERE WERE NINE DIFFERENT LINKS. ONE OF THEM YOU CANNOT SEE BECAUSE YOU'RE DEALING WITH THE GRAPHIC OF THE TALK. BACK (INAUDIBLE) I KNEW THAT THE DSMC. GOVERNMENT -- D.C. GOVERNMENT (INAUDIBLE) BECAUSE THEY RELIED ON THE SAME CONTENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND WHAT I REALIZED IS THERE WERE SEVERAL THINGS I REALIZED IN TERMS OF THAT. WHEN YOU APPLIED THE SCREEN READER TO A TYPICAL D.C. GOVERNMENT WEBSITE, YOU WILL AUTOMATICALLY START READING THE CODE OR GRAPHIC. THAT'S HOW BAD IT WAS. (INAUDIBLE) HOW A PERSON IS BLIND FIND IT SO FRUSTRATING THAT AUTOMATICALLY TO BE PART OF SCREEN READER, D.C. GOVERNMENT WEBSITE YOU GET ALL THAT UP FRONT. SO ONCE WE GET AROUND THAT IS I GOT ALL THE -- FROM THE OFFICE OF THE CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER, PUBLIC LIBRARY WHERE THEY RELIED ON SCREEN READERS. I SAID PLAY THEM. AND THE MANAGERS LISTENED TO WHAT THE SCREEN READER WAS READING. AND IT WAS -- IT WASN'T EVEN PERTINENT INFORMATION THAT A NORMAL CITIZEN D.C. RESIDENT WITH A DISABILITY OR ANYBODY COULD RELY ON. THAT'S WHEN OPPORTUNITY STARTS MOVING FORWARD, THE TYPE OF WORK THEY WERE DOING AND SYSTEMATICALLY WEANING OUT A PORTION OF THE -- NOT NECESSARILY DOING IT ON PURPOSE BUT BECAUSE OF PRACTICES AND ONCE THEY REALIZE THEY WERE SCREWING UP, THERE'S NO OTHER WAY OF DISCOVERING, IF YOU TAKE THIS APPROACH AND YOU LIMIT YOUR CHANCE FOR THAT INFORMATION TO GO OUT TO THE PUBLIC. ONCE WE REALIZE WE NEED IMPROVEMENTS I WANT YOU TO JUST FOCUS ON ACHIEVING ONE, YOU NEED TO FOCUS ON DO NOT SCARE YOUR -- THE FE RAL GOVERNMENT IS NORTORIOUS FOR FOR ANY GOVERNMENT, LOCAL GOVERNMENT, THEY'RE NOTORIOUS FOR CURRYING THE DOCUMENTS. THIS TIME ADOBE UNTIL RECENTLY THE NEWEST VERSION OF ADOBE NEEDS THOSE DOCUMENTS ACCESSIBLE, BECAUSE READING THE TEXT WHICH DISABILITY, GETTING -- STANDING UP, STANDING STILL IS NOT DOABLE. SO WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE FOCUS ON THE DISABILITY, NOT JUST -- BUT GETTING STUFF LIKE THAT. SO THAT'S MY FINAL POINT. MAKE SURE YOU ENCOURAGE MEDICAL DIAGNOSTICS TO YOUR COLLEAGUES. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. [APPLAUSE] >> YOUR PRESENTATION REMINDED ME OF ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS ABOUT ACCESSIBILITY, IS ACCESSIBILITY ADVOCATES DON'T HAVE TO BE REASONABLE. AND A LOT OF THAT – IS BECAUSE I COMES DOWN TO BEING CIVIL RIGHTS. IT'S NOT SOMETHING -- IT'S NOT SOMETHING YOU REALLY WANT TO TRY AND BARTER ABOUT. IF SOMETHING'S WORTH PUTTING UP ON A WEBSITE, IT'S WORTH MAKING IT ACCESSIBLE. THE COROLLARY, IF IT'S NOT WORTH THE INVESTMENT TO MAKE IT ACCESSIBLE IT'S NOT THAT IMPORTANT. SO COW DON'T NEED TO GET IT TO EVERYONE, JUST NEED TO GET IT WHY DO YOU NEED TO GET IT OUT. AND WHY CAN'T YOU FIND THE RESOURCES TO GET IT OUT. I HAVE HAD GOVERNMENT FOLKS TELL ME THE SAME THING. , IT'S NOT WORTH THE EXTRA MONEY, THIS ISN'T A GOOD USE OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS. I DISAGREE. IT'S THE GOVERNMENT HAS TO MAKE SURE WE'RE REACHING EVERYBODY, WE DON'T HAVE THE LUXURY OF DISCRIMINATING. ESPECIALLY WHEN WE KNOW WE'RE DISCRIMINATING. I KNOW THIS FROM SECURITY PEOPLE I TALK TO, DENIAL OF SERVICE, YOU MAKE THEM ALL STAND UP STRAIGHT IF YOU START TALKING ABOUT THAT. SO I LIKE TO DESCRIBE NOT CAPTIONING A VIDEO AS A DENIAL OF SERVICE ATTACK ON THE DEAF. THAT REALLY GETS SECURITY PEOPLE TO PAY ATTENTION, TO SAY YOU CAN'T BE DOING THAT. ANYTHING LIKE THAT IS NOT -- NO GOOD. IT'S VERY MUCH A VALID POINT. I WANT TO COME BACK TO LIKE DR. LAZAR TALKED ABOUT THE OPENNESS, THAT'S ONE THING'S BEEN INTERESTING TO ME ABOUT WEBSITES, ALL THE BROWSERS HAVE THIS VIEW SOURCE THING SO YOU CAN USE VIEWS THE SOURCE AND HTML AND FIND OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. SO I THEY'S WHY GOVERNMENT TENDS TO SHY AWAY FROM THIS STUFF IN HTML, THEY PUT A BIG PDF OR DON'T PAY ATTENTION TO THE ACCESSIBILITY. SO PDF -- HTML IS WONDERFUL IS IN THAT IT IS TRANSPARENT AND OPEN. >> BUT EVEN IF YOU CAN READ THE SOURCE THAT OFTEN DOESN'T TELL YOU WHAT AN AGENCY IS DOING. IT TELLS YOU WHAT STEPS THEY TOOK SO YOU CAN VIEW THE SOURCE AN DETERMINE WHETHER IT'S ACCESSIBLE, MANY PEOPLE CAN DO THAT BUT IT'S VERY IMPORTANT KNOW WHAT AGENCIES ARE DOING, WHAT STEPSTHEY EAR TAKEING WHAT PROASESES AND APPROACHES BECAUSE -- PROCESSES AND APPROACHES. IF YOU HAVE GREAT PROCESSES IN PLACE I'M NOT WORRIED ABOUT A PIECE OF INACCESSIBLE CONTENT, ONE PDF THAT SLIPS THROUGH THE CRACK. IF ALL THE REST O ARE ACCESSIBLE AND GOOD PROCESSES IN PLACE AND ONGOING BASIS THEY CATCH PIECES OF CONTENT NOT ACCESSIBLE, THAT'S THE IMPORTANT THING. THERE'S A PROCESS IN PLACE TO TO MAKE SURE IT'S MONITORED, TO MIC SURE IT'S IN THE DEVELOPMENT STAGE Z ANGELA WAS TALKING ABOUT. THAT SHOULD BE IN A PLACE OF PROCUREMENT FOR ANY TYPE OF DEVICE, ANY TYPE OF TECHNOLOGY. SO IT'S NOT JUST THE HTML ASPECT, IT'S MAKING SURE AGENCIES AND DEPARTMENTS ARE OPEN ABOUT HA THEY'RE DOING SO THE PUBLIC CAN SEE BECAUSE OTHERWISE YOU'RE NOT SPENDING MY MONEY WELL. MY TAX DOLLARS, YOU'RE NOT SPENDING THEM WELL. I DON'T SEE YOU'RE DOING ANYTHING. RELATING BACK TO ISSUES OF SPENDING. SO IMPORTANT PEOPLENESS WHAT STEPS RU ARE TAKING. I WANT TO LEARN, MY STUDENTS WANT TO LEARN, OTHER AGENCIES WANT TO LEARN A. IT'S THE RESPECTFUL THING TO DO. >> I LIKE HOW YOU TALKED ABOUT HOW YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO BE TECHNICALLY SAVVY TO SPOT THE PROBLEM. THAT'S A VERY, VERY IMPORTANT MESSAGE. >> IN TERMS OF I SECTION 508 CLINICIAN SHOULD BE ABLE TO THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO QUICKLY GO THROUGH THE WEBSITE AND NO ACTUALLY COME (INAUDIBLE) BUT THEY CAN BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY # AND THOSE ARCHIVES -- THE BLIND COMMUNITY OR THE DEAF COMMUNITY. BECAUSE IN TERMS OF THE BLIND COMMUNITY THEY NEED TO BE READ AND IF YOU HAVE (INAUDIBLE) THAT DON'T HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO READ THE INFORMATION ON THE MACHINE THAT'S A HUGE ISSUE. SO WE HAVE COCONTINUE WORKING WITH THE CORPORATIONS ON ACCESSIBILITY. AND LET THAT BE CONTACT WITH (INAUDIBLE) FOR EXAMPLE BLACKBERRY. BLACKBERRY WAS DEEMED THE IDEAL GOVERNMENT TOOL. BUT FOR FISCAL DISABILITY PRETTY MUCH USELESS TO THEM. YOU KNOW -- SO YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THOSE THINGS -- >> SOMEBODY WAS APPLAUDING THAT THE BLACKBERRY WAS USELESS. >> IT'S USELESS. (OFF MIC) >> CERTAINLY iPAD AND SOME SMART PHONES HAVE ACCESSIBILITY FEATURES. SOME DO NOT. >> WE HAVE SOMEBODY UP TO THE MICROPHONE AND I WANT TO VERY MUCH ENCOURAGE THAT. >> MY NAME IS RICHARD BARNS WITH SENOR FOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY HERE AT NIH AND THIS QUESTION IS FOR ANY OF THE PANELISTS. WE'RE DOING WHAT WE CAN WITHIN CIT TO MAKE WEBSITES ACCESSIBLE BUT WONDERING IF YOU KNOW AS ACCESSIBILITY ADVOCATES WITH THE STATE OF AFFAIRS IS IN THE PRIVATE SECTORS AS FAR AS WEBSITES ARE CONCERNED SPECIFICALLY. >> IS IT BETTER OR WORSE THAN WHAT YOU SEE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OR -- >> YES. >> I MEAN (INAUDIBLE) APPLY DEFINITELY TO THE PRIVATE SECTOR BUT WHAT I REALIZED IS MANY CASES THE PRIVATE SECTORS DO BETTER THAN GOVERNMENT IN MANY CASES BECAUSE THE COMPANIES WERE ABOUT MAKING MONEY PER SE, WHICH IS GREAT, BECAUSE IN TERMS OF TECHNOLOGY THEY WANT A BLIND PERSON, PERSON WITH PHYSICAL DISABILITY TO USE THEIR (INAUDIBLE) TO THEM AND -- TO BE PART OF THEM AND TO RECOGNIZE THERE'S A (INAUDIBLE) IN TERMS OF TRYING TO MAKE THE PARTS INCLUSIVE. SO MANY CASES HAS TO STEP UP IN TERMS OF UNDERSTANDING THE OVERALL (INAUDIBLE) BEING INCLUSIVE. >> I WANT TO ADD, THAT WOULD DEPEND HOW YOU SLICE AN DICE THE DATA. I THINK OVERALL THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS PROBABLY DOING A LITTLE BIT BETTER THAN PRIVATE COMPANIES. ON THE OTHER HAND YOU COULD PROBABLY TAKE THE TOP TEN PRIVATE eCOMMERCE AND FIND THEY'RE DOING BETTER THAN SOME OF THE LARGER -- IT REALLY IS APPLES AND ORANGES BUT AN EXAMPLE OF EXACTLY WHAT MAT WAS SAYING ABOUT THE PROFIT INCENTIVE THAT'S DRIVEN SOME COMPANIES, NOT ALL, CERTAINLY NOT EVEN MANY BUT SOME SO THERE WAS MOST OF YOU PROBABLY HEARD ABOUT THE LAWSUIT T NATIONAL FEDERATION OF BLIND, BY SHOW OF HANDS SAY I, HOW MANY HAVE HEARD OF THAT LAWSUIT? >> I. >> HOW MANY HAVE NOT HEARD? SAY NAY? >> NAY. WE HAVE A FEW. THE BACKGROUND IS THE TARGET CORPORATION WAS SUED UNDER THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT BY THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND BECAUSE THE WEBSITE AT TARGET.COM WAS UNINACCESSIBLE. THE JUDGE RULED THE ADA DOES APPLY TO PRIVATE COMPANIES CONSIDERED PUBLIC ACCOMMODATIONS AND THEIR WEBSITES. SO THE WEBSITE IS AN EXTENSION OF -- IF YOU WERE A PUBLIC ACCOMMODATION, THE WEBSITE IS PART OF THAT ACCOMMODATION. SO JUST IN THE END YOU SETTLE OUT OF COURT BECAUSE THE JUDGE RULED A FEW DIFFERENT TIMES THAT TARGET WAS COVERED UNDER ADA WHEN IT COMES TO THE WEBSITE. BUT I THOUGHT THE MOST INTERESTING COMMENT WAS FROM THE PERSON IN CHARGE OF TARGET.COM. HE CAME TO A CONVENTION AT NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND, TWO YEARS LATER AND GOT OUT THERE AND SAID I KNOW WE HAVEN'T ALWAYS BEEN FRIENDS, I KNOW YOU SUED US, WE HAVEN'T ALWAYS BEEN FRIENDS, I DON'T KNOW. DO MANY OF YOU HAVE FRIENDS THAT SUED YOU? BUT SO WE HAVEN'T ALWAYS BEEN FRIENDS BUT HE SAID I WANT TO TELL YOU A STORY. AND ACTUALLY I LOVE THIS STORY. I WANT TO TELL YOU A STORY. WHEN I CAME IN AS HEAD OF TARGET.COM IN 2008 THEY SAID WE'RE EMBROILED IN A LAWSUIT. WHY? WHAT'S THE LAWSUIT? BLIND PEOPLE WANT TO BUY FROM US. HE SAID OKAY. WE DON'T WANT THEM TO. WAIT, WAIT, COME AGAIN? THEY WANT ACCESS TO THE WEBSITE AND WE DON'T WANT TO GIVE THEM ACCESS TO THE WEBSITE. HE SAID AM I MISSING SOMETHING? SOMETHING I'M NOT COMPREHENDING THERE? BLIND PEOPLE PURCHASE FROM TARGET.COM AND TARGET IS FIGHTING THAT IN A COURT OF LAW. THEY DON'T WANT TO MAKE IT ACCESSIBLE. THEY SAID LET ME GET THIS STRAIGHT. LET ME MAKE SURE I'M NOT MISUNDERSTANDING. THERE ARE BLIND PEOPLE WHO WANT TO BUY FROM US AND THEY'RE FIGHTING A LAWSUIT FOR THE RIGHT TO BUY FROM US AN WE'RE FIGHTING BACK SO THEY DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT TO BUY FROM US? THEY SAID YEAH, THAT'S WHAT'S GOING ON. HE SAID, O CHARACTER THAT'S A MISTAKE. I DON'T KNOW THE HISTORY ON THIS BUT SETTLE IT AND MOVE ON. THIS MAKES NO SENSE AT ALL. HE SAID I COULDN'T UNDERSTAND WHY WE WANT TO STOP CUSTOMERS FROM BUYING FROM US. THAT'S SOMETHING WE SEE IN THE HIGHER EDUCATION VEHICLE -- SECTOR AS WELL. I DON'T WANT TO MAKE MY COURSE CONSENT ACCESSIBLE. IT'S MY RIGHT AS A FACULTY MEMBER, AS A PROFESSOR, RIGHT? I HAVE ACADEMIC FREEDOM. NO, YOU DON'T HAVE ACADEMIC FREEDOM. YOU CAN SAY WHAT YOU WANT, WE DONE CARE WHAT YOU SAY. YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE IT'S SAID IN MULTIPLE FORMATS. WE WANT MORE PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY, NOT LESS. THAT AGAIN RELATES TO WHAT ANGELA AND MAT WERE TALKING ABOUT, AND WHAT BRUCE MENTIONED AS WELL. IF IT'S IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO GO ON THE WEB IT SHOULD BE ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE. IF YOU DON'T WANT TO MAKE IT ACCESSIBLE, PROBABLY ISN'T THAT IMPORTANT, IN THAT PEOPLE GET ACCESS. I MENTIONED, LIKE MID 2010 HOW OUTRAGED I WAS ABOUT READY.GOV AND THE FEMA WEBSITE DID NOT HAVE ACCESSIBLE CONTENT. TO THE HOME PAGE IF YOU WERE A SCREAN REEDER USER YOU COULDN'T ACCESS HURRICANE AND FLOOD PREPAREDNESS. I'M THROG FIGHT FOR THAT INFORMATION BECAUSE I KNOW THAT'S IMPORTANT INFORMATION. AND BLIND PEOPLE AND PEOPLE WITH OTHER DISABILITIES NEED TO HAVE ACCESS TO THAT INFORMATION. SO THE INFORMATION YOU PUT THERE IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT. I'M GOING SAY MORE IMPORTANT WHETHER OR NOT YOU WANT TO BUY CERTAIN THINGS ONLINE. INFORMATION FROM NIH, INFORMATION FROM FEMA, FEDERAL INFORMATION IS IMPORTANT INFORMATION. ALL THESE PEOPLE ARE SAYING YOU CAN CUT HALF OF FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, WOULDN'T MAKE A DIFFERENCE. THEY'RE WRONG. WE NEED THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, WE NEED THIS INFORMATION. WE NEED ALL THIS. EVERYONE NEEDS THAT INFORMATION. SO WHILE YOU CAN TALK IN COMPARISON TO PROFIT, IT'S COMPARING APPLES AN ORANGES BECAUSE THERE ARE PORTIONS OF FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DOING A BETTER JOB. THEY'RE SOME COMPANIES THAT HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB SO THEY REALIZE, SURPRISE, PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES SPEND MONEY. LIKE IT'S A NEW CONCEPT. THE REALITY IS FEDERAL GOVERNMENT INFORMATION IS ITS OWN CATEGORY OF REALLY IMPORTANT INFORMATION. WE SHOULD NEVER FORGET THAT. THE INFORMATION WE NEED THAT INFORMATION, IT'S LIFE AND DEATH INFORMATION. >> I WANT TO SHIFT COURSE A LITTLE BIT AND BUILD ON THAT. WHAT ARE SOME OTHER NON-ALTRUISTIC SELFISH GREEDY REASONS FOR ACCESSIBILITY. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF THEM, WE TALKED ABOUT YOU WANT TO AVOID LAWSUITS. AND -- WHAT WAS THE OTHER ONE? >> THAT YOU WANT TO BE THE NUMBER ONE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. >> TRYING TO SELL -- TRYING TO COME OUT AND THERE ARE MONTHLY THINGS, YOU WANT TO BE THE NUMBER ONE AGENCY, HHS. WE'RE THE BEST IN THE GOVERNMENT. YOU DON'T WANT TO BE -- I DON'T KNOW WHICH ONES YOU COMPETE WITH. I DON'T KNOW WHO YOUR SIBLING COMPETITORS ARE IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT BUT EVERYONE HAS THEM, THEY HAVE THE ONES YOU WANT TO BE. YOU WANT TO BE NUMBER ONE. >> SURE. I ALSO WANT TO MENTION THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE JUST PUT OUT SOMETHING IN JANUARY SAYING PLACES OF PUBLIC ACCOMMODATION SHOULD BE ACCESSIBLE AND WANT TO USE STANDARDS AS THAT BENCHMARK. SAME THING, A CURRENT RULE MAKING CLOSES SOON ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT THEY THE KIOSKS IN THE AIRPORTS THIS -- SO THEY'RE PAYING ATTENTION TO ACCESSIBILITY. >> THERE'S A GOOD REASON WHY THEY'RE DOING THAT. BECAUSE THE REALITY IS ACCOMMODATION NAS ARE SEPARATE ARE OFTEN UNEQUAL. LOOK AT AMERICAN HISTORY, SEPARATE BUT EQUAL, RIGHT, YOU KNOW THE WHOLE HISTORY OF BROWN VERSUS BOARD OF EDUCATION, OFTEN IF YOU ARE ASKING FOR ACCOMMODATION, THE WEB CONTENT ISN'T ACCESSIBILITY, CAN YOU PROVIDE THE INFORMATION? IF YOU LOOK AT AIRLINES RELATED TO THAT, I DID A STUDY ON THAT, WITH MY STUDENTS WHERE WE CALLED UP AIRLINES AND WHO HAD INACCESSIBLE WEBSITES AND SAID HIGH, I'M BLIND, THE WEBSITE DOESN'T WORK FOR ME, I WOULD LIKE TO BOOK A TICKET CAN YOU TELL ME THE PRICE? FOUR AIRLINES CHARGED HIGHER THAN ON THE WEBSITE. IN CASE OF TWO AIRLINES US AIR WAYS AN UNITED IT WAS OVER A THIRD OF THE TIME. >> THIS BREAKS THE LAW. >> U YOU HAVE -- EXACTLY. BRUCE MENTIONED THAT. SO YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. SO YOU GET INTO PRICE DISCRIMINATION. IF YOU ARE IN A SITUATION PEOPLE GET CONTENT AT A DIFFERENT DATE, THE PERSONAL ADVOCACY DISABILITY CAN CONTACT RIGHT NOW VERSUS THE PERSON WITH A DISABILITY THAT HAS TO WAIT FOUR MONTHS, IT LEARNLY UNEQUAL. JUST LIKE IF YOU CHARGE SOMEONE WITH A DISABILITY MORE FOR FLYING BECAUSE THEY CAN'T USE THE WEBSITE. I THINK THAT'S WHY UNITED LOSES MY LUGGAGE. I TRY TO AVOID THEM BECAUSE MY LUGGAGE NEVER MAKES IT WHERE IT'S GOING. >> I'M A FEDERAL EMPLOYEE, AT NIH MORE THAN A DECADE. I LOVE BEING HERE, I'M A SCIENTIST AND I'M A PROGRAM OFFICER. I HAVE SEVERAL DISABILITIES. I DIDN'T COME TO THE GOVERNMENT WITH DISABILITY, I ACQUIRED THEM AFTER MY EMPLOYMENT HERE. I ASSUME THE GOVERNMENT HIRE MED BECAUSE OF MY SKILLS AND EXPERTISE WHICH I BELIEVE IS TRUE. THEY DIDN'T GO AWAY WHEN I DEVELOPED DISABILITY. AS MUCH AS I LOVE THE EFFORTS AROUND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND APPRECIATIVE FOR THINGS LIKE 508, THAT'S NOT INCLUSION. THAT'S NOT ACCESSIBILITY. REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS AREN'T SIMPLE ACCESSIBILITY. FOR EXAMPLE, THIS MICROPHONE IS UP AND I CAN'T STAND FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME, ANYONE IN A WHEELCHAIR OR SCOOTER IS SLOW TO COME FORWARD TO COMMENT. SO FUNCTIONALLY THE REALITY IS THAT IF YOU WANT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOUR EMPLOYEE'S EXPERTISE AND SKILLS, THE REASON YOU HIRED THEM, YOU WANT THEM TO HAVE THE TOOLS TO FULLY PARTICIPATE IN THE WORKPLACE ENVIRONMENT. THAT MEANS WHEN I ASKED FOR THE SLIDES PRIOR TO TODAY, SO THAT I WOULD BE ABLE TO READ THEM WITH MY ACCESSIBLE SOFTWARE, AND I WAS TOLD THERE ARE NO SLIDES, THERE'S NOTHING TO GIVE YOU. DR. TABAK DID HAVE A SLIDE WHICH I CANNOT READ. I CAN SEE THERE'S SOME SORT OF BIG PICTURE UP THERE BUT THAT'S ABOUT IT. ACCESSIBILITY IS ABOUT INCLUSION. ITS INCLUSION, IT'S A SELF-SERVING INCLUSION, NOT FOR THE PERSON WITH DISABILITY BUT FOR THE EMPLOYER OR THE MANUFACTURER OR THE SALESPERSON. YOU WANT AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE TO PARTICIPATES. AND NON-INCLUSION EXCLUDES IMPORTANT COMPONENTS. SO IT'S THE MAIN SPEAKER OF TODAY'S PRESENTATION HAD TO BE REMOTE, AND THEY ACCIDENTLY FORGOT TO PUT THE SOUND, THE VIDEO AND SOUND ON, YOU KIND OF WOULD BE IRRITATED, YOU DIDN'T HAVE YOUR MAIN SPEAKER. THEY COULDN'T PARTICIPATE FULLY. AND THAT'S FUNCTIONALLY BEING DISABLED. WHAT'S BEEN TAKEN -- WHAT'S BEEN TAKEN AWAY IS YOUR ABILITY TO PROVIDE YOUR SKILL, YOUR EXPERTISE, YOUR PRODUCT, WHATEVER. SO I ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO THINK BEYOND 508. BEYOND THE TRADITIONAL REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION. I'M THE PERSON WHO SAID I HAVE AN iPAD BECAUSE BLACKBERRY IS WORTHLESS. I HAVE BEEN FIGHTING FOR A DECADE OF I'M EXPECTED TO CARRY A BLACKBERRY BUT I CAN'T DO ANYTHING WITH IT. I CAN'T READ IT, I CAN'T MANIPULATE THE BUTTONS. AND THERE'S STILL SOME ANXIETY ABOUT GIVING ME AN iPAD BECAUSE IT DOESN'T MEET THE TRADITIONAL ENTERPRISE SECURITY ISSUES THAT I SEE -- IT PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND. WHEN WE CREATE ACCESSIBILITY WE'RE CREATING INCLUSION. THAT'S WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING. I HOPE THAT THIS PANEL WILL ADDRESS INCLUSION BEYOND 508. BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH MORE TO CHANGING THE CULTURE OF AN ENVIRONMENT THAT SAYS I WANT YOU TO PARTICIPATE. I WILL DO THE THINGS TO HELP YOU PARTICIPATE. NOT BECAUSE I'M REQUIRED BY LAW NOT BECAUSE IT'S THE MORAL THING TO DO, BUT BECAUSE YOUR PARTICIPATION MATTERS. >> I THINK -- I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO GO AROUND ON THAT POINT BECAUSE MAT WAS BRINGING UP THAT A LITTLE EARLIER. WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SAY ABOUT THAT, 508 IS A VERY LOW BAR, YOU CAN VERY MUCH HAVE TECHNOLOGY THAT'S 508 COMPLIANT AND NOT BE ACCESSIBLE TO ANY NUMBER OF PEOPLE. OUT IT'S A BASELINE. I HAPPEN TO THINK IT'S A VERY REASONABLE BASELINE AND IT'S INTERESTING THAT IT'S TAKEN SO LONG TO GET UP TO THAT BASELINE. BUT YOU'RE RIGHT. 508 IS NOT MUCH OF A SOLUTION FOR ANY ONE INDIVIDUAL, BECAUSE YOU STILL NEED THE 501, THE 504, THE ACCOMMODATIONS BUT IF YOU DON'T HAVE 508 IT'S HARD TO PROVIDE ACCOMODATIONS, OR ACCOMODATIONS OF THINGS LIKE HUMAN READERS, STUFF LIKE THAT. SO THE COMBINATIONS END UP DESTROYING SOME OPPORTUNITIES FOR AN INDEPENDENCE. >> AND THE WAY TO WORK AROUND WHEN YOU GO BEYOND 508 IS FOR AGENCIES TO START HIRING PEOPLE THE -- SO WHENEVER HIRING OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND ONCE A PERSON IS QUALIFIED APPLICANTS TO WORK WITH THE FEDERAL AGENCY PEOPLE AUTOMATICALLY BECAUSE THEY WANT TO PROVE THEMSELVES IN THE WORKPLACE, THEY WANT TO BE PRODUCTIVE EMPLOYEES BUT UNTIL YOU (INAUDIBLE) APPLICANTS INTO THE WORKPLACE OF HAVING MORE PEOPLE BLIND PEOPLE, DEAF PEOPLE, PEOPLE WITH PHYSICAL DISABILITIES, PEOPLE WITH MOVING DISABILITIES, YOU WON'T GO BEYOND A STANDARD UNTIL YOU DO THAT. SO KNOWING THAT -- A HUGE ISSUE WITH THE DISABILITY COMMUNITY, BECAUSE YOU ARE TRYING TO FORM (INAUDIBLE) WE HAVE TO FOCUS ON MAKING SURE THAT PROCESSES ARE ACCESSIBLE BUT -- TO UNDERSTAND OR HOW BECAUSE OF IT IN TERMS -- INTERACTING WITH PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, UNDER SECTION 504, I'M SORRY, YEAH. ON THE -- THIS TYPE OF THING -- NOT EMPHASIZED ENOUGH IN TERMS OF THE (INAUDIBLE) PRACTICES OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES. >> I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT I REALLY HEAR WHAT THE LADY SAID ABOUT VALUING EVERYBODY'S INPUT AND I THINK WE DO HAVE TO LOOK BEYOND THE LAW. AND I STILL THINK IT COMES DOWN TO DOING WHAT'S RIGHT AND REALIZING WE NEED EACH OTHER. WE NEED EACH OTHER, WE NEED EACH OTHER'S INPUT, WE NEED EVERYBODY TO COMMUNICATE AND THAT ALSO TRANSLATES TO HOW WE'RE GOING TO GET THE JOB DONE WITHIN GOVERNMENT. LIKE JONATHAN WAS SAYING EARLIER, WE NEED TO TALK MORE. THERE ARE SOME THINGS IN PLACE WITH THE WEB MANAGER COUNCIL THAT BRUCE CAN SPEAK ABOUT BUT THERE ARE WAYS FOR US TO GET INVOLVED AND WORK TOGETHER TECHNOLOGICALLY BUT ALSO YES, TO TALK TO PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES. TO HEAR THEIR VIEWPOINT, TO HEAR WHERE WE'RE FAILING THEM, WHERE WE'RE FALLING SHORT. AND TO REALIZE IT'S NOT ABOUT A CHECKLIST, IT'S FUNCTIONALITY, IT'S USABILITY. AND IF WE'RE NOT COMMUNICATING THAT INFORMATION TO EVERYONE THEN EVERYONE CAN'T PARTICIPATE AND GIVE US RESOURCES BACK. SO IT BENEFITS US ALL ON BOTH SIDES. FIRST OF ALL SHE'S RIGHT. TO GIVE AN EXAMPLE OF HOW THERE'S PROGRESS TO BE MADE. THERE'S A 508 COORDINATOR AT A DIFFERENT AGENCY, NOT ANYWHERE IN HHS WHO HAS REPEATEDLY TOLD ME THAT THEY NCI NO WAY DOES THIS PERSON WANT TO INVOLVE PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES IN USABILITY TESTING. OR 508 COMPLIANCE. THIS PERSON SAYS IT'S A WASTE OF TIME, ONLY RUINS ACCESSIBILITY AND I KID YOU NOT, IT ACTUALLY RUINS ACCESSIBILITY TO INVOLVE DISABILITIES IN USER TESTING. RIGHT? WE NEED TO CODE TO STANDARDS, CODE TO THE GUIDELINES AND DOESN'T WANT TO HEAR FROM HIN WITH A DISABILITY, JUST CODE TO STANDARD. TO GIVE YOU A SENSE THAT SHE'S RIGHT AND CERTAINLY THERE NEEDS TO BE A SEE CHANGE, THERE'S STILL PEOPLE WITH ATTITUDES THIS IS ACTUALLY 508 COORDINATOR. SORRY TO SAY. >> THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING. I ESPECIALLY WANT TO THANK THE WOMAN WHO SPOKE RECENTLY. I -- EVERY TIME I START THINKING WE HAVE COME A LONG WAY, BECAUSE I HAVE INVOLVE IN THIS A LONG TIME AS WELL, I'M BROUGHT UP SHORT. THIS IS A GOOD EXAMPLE. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING WITH AT THE NIH AS EVERYBODY KNOWS IS A CULTURE CHANGE WHICH IS HAPPENING. I'M HAPPY TO SAY, BECAUSE IN 2001, 2002 PEOPLE WERE PUSHING BACK ALL OVER NIH SAYING THEY DON'T REPRESENT MUCH OF A POLLLATION, MUCH OF AN IMPORTANT POPULATION. NOW EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS AN APPRECIATES THE NEED OF 508, 508 IS NOT ENOUGH. IT COMES BACK TO THE CULTURE CHANGE. ONE OF THE PROBLEMS THAT I DON'T KNOW IF WE'LL EVER SOLVE IS SLIDES. PEOPLE PRODUCE I KNOW BECAUSE I HAVE FRIENDS IN THE RESEARCH SECTOR WHO PRODUCE THEIR POWERPOINT SLIDES ON THE PLANE GOING TO A MEETING. THAT'S REALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO DO BECAUSE IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO MAKE THOSE ACCESSIBLE BECAUSE THEY DON'T MAKE THEM WITH THE MIND OF ACCESSIBILITY. WE CAN TALK AND TEACH THEM HOW TO DO THAT BUT IF THEY'RE IN A TIME CRUNCH, THEY HAVE A FIVE HOUR FLIGHT THAT HAS TO PUT TOGETHER 50 POWERPOINT SLIDES, MAKE SURE THE GRAPHICS ARE CORRECT AND WORDING IS CORRECT, THEY'RE NOT FEELING LIKE THEY HAVE THE TIME TO CREATE APPROPRIATE ALTERNATIVE TEXT FOR THEIR COMPLEX DIAGRAMS. SO WHILE WE HAVE COME A LONG WAY, AND WE ARE REALLY MAKING TREMENDOUS PROGRESS, THERE ARE STILL A LOT OF THINGS THAT NEED TO BE DONE. I'M NOT SURE THAT WE WILL EVER -- I THINK IT MAYBE -- IN TOTAL I DON'T THINK WE'LL GET THERE. THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE SHOULDN'T CONTINUE WORKING HARD TO TRY TO GET THERE. I COMMEND EVERYBODY FOR THEIR EFFORTS. I DON'T -- THERE'S -- >> I APOLOGIZE. >> WE AGREE. >> I APOLOGIZE FOR GOING ON. >> MARK, YOU BROUGHT UP AN INTERESTING POINT. SOMETIMES THE PROBLEM IS THAT PEOPLE DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO IN THE SOFTWARE. I WONDER IF AS A GOVERNMENT JUST INDULGE ME A MOMENT BECAUSE I KNOW SOMETIMES I GET A BIT DREAMY AND NOT EVERYTHING I THINK AND WANT IS NECESSARILY POSSIBLE. BUT IS THERE A WAY WE CAN JUST POOL OUR RESOURCES AND WORK WITH VENDORS AND TEACH THEM, THIS IS WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO MAKE YOUR PRODUCT ACCESSIBLE. IF USER DIDN'T HAVE TO CLICK THIS BOX, IF THEY WERE PROMPTED FROM THE GET GO TO FILL IN THAT INFORMATION, IT WOULD BE SO MUCH EASIER TO MAKE THINGS ACCESSIBLE. I THINK SOMETIMES WE NEED TO COMMUNICATE THAT TO SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS TO VENDORS TO THE PEOPLE WHOSE PRODUCTS WE USE. MAYBE THAT'S WHAT WE NEED. >> WE ARE WORKING WITH THE PURCHASE OR TRACKING SYSTEM TO IT'S A TIERED APPROACH SO PURCHASE AGENTS ARE EDUCATED IN 508 SO EVERY PURCHASE IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS IS AT LEAST CONSIDERED ACCESSIBILITY IS CONSIDERED PART OF THE PURCHASING PROCESS. IT'S INCREMENTAL, OUR STAFFS ARE SMALLER, JOBS ARE BIGGER. EVERYBODY SPHEES IS -- KNOWS THE STORY. BUT IT'S OUR JOB TO HELP THEM INTEGRATE THIS INTO THE PROCESS OF PURCHASING SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT LIFE CYCLE, ALL THESE ARE HAPPENING. UNFORTUNATELY THEY'RE HAPPENING BEHIND THE CURTAIN, THAT PUTS US IN A POSITION OF LOOKING LIKE WE'RE NOT DOING WHAT WE'RE DOING BUT BY INFLUENCING THE PURCHASING ENVIRONMENT, WE'RE STARTING TO DO THAT. >> WE HAVE ABOUT FIVE MINUTES LEFT. GO AHEAD. >> I HAVE A SEGUE QUESTION. BECAUSE WE HAVE ABOUT FIVE MINUTES BEFORE THE BREAK AND AT 12:30 WE HAVE JOEL SCHNEIDER BACK TO DO A GREAT INTERACTIVE PRESENTATION ON AUDIO DESCRIPTION. SO BECAUSE WHEN WE WERE COMING TOGETHER TO FRAME UP THIS PROGRAM, IT OCCURRED TO US THAT AUDIO DESCRIPTION IS ONE OF OUR FAVORITE THINGS THAT MOST PEOPLE REALLY WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT, KNOW THEY NEED TO DO, AND REALLY DON'T HAVE THE WHOLE SKILL SET ABOUT WHAT AUDIO DESCRIPTION IS. SO BESIDES AUDIO DESCRIPTION, WHICH WE'RE GOING TO LEARN ABOUT AT 12:30 TO 1:30, WHAT IS THE NUMBER ONE THING YOU WOULD LIKE THE NEWBY, NOVICE, THE GOOD INTENTION PERSON WHAT IS THE TAKE AWAY AREA OF ACCESSIBILITY YOU WOULD WANT IN THE DREAM WORLD TO KNOW ABOUT. THE ONE HOT THING THAT YOU JUST -- THE QUICK. BRUCE, WEAL START WITH YOU. >> I WANTED TO END UP WITH AN UP BEAT THING WHERE WE'RE GOING AND WHY, ARE YOU OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE FUTURE OR WHY TO BE OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE FUTURE. I THINK THE ONE THING THAT'S HAPPENING TO PEOPLE THEY'RE GOING TO REALIZE THE ACCESSIBILITY ISSUE IS SOMETHING THAT MOST GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES, ANYBODY THAT SHARES A DOCUMENT HAS TO PAY ATTENTION TO. WE DID THE ACCESS BOARD DID AN RPM ON REFRESHING THE 508 STANDARDS, WE TALKED OFFICIAL COMMUNICATIONS. WELL, BASICALLY AS FEDERAL EMPLOYEE, EVERYTHING YOU DO IS A COMMUNICATION. SO THAT FRIGHTENED PEOPLE. SO WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO SCOPE THAT OUT BUT WE'RE DEFINITELY TALKING ABOUT MORE KINDS OF ELECTRONIC DOCUMENTS, MORE OF THE TIME FOR MORE AUDIENCES. WE WISH THE 508 GOT AS MUCH IMPORTANCE OR ATTENTION AS SECURITY BUT SECURITY IS KIND OF A BLACK BOX. WUF THE SECURITY SPECIALISTS THAT DEAL WITH IT AND THEY TELL YOU NO, YOU CAN'T USE AN iPAD, YOU HAVE TO USE A BLACKBERRY, SOMEHOW THAT GOT THAT AUTHORITY. THEY CONTROL THE SECURITY BUT DON'T FIX THE SECURITY. I THINK THERE'S A MIND SET I'LL THROW IT OVER TO ANGELA AND SHE'LL FIX IT BECAUSE TURNING ON ACCESSIBILITY HAS TO BE EASY. AND IT'S NOT SOMETHING YOU NEED TO GET OUT. I THINK WE'RE HAVING -- I'M SEEING MORE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT ACCESSIBILITY. SO I'M VERY OPTIMISTIC. IN MY MIND I SEE -- IT'S VERY HARD TO RETROFIT YOUR PARTS BE ACCESSIBLE. YOU HAVE (INAUDIBLE) THE MIND SET GOING INTO THE PROCESS AND SEE WE VALUE ACCESSIBILITY SO MUCH TO REJECT YOUR PRODUCT IF YOU DON'T GET IT DONE. AND THAT'S AN ISSUE IN TERMS OF THERE ARE A LOT OF OUT THERE HARD UNTIL YOU SEE IT'S IMPORTANT BUT FOUR YEARS AGO WHP YOU GAVE US THE CONTRACT WHY ARE YOU MAKING THIS EXTRA STEP NOW? SO IT'S -- IT BECAME -- GIVE MORE CONSUMER, MORE CITIZENS INFORMATION (INAUDIBLE) AND THEN (INAUDIBLE) PARTS USE TED MORE BY THE CONSUMERS, BY THE CITIZENS. SO COMMUNICATE SUCH THAT THEY SHOULD BE WILLING TO GO THE EXTRA MILE. BUT SOMETIMES TOUGH CUT TIE AND DEAL WITH MORE APPROPRIATE CONTRACT (INAUDIBLE). >> I WANT TO PIGGY BACK ON THAT AND SAY EDUCATION IS THE THE KEY. THERE'S SO MUCH GOOD FREE INFORMATION OUT THERE ON THE WEB. IF WE CAN JUST GET THE MESSAGE, IF THE ACCESSIBILITY ADVOCATES CAN GET THE MESSAGE TO MANAGERS AND IF MANAGERS CAN SAY THIS IS GOING TO BE A PRIORITY, WE'RE GOING TO DO WHAT WE CAN WITH WHAT WE HAVE. WE'RE IN A CONTINUING RESOLUTION, ALWAYS BEING ASKED TO DO MORE WITH LESS. BUT THERE IS SO MUCH FREE INFORMATION OUT THERECH TAKE TIME TO EDUCATE YOURSELVES. AND EDUCATE YOUR STAFF, YOUR TEAM MEMBERS, IF YOU CAN, DO A SESSION ONCE A MONTH. TALK ABOUT ACCESSIBILITY, WHAT ARE AREAS YOU NEED HELP MAKING YOUR CONTENT ACCESSIBLE, IS IT THE RIGHT, ARE WE USING PLAIN LANGUAGE, IS IT THE TECHNICAL THE BUILDING AND DEVELOPMENT OF THINGS. WHAT DO YOU NEED TO KNOW, IF YOU CAN COVER THAT TOPIC ONCE A MONTH YOU'RE GOING TO GROW JUST FROM THAT. AND SHARE THAT INFORMATION AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE THROUGHOUT YOUR DIVISION AND YOUR AGENCY. >> I THINK AT LEAST FROM MY POINT OF VIEW THE BIGGEST THINGS ARE THE THINGS RELATED TO 508 HAPPENING THE NEXT FEW MONTHS OR YEAR OR TWO. THE 508 REFRESH, CERTAINLY THAT'S BIG NEWS, THAT'S SOMETHING I THINK EVERYONE NEEDS TO PAY ATTENTION TO BUT ALSO THE 508 COMPREHENSIVE IMPROVEMENT PLAN THAT THE WHITE HOUSE I BELIEVE IS WORKING WITH THE ACCESS BOARD AS WELL, RIGHT? SO THEY HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS NEW 508 COMPREHENSIVE IMPROVEMENT PLAN THAT THEY'LL BE RELEASING IN DECEMBER FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. NOT BEING GOVERNMENT I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA WHAT'S IN IT. BUT I WOULD LOVE -- LIKE ANYTHING I'M SORRY I WOULD LOVE TO -- ANYTHING ELSE I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW WHAT'S IN IT AND HOW IT WILL IMPACT HOW 508 IS IMPLEMENTED. ONE HAND WE HAVE THE REGULATIONS BUT HOW IT'S PLEA AGREEMENT OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM. WHILE THERE ARE SOME BRIGHT SPOTS WITHIN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, THERE ARE ALSO A LOT OF BIG PROBLEMS WITH 508. OVERALL, IT'S BEEN PROBLEMATIC WITH HOW IT'S BEEN IMPLEMENTED. SO I WOULD BE REALLY INTERESTED AND I'M REALLY EXCITED AND I WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO COME OUT IN THIS NEW COMPREHENSIVE IMPROVEMENT PLAN. WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR EVERYONE? NOT ONLY FOR PEOPLE IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT BUT PEOPLE WHO ARE INTERESTED -- INVOLVED WITH 508 LIKE ME. SO I THINK THOSE ARE REALLY THE THINGS THAT I WOULD WATCH OUT FOR AND BE AWARE OF AND FOLLOW CAREFULLY BOS 508 REFRESH AND THIS 508 COMPREHENSIVE IMPROVEMENT PLAN. ANYTHING ABOUT THOSE, BRUCE YOU WANT TO GET IN THERE, ANYTHING PLUGS YOU WANT TO PUT IN? ANYTHING TO SHARE PUBLICLY? >> WE DO EXPECT TO HAVE ANOTHER OR SECOND ROUND AM PRM FOSH THE 508 REFRESH AND WE'RE EXPECTING THAT OUT IN DECEMBER. >> ANYTHING YOU CAN SAY ABOUT THE -- >> I HAVEN'T SEEN ANYTHING WRITTEN DOWN HARD ENOUGH SO I HAVEN'T SEEP THE DRAFT. IT CAN'T BE VERY CLOSE TO BEING DONE. >> YOU KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM IS, YOU HAVE ALL THOSE NEW SHOWS WHERE THEY THEY CAN APART BIT BY BIT ALL THESE POLICIES. I WANT CHRIS MATTHEWSING HARD BALL A WHOLE SHOW ABOUT 508 COMPLIANCE AND HERE IS WHAT WE HAVE HEARD FROM AN UNNAMED SOURCE. THIS IS WHAT'S GOING TO BE IN THE PLAN BECAUSE YOU GET THAT STUFF BUT BECAUSE NOT ENOUGH ARE AWARE, YOU DONE GET THAT. MAYBE WE CAN PUT TOGETHER THAT SHOW. WHAT DO YOU THINK? WE COULD FIND A WAY TO DO IT. I WOULD LOVE -- >> CAN I APPEAR WITH A BLACK BAR ACROSS MY EYES? >> BRUCE FRRKS A FEDERAL AGENCY -- BRUCE, FROM A FEDERAL AGENCY. >> ANONYMOUS FROM A FEDERAL AGENCY. ALL RIGHT. WE'RE AT 12:30. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR MY PANELLESTS. >> 11:30. >> 11:30. THAT'S WHAT I MEANT. [APPLAUSE] >> GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE. BRUCE DID HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU THOUGH. THIS THIRD HAND, DO WE GET A SECOND HEAD FOR THE DUAL MONITORS THAT WE HAVE BEEN GETTING? YEAH. I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THIS MONTH IS NATIONAL DISABILITY EMPLOYMENT AWARENESS MONTH. AND PRESIDENT OBAMA STATED IN HIS PROCLAMATION TO WIN THE FUTURE WE MUST HARNESS THE POWER OF OUR NATION'S RICHEST RESOURCE, OUR PEOPLE. AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES LIKE ALL AMERICANS ARE ENTITLED TO NOT ONLY FULL PARTICIPATION IN OUR SOCIETY BUT ALSO FULL OPPORTUNITY IN OUR SOCIETY. TALENTS AND CONTRIBUTIONS ARE VITAL TO STRENGTH OF OUR NATION'S WORK FORCE AND OUR FUTURE PROSPERITY. TOGETHER WE CAN ENSURE PERSONS LIVING WITH DISABILITIES HAVE EQUAL ACCESS TO EMPLOYMENT AND INCLUSION SUPPORT AND SUPPORTSIVE WORKPLACES. SO KEEPING WITH THIS PROCLAMATION, THIS MONTH WE HAVE HELD A WORKSHOP THAT FOCUSED ON ENTERACTING AND WORKING WITH DEAF INDIVIDUALS, WE HAD A REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS WORKSHOP AND THEN NOW THE ACCESSIBILITY EVENT WHICH I HAVE TO SAY THAT EVERYONE I HAVE EVER MET THAT WORKS WITH 508 IS VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT WHAT THEY DO.x< AS WE CAN SEE FROM OUR PANELISTS TODAY. SO BEFORE WE ADJOURN I DID WANT TO THANK EVERYONE THAT PARTICIPATED IN OUR PANEL. WE HAD ANDREA NO, SIR, DR. TABAK, THERESA SHEA, BRUCE BAILEY AND MAT MCCOLLOUGH AN ANGELA HOOKER. DID I FORGET YOU? I'M SORRY. AND DR. LAZAR. FOR EACH ONE OF OUR PANELISTS WE HAVE A LOVELY FRAME PHOTO OF THE NIH MORE THAN WORDS LOGO. >> VERY COOL. >> WE HAVE THESE IN THE GREEN ROOM FOR YOU AFTER THE PROGRAM. >> AWESOME. >> I ALSO WANTED TO SAY THAT THIS PROGRAM HAS BEEN A TREMENDOUS EVENT TODAY AND IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY NOTICED THERE'S VENDORS THAT ARE FOR THE ACCESSIBILITY EVENT OUT UP IN THE UPPER LEVEL. AND I JUST WANTED TO THANK EVERYONE THAT PARTICIPATED IN PUTTING THE PROGRAM TOGETHER. IF YOU'RE IN THE ROOM PLEASE STAND. JUDY BLARE. NANCY BRIDGES. SUSAN JAFFE. STACY CHAR LAND, TRACY DAVIS, (INDISCERNIBLE) GARY WARREN AND ASHLEY STEWART. I THINK THAT EVERYONE DID A TREMENDOUS JOB AND I JUST WANT TO GIVE THEM A BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE. [APPLAUSE] SO FROM THIS POINT WE'RE GOING TO BE TAKING AN HOUR BREAK. PLEASE VISIT THE EXHIBIT HALL, LUNCH IS ON YOU GUYS. BUT AT 12:30 WE'LL START WITH JOEL SCHNEIDER WHO IS GOING TO DO A PRESENTATION ON AUDIO DESCRIPTION. THANK YOU. HAVE A GREAT DAY. THANK YOU FOR COMING. >> WELCOME, FRIENDS. I AM PLEASEDDED TO INTRODUCE OUR NEXT SPEAKER JOEL SNYDER, PRESIDENT OF THE AUDIO DESCRIPTION ASSOCIATES AND DIRECTOR, AUDIO DESCRIPTION PROJECT AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND. EACH HERE HE DESCRIBES AUDIO DESCRIBED TOURING FOR MAJOR MUSEUMS THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES AND INCLUDING THE SMITH SONIAN INSTITUTION, THE GETSYS, AND OTHERS MYRIAD OF NATIONAL PARK SERVICES. IN MEDIA HE HAS PRODUCED DESCRIPTIONS FOR MAJOR MOVIE, NETWORKS NETWORKS AND BROADCAST. HIS DESCRIPTIONS AND VOICE ARE ACCESS BY VISUALLY IMPAIRED AUDIENCES OF SIN NASCREENING OF DOZENS OF FEATURE FILMS. HE INTRODUCED DESCRIPTION TECHNIQUES IN OVER 25 COUNTRIES. RECENTLY HE RESENTED WORKSHOPS IN SYDNEY,I STAN BULL, AND FOR THE WORLD OF BLAND IN GENERATED EVALUATION PROCESSA AND TRAINED DESCRIBERS IN ITALY, SPAN, AND AUSTRAILIA. WITHOUT FURTHER ADIEU. WELCOME JOEL. >> THANK YOU. THANK YOU, STACIE, THANK YOU GARY, THANK YOU MICHELLE. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME HERE, WHO WAS THAT GUY YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT. HE'S VERY IMPRESSIVE OH MY GOD. [LAUGHTER] NO I'M REALLY QUITE BELIGHTED TO JOIN YOU HERE TODAY AND BRAVO FOR PUTTING TOGETHER AN ACCESSIBILITY DAY LIKE THIS. TO REALLY MAKING THE EFFORT TO MAKE SURE STAFF KNOWS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THIS IS ABOUT. WELCOMING, HELLO, YOUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY, YOUR ENTIRE AUDIENCE INTO YOUR ACTIVITIES, A LOT OF THAT WAS TALKED ABOUT EARLIER TODAY AND I'M GOING TO REFERENCE BACK TO IT. AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, I'M SURE, LAST YEAR ON OCTOBER 8th, SO, JUST A LITTLE MORE THAN A YEAR AGO, HOW TIMELY, PRESIDENT OBAMA SIGNED--OH, THERE IT IS, SIGNED INTO LAW IMPORTANT ACCESS LEDGE SLAGS THAT INCLUDES A MANDATE FOR AUDIO DESCRIPTION ON BROADCAST TELEVISION. HOORAY. THIS IS UNPRESIDENTED. THE FIRST TIME HAVING A LAW, LEGISLATION THAT WILL MANDATE DESCRIPTION JUST AS CAPTIONS WERE MANDATED SOME 25 YEARS AGO. AND THE FCC'S REPORT AND ORDER REQUIRES IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DESCRIPTION REQUIREMENTS ON JULY FIRST, 2012. SO THIS IS REALLY QUITE TIMELY TO BE TALKING ABOUT DESCRIPTION. THIS IS THE LAW, IT'S ABOUT BROADCAST TELEVISION, AND CABLE AND THERE HE IS, ACTUALLY SIGNING THE ACT, THE 21st CEPTORY, VIDEO COMMUNICATIONS AND ACCESSIBILITY ACT AND THEN TO YOUR LEFT, THERE HE IS, SHAKING HANDS WITH A DESCRIBER. ISN'T THAT SOMETHING. AND I THINK HE WASHED HIS HANDS AFTERWARDS. I DON'T WASH MY HANDS THOUGH. I'VE HAD THE HONOR OF WORKING FOR THE WHITE HOUSE AND MEETING MR. OBAMA ON SEVERAL ON OCCASIONS SO HE KNOWS ABOUT DESCRIPTIONS WHICH IS FANTASTIC. AUDIO DESCRIPTION, LET'S ALL TELEVISION VIEWERS, PERFORMING ARTS, PATRONS, PEOPLE AT MEETINGS, CONFERENCES LIKE THIS, IT LETS ALL PEOPLE HEAR WHAT NAY CAN'T SEE. WITH THE DESCRIPTION SOUND TRACK ON OR WITH DESCRIPTIONS ADDED TO A PRESENTATION, ANYONE CAN HEAR FROM PROGRESS PROGRAM AUDIO ACCOMPANIED BY DESCRIPTIONS FOR TELEVISION IT'S ON A SECONDARY AUDIO TRACK PRECISELY TIMED TO OCCUR ONLY DURING THE LAPPINGSS BETWEEN DIALOGUE OR SIGNIFICANT SOUND ELEMENTS. SO, YEAH, IT'S TELEVISION FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE BLIND OR HAVE LOW VISION, IT'S ALSO TELEVISION FOR SIGHTED PEOPLE WHO WILL BE IN THE KITCHEN WATCHING DISHES CAN'T SEE THE LIVING SO YOU HEAR EVERYTHING YOU CAN'T SEE. SO REALLY WHEN'S SO EXCITING NOW THAT WE HAVE THIS MANDATE AND BY THE WAY THE UNITED KINGDOM AND WAY AHEAD OF US IN THIS REGUARD. I CAN GIVE YOU MORE DETAIL ON THATALATER PERHAPS BUT WITH THE MANDATE FOR BROADCAST TELEVISION, MY FEEL SUGGEST THAT OTHER ELEMENTS OF OUR CULTURE WON'T BE FAR BEHIND PROVIDING ACCESS TO FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE BLIND OR HAVE LOW VISION. IT BEGAN IF PERFORMING ARDS BUT IT'S STILL UNDER THE RADAR IF THAT RESPECT AND IT'S STILL ACCOMPLISHED PRINCIPALLY BY VOLUNTEERS. WELL, I THINK THE WHOLE LEVEL OF AUDIO DESCRIPTION QUALITY IS GOING TO RISE NOW THAT IT WILL BE A BIT MORE VISIBLE FORGIVE THE EXPRESSION ON TELEVISION AND IN CINEMA AS WELL. SO, A BRIEF REVIEW OF JUST WHAT DESCRIPTION IS, AND CAN BE AND HOW IT'S ALL DONE IS QUITE TIMELY. SO, WHAT BETTER WAY TO BEGIN A PRESENTATION ON DESCRIPTION THAN WITH DESCRIPTION OF A VISUAL IMAGE, A CARTOON. NOW I DARE SAY, MY FRIENDS IN THE BACK THERE, CAN YOU READ THE CAPTION AT THE BOTTOM? ANYBODY IN THE BACK? I'M GETTING SHAKING HEADS. YOU NEED DESCRIPTION. YOU MAY NOT BE BLIND OR LOW VISION, BUT HEARING WHAT'S THERE WILL HELP YOU UNDERSTAND THE IMAGE, IT'S AS SIMPLE AS THAT. LET'S TRY THIS ONE. THE FAN, BY JON Mc FIERCEON ON A STAGE AT LEFT, A WOMAN IN A FLOWING GOWN, HER HANDS COLLAPSED IN FRONT OF HER STANDING BEFORE A KNEELING MAN IN A DUBLET AND TOGETHERRERRED CAP HE CROONS, WHY DOST THY HEART TURN AWAY FROM MIGHT. AT RIGHT, A MAN AT A MICROPHONE SPEAKS, BASICALLY THE GUY WITH THE GOOFY HAT IS TICKED BECAUSE THIS BABE HAS BEEN RUNNING AROUND WITH THE DUDE IN THE BLACK TIGHTS. THE CAPTION READS: MANY OPERA COMPANIES NOW PROVIDE INTERPRETERS FOR THE RESULTICALLY IMPAIRED. INDEED, DESCRIPTION OF COMICS OR THE FUNNY PAGES OR WHATEVER BRINGS ME BACK TO HOW I BEGAN WORK NOTHING ALL OF THIS. IN THE 1970S, I READ TALKING BOOKS FOR THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, I READ FOR INDIVIDUAL BLIND PEOPLE AND I ALSO READ FOR THE WASHINGTON EAR, A LOCAL CLOSED CIRCUIT RADIO READING STATION THAT ACTUALLY READS NEWSPAPERS AND MAGAZINES AND ARTICLES. ON A SUBCARRIER WETA, AND ONE OF MY ASSIGNMENTS, AND THEY'RE THE GROUP THAT ACTUALLY STARTED THE FIRST ONGOING DESCRIPTION PROGRAM LATER IN 81 ISSUE AT THE BEHEST OF THE ARENA STAGE. WELL ONE OF MY ASSIGNMENTS AS A NEWSPAPER READER WAS THE SUNDAY POST. WELL, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU BUT WHAT'S THE FIRST THING YOU TURN TO WHEN THE SUNDAY PAPER COMES? RIGHT. FESS UP, YOU'RE ALL NIH GENIUSES AND SUCH, BUT COME OYOU TURN TO THE COMICS, RIGHT? SO I HAD TO READ THE COMICS OF COURSE ON THE AIR AND YOU KNOW--WHAT GOOD ARE THE COMICS IF YOU DON'T DESCRIBE THE PICTURES O THIS IS 1972, 74, I WAS A DESCRIBER. I DIDN'T KNOW I WERE ONE BUT I WAS DOING IT BECAUSE IT JUST--DUH, YOU HAD TO CONVEY THE VISUAL IMAGE TO THESE FOLK WHO IS BE COULDN'T SEE IT AND ACTUALLY, LET'S GO BACK BEFORE THAT IN THE 1940S WHO WAS THE MAYOR OF NEW YORK CITY? ANYBODY? YOU GOT IT. WHAT A GUY. THERELLA LA GUARDA, LA GARDA AIRPORT AND IN THE 40 THERE IS WAS A FIREPLACE STRIKE IN NEW YORK CITY, MAYOR LA GARDA ONE SAVVY MAYOR HE DIDN'T TAKE SIDES HE DIDN'T TAKE SIDES WITH THE NEWSPAPER, HE DIDN'T TAKE SIDES WITH THE NORTHERN OWNERS, HE TOOK THE SIDE OF THE PEOPLE AND SO HE WENT TO THE RADIO AND READ THE SUNDAY FUNNYS, EVERY SUNDAY AS LONG AS THE NEWSPAPER STRIKE WITH HIS BALL, HE WAS ONE OF THE FIRST DESCRIBERS JUST BECAUSE HE WANTED TO CONNECT WITH HIS CONSTITUENTS AND WELL, I WILL GO FURTHER, I WILL GO--I THINK IT WAS IN PREHISTORIC TIMES WHEN TOO SIGHTED CAVE MEN WERE MURPHING ON LEFT OVER SABER TOOTH TIGER AND ONE CAVE MAN SCREAMED TO THE OTHER, LOOK OUT BEHIND YOU, THERE'S A MASTA DON COMING FROM THE LEFT! >> IT WAS A JEWISH CAVE MAN, LANYWAY, BUT THERE, YOU HAVE IT, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. THE ORIGIN OF AUDIO DESCRIPTION. IT DIDN'T EVEN HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH BLINDNESS, THE GUY WAS JUST LOOKING THE WRONG WAY. WELL, I CAME TO THE DESCRIPTION A BIT MORE RECEIPTLY AS STACIE MENTIONED, IT'S BEEN OVER 30 YEARS NOW THAT I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH IT, I WAS ONE OF THE FIRST AUDIO DESCREE DESCRIBERS IN THAT SMALL GROUP A N A FORMAL SENSE IN THAT ONGOING SERVICE FOR PERFORMING ARTS HERE IN D. C. AND SINCE THAT TIME I'VE BEEN LUCKY ENOUGH TO WORK IN PERFORMING ARTS, MEDIA, MUSEUMS, SCHOOLS, LIBRARIES, OTHER VENUES ALL AROUND THE WORLD, RODEOS, PARADES, WEDDINGS, FUNERALS. PROVIDING DESCRIPTION AND ON THE WEB, TOO. TO DEVELOP AUDIO DESCRIPTION PROGRAMS. AND IN FACT I'M GOING TO--I'M GOING TO--I MENTIONED, YOU KNOW RODEOS AND PARADES AND OFFICE SETTINGS, CONFERENCES, I WANT TO HARKEN BACK TO WHAT ANGELLA HOOKER SAID THIS MORNING ABOUT EVERYBODY REALLY SHOULD BE IN ON THIS DESCRIPTION THING AND UNDERSTAND OR ACCESS IN GENERAL, UNDERSTAND IT'S VALUE TO YOU WHEN YOU MAKE A PRESENTATION, A QUICK STORY AT THE CONFERENCE VISION, 2008, I WAS INVITED TO PRESENT IN MONTE REAL AND I DID MY THING AND AT THE VERY LAST DAY OF THE CONFERENCE THEY HAD A BIG DEAL PLENARY SESSION WITH THE GUEST SPEAKER, IN MONTE REAL, ONE OF THE CANADAIAN ASTRONAUTS NOT SURE WHEN IT HAD TO DO WITH VISION, BUT SHE WAS NICE, FUN SPEAKER AND GOOD IT SEE HAD WOMAN BECAUSE VISION 2008, 2011 EVERY THREE YEARS IT'S ALL OVER THE WORLD, IT'S EVERYWHERE AND SHE WAS SO THRILLED IT WAS IN MONTE REAL AND I HOPE THAT--MONTREAL, AND I HOPE AT YOUR NEXT CONFERENCE I'LL BE ABLE TO JOIN YOU WHEN YOU HOLD IT HERE. THE ROOM ERUPT INDEED LAUGHTER. --ERUPTED IN LAUGHTER, THAT'S GREAT, WONDERFUL PRESENT--WHAT THE HELLS DOES HERE MEAN? IT SHOULD JUST--REFERRED TO A SLIDE THAT HIT IT ON THE SCREEN WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN SO TERRIBLE IF SHE KNEW TO DESCRIBE AS SHE WENT ALONG AND PROVIDED JUST A COUPLE OF WORDS OF DESCRIPTION, WHAT SHE PROJECTED WAS A MAN, ONE OF THE AMERICAN ASTRONAUTS ON THE MOON AND LITTLE PHOTOSHOPPED IN THERE, A LITTLE FLAG WITH THE LOGO OF THE VISION 2011 CONFERENCE. SO EVERYBODY LAUGHED, EVERYBODY IN THE AUDIENCE BLIND, LOW VISION WAS LIKE WHAT THE--HUH? IN THE SAME WAY, YOUR PRESENTATIONS IN A CONFERENCE, IN AN OFFICE SETTING CAN BE MADE ACCESSIBLE AND MORE INTERESTING FOR EVERYBODY. BECAUSE YOU DIRECT PEOPLE'S VISION, THEY KNOW WHERE TO LOOK, THAT KIND OF THING BUT OF COURSE, YOU MAKE THEM AVAILABLE TO PEOPLE WHO ARE BLIPPED OR HAVE LOW VISION. YEAH. IN FACT WITH THE GENTLEMAN EARLIER THAT SPOKE ABOUT PRESENTERS DOING THEIR POWER POINTS ON A FLIGHT, WELL, OKAY, FINE BUT THINK ABOUT THEM HAVING VISUAL IMAGES AND DON'T ASSUME EVERYBODY HAS ACCESS TO THEM. THAT'S THE KIND OF THING YOU SHOULD KEEP IN MIND. I DESCRIBE AUDIO DESCRIPTION AS A LITERARY ART FORM, HIS ARMS ARE OUT TO THE SIDES. A LITERARY ART FORM. I WILL NARROW THAT, I THINK OF IT AS A KIND OF POETRY. HE BRINGS HIS HANDS IN CLOSE TORE ONE ANOTHER. WELL, POETRY, IT'S A KIND OF HAIKU. HIS HANDS ARE ALMOST TOUCHING AND WHY DO I SAY THAT BECAUSE WE USE, AS FEW WORDS AS POSSIBLE TO PROVIDE THAT VERBAL VERSION OF THE VISUAL, THE VISUAL IS MADE VERBAL AND AURAL A-U-R-A-L, HE POINTS TO HIS EAR AND ORAL, O-R-A-L, HE POINTS TO HIS MOUTH. WE'RE USING WORDS THAT ARE SUCCINCT, VIVID AND IMAGINATIVE TO CONVEY THAT VISUAL IMAGE THAT IS NOT FULLLY ACCESSIBLE TO A SEGMENT OF THE POPULATION. AND ARE YOU READY FOR THIS. NEW ESTIMATES FROM THE AMERICAN FOUNDATION FOR THE BLIND PUT THAT NUMBER AT OVER 25 MILLION AMERICANS, AMERICANS ALONE WHO ARE BLIND OR HAVE DIFFICULTY SEEING EVEN WITH CORRECTION, WE'RE TALKING SOME NUMBERS HERE, FORGET THE FRIENDS AND FAMILIES TOO WHO WOULD BENEFIT FROM DESCRIPTION. BUT, AS ALSO NOTED, I'LL I'LL NOTE THROUGHOUT THE PRESENTATION, DESCRIPTION IS REALLY QUITE VALUABLE WHEN THE VISUAL IMAGE IS NOT FULLY REALIZED BY THE REST OF US. THE REST OF US BEING SIGHTED FOLK WHO IS SEE, BUT MAY NOT HEAR. LET ME HELP YOU SEE WHAT DESCRIPTION CAN DO BY ASKING YOU TO JUST LISTEN FOR A MINUTE. I WANT YOU TO LISTEN TO AN EXPERT FROM THE SOUND TRACK OF A FEATURE FILM, ANYBODY KNOW WHAT THE COLOR OF PARADISE IN. OH, STOP IT. OH IT STARTED BY ITS LONESOME. I DID DESCRIPTION FOR THIS WHEN IT WAS BROADCAST ON ABC YEARS AGO. THE CALOR OF PARADISE, NOBODY KNOWS IT, GOOD. JUST LISTEN TO THE ORIGINAL SOUND TRACK. THERE WON'T BE ANYTHING ON THE SCREEN BECAUSE YOU'RE ALL BLIND. I WANT TO YOU EXPERIENCE THIS AS A BLIND PERSON WITH WHAT THE HELL, IT'S JUST THE--IT'S A LITTLE EXCERPT, I DIDN'T CAKE AWAY ANY SOUND, YOU KNOW? EVERYTHING THAT WAS IN THE MOVE SETHERE, EXCEPT THE PICTURE. SO HAVE YOU THE ORIGINAL SOUND CHECK. SHOULDN'T BE A PROBLEM. ALL RIGHT, LET'S LISTEN. [BIRDS CLUCKING ] [BIRDS CHIRPING ] [GRUNTING ]„i [RUSTLING ] [BIRDS CHIRPING ] >> HEY, SOME MOVIE, HUH? ISN'T THAT GREAT. IT'S MY FAVORITE. WAS BT IT REALLY WONDERFUL? AYE-YAE. >> OH THAT WAS ABOUT AN HOUR AND HALF LONG. WE'RE FINISHED NOW, THANK YOU FOR COMING AND I HOPE YOU--DIDN'T THAT FEEL LONG? SO WHAT WAS GOING ON? I DIDN'T TAKE ANYTHING AWAY. GARY YOU CAN'T PLAY BECAUSE HE KNOWS. BUT WHAT WAS GOING ON? ANYBODY? YEAH? >> INAUDIBLE RESPONSE FROM AUDIENCE. >> THERE WERE BIRDS. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, NOTHING GETS PAST THIS LADY. I'M SORRY--THERE WERE BIRDS DOING WHAT? >> [INDISCERNIBLE] >> SOUNDED LIKE SOMEBODY STRUGGLING. >> OH SO MAYBE SOMEBODY'S DROWNING AND THE BIRDS ARE RYING TO HELP OR THEY'RE--OR MAYBE THEY'RE ATTACKING HIM BECAUSE IT'S--THEY'RE VULTURES, YEAH? NO? BIRDS? WHAT ELSE? >> AN ALARM. >> THEY SOUND ALARMED. >> ALARMED BIRDS, OKAY, YEAH. >> OKAY, WAIT A SECOND NOW, SOMEBODY'S IN THE WATER IS NOW YOU'RE IN A JUNGLE WITH A MACHETE. AND WHAT ELSE? >> [INDISCERNIBLE]. >> OH IT'S SLUSHING, IT'S A BOG? OH, GOD. YEAH, SWEATING A LOT. YEAH BUT SHE'S IN THE WATER AND YOU'RE IN THE SWAMP. OKAY. YES. SIR? >> [INDISCERNIBLE] >> THERE'S A MONKEY, A JUNGLE OR SOMETHING. >> A MONKEY BUT YOU SAID IT HAS WATER? >> YES MA'AM? >> BUILDING SOMETHING WITH WOOD, TRYING TO CONSTRUCT. >> YOU KNOW WHAT I THINK UPON? I THINK YOU ALL DON'T HAVE A CLUE AS TO WHAT'S GOING ON. AND CAN YOU IMAGINE, YOU'RE BLIND, YOU'RE AT HOME, YOU HAVE YOUR SIGHTED FRIEND AND YOU PUT THE THING IS ON AND THERE'S NO DESCRIPTION AND YOU PUT THE THING ON AND IT'S KIND OF LIKE, WHAT'S GOING ON? OH WELL THERE ARE BIRDS AND I KNOW THERE ARE BIRDS I CAN HEAR THERE ARE BIRDS. >> WELL, LET ME LOOK AT IT FOR A SECOND AND THEN I TELL WHAT YOU'S GOING ON, THERE'S THIS TREE. >> A TREE? WHAT. >> ARE THEY IN THE FOREST OR-- >> NOT REALLY--I WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON. >> I WILL TELL YOU WHAT'S GOING ON BUT I HAVE SEE IT FIRST BEFORE I CAN DESCRIBE IT TO YOU. WELL EXCUSE ME--SUDDENLY THE FRIENDS ARE NOT FRIENDS MUCH LONGER. SEE HOW DESCRIPTION MIGHT IMPACT RELATIONSHIPS. THEY SPLIT UP ALL BECAUSE OF NO DESCRIPTION. DESCRIPTION WE NEED TO MAKE THE WORLD BETTER. ALL RIGHT, I'M NOT CONVINCED BUT LET'S TRY THE SAME EXEPT WITH DESCRIPTION. YOU'RE STILL, YOU CAN'T SEE THE THING BUT LET'S LISTEN, IT WILL HELP, I DON'T KNOW? >> MODEL CITIZEN HAMEL NEEDS AND COVERS HIS HAND THROUGH THE THRICE BRAND COVER OF LEAVES, A NESTLING STRUGGLES NEAR MOHAMED'S HAND, HIS PALM HOFFERS ABOVE THE BABY BIRD, HE LAYS HIS HAND LIGHTLY OVER THE TINY CREATURE, SMALLING MOHAMED CURLS HIS FINGER AS ROUND THE CHICK AND SCOOP ITS INTO HIS HANDS HE STANDS AND STROKES ITS FEATHERLESS HAD WITH A SPINKER TIP. MODEL CITIZEN HAMEL START AS THE BIRD SNIPS THE FINGER, HE TAPS THE FINGEROT, TILTS THE HEAD BACK AND FORWARD. MOHAMED TIPS THE CHICK INTO HIS FRONT SHIRT POCKET, WRAPPING HIS LEGS AND ARMS AROUND A TREE TRUNK MOHAMED CLIMBS. >> HE LATCHES ON TO A TANGL OF THIN UPPER BRANCHES, HIS LEGS FLAIL FOR A FOOD HOLD. MOHAMED STRETCHES AN ARM BETWEEN A FORK AND A TRUNK IN THE TREE AND WEDGES IN HIS HAD HEAD AND SHOULDER. HIS SHOES SLIP ON THE ROUGH BARK. HE WRAPS HIS LEGS AROUND THE LOWER TRUNK AND THEN USES HIS ARMS TO PULL HIMSELF HIGHER. HE RISES INTO THICKER FOLIAGE AND HOLDS ON TO TANGLS OF SMALLER BRANCHES, GAINING HIS FOOTING MOHAMED STANDS UP RIGHT AND COCKS HIS HEAD TO ONE SIDE. AN ADULT BIRD FLIES FROM A NEARBY BRANCH AND MOHAMED EXTENDS HIS OPEN HAND AND TOUCHES A BRANCH AND RUNS HIS FINGERS OVER WIDE GREEN LEAVES. HE PATS HIS HAND DOWN THE LENGTH OF THE BRANCH, HIS FINGERS TREYS THE SMOOTH BARK UP THE UPPER BRACHS AND SEARCH THE NETWORK OF TREE LIMBS AND DISCOVER THEIR JOINTS. ABOVE HIS HEAD, MOHAMED'S FINGERS FIND A DENSE MASS OF WOVEN TWIGS, A BIRD'S NEST. SMILING HE RECEIVING THE CHICK FROM HIS SHORT POCKET AND DROPS IT GEPTLY IN THE NEST BESIDE ANOTHER FLEDGLING. HE RUBS THE TOP OF THE CHICK'S HEAD WITHIS INDEX FINGER MOHAMED WIGGLES HIS FINGER LIKE A WORM AND TAPS THE CHICKS OPEN BEAK, SMILING HE SLOWLY LOWERS HIS HAND. >> AWWWISN'T THAT--HEY, I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU. DID THAT SEEM QUICK SNEER THAT FELT LIKE--WHAT'S THAT ABOUT? WHAT IS THAT ABOUT? NIH DO A STUDY. FIGURE IT OUT. OKAY. THIS IS AN EXCERPT FROM THE MIDDLE OF THE FILM SO MOHAMED HIS PERSON WOULD HAVE ALREADY BEEN DESCRIBED, BUT I KNOW YOU GUYS WERE LISTENING VERY CAREFULLY TO THE DESCRIPTIONZ OF MOHAMED'S INTERACTION WITH THEISTRY, WITH HIS ENVIRONMENT, JUST FROM HAVING LISTENED TO THE DESCRIPTIONS, WHAT CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT MOHAMED. WHAT DID YOU DISCOVER BECAUSE YOU WERE LISTENING SO CLOSELY. YES, SIR. >> MR. SCHWARTZ--I KNOW YOU'RE NOT MR. SCHWARTZ. [LAUGHTER] >> HELLO? >> HELLO. OKAY, I DON'T KNOW, AT ONE POINT I COULDN'T TELL ANYTHING BUT HE RAN HIS FINGERS ALONG THE TREE FEELING FOR SOMETHING, AND THEN HE FELT UP A TANGL OF BRANCHS AND RECOGNIZED IT AS A NEST, SO I'M THINKING HE MIGHT BE VISUALLY IMPAIRED? >> YOU KNOW YOU GUYS ARE JUST TOO DARN GOOD. IT USUALLY TAKE ACE GROUP AT LEAST 10 YEARS TO COME--OR NUMBER COMES AROUND. YOU GET THE GOLD STAR FOR TODAY. YEAH, HE LETS HIS FINGERS FIND--HE REACHES, HE TOUCHES EVERYTHING AND THAT'S WHAT I AS A DESCRIBER SEE, THAT'S WHAT I RELATE TO YOU. THAT'S JUST WHAT HE DOES AND OF COURSE THE DIRECTOR PROBABLY STRETCHED IT OUT EVEN FURTHER TO EMPHASIZE IT. ABSOLUTELY. ALL RIGHT, SO, BINGO. LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT IT. NOW. I'LL ADD THE VIDEO AND TFUL GO EVEN QUICKER. AND THINK ABOUT THE IMAGES I CHOSE TO DESCRIBE. THERE'S MUCH MORE VISUAL INFORMATION YOU CAN POSSIBLY HOPE TO INCRUIT IN DESCRIPTION. WOULD YOU DESCRIBE OTHER IMAGES, WOULD YOU PUT FOCUS ELSEWHERE, WOULD YOU USE THE SAME LANGUAGE, WOULD YOU USE DIFFERENT WORDS, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT? AND THINK ABOUT THAT AND THEN WE'LL LOOK AT THE SCRIPT ITSELF. BUT I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR YOUR REACTIONS TO HOW YOU MIGHT PLAY WITH THIS. >> OH STOP. >> MOHAMED KNEELS AND TAPS HIS HANDS THROUGH THE THICK ROUND COVER OF LEAVES A SCRAWNY NESTLING STRUGGLES ON THE GROUND NEAR HIS HAND. HIS PALM HOVERS THE BABY BIRD, LAYS HIS HAND LIGHTLY OVER THE TINY CREATURE, SMILING HE CURLS AROUND THE CHICK AND SCOOPS IT INTO HIS HANDS HE STANDS AND STROKES THE FEATHERLESS HEAD WITH A FINGERTIP. MOHAMED STARTS AS THE BIRD SNIPS HIS FINGER, TAPS THE FINGEROT GAPING, HE TILTS HIS HEAD BACK AND DROPS IT FORWARD. MOHAMED TIPS THE CHICK INTO HIS FRONT SHIRT POCKET, WRAPPING HIS LEGS AND ARMS AROUND A TREE TRUNK, MOHAMED CLIMBS. HE CRUSHS THE BIRD TO DEATH. THAT'S NOT TRUE. >> HIS LEGS FLAIL FOR A FOOT HOLD, MOHAMED STRETCHES AN ARM BETWEEN A FORK IN THE TRUNK OF THE TREE AND WEDGES IN HIS HEAD AND SHOULDER. HIS SHOES SLIP ON THE ROUGH BARK. HE WRAPS HIS LEGS AROUND THE LOWER TRUNK AND THEN]I„ USES HIS ARMS TO PULL HIMSELF HIGHER. HE RISES INTO THICKER FOLIAGE AND HOLDS ON TO TANGLS OF SMALLER BRANCHES. GAINING HIS FOOTING MOHAMED STANDS UP AND COCKS HIS HEAD TO ONE SIDE. AN ADULT BIRD PLAYS FROM AN NEARBY BRANCH MOHAMED EXTENDS HIS OPEN HAND, HE TOUCHES A BRASH AND„i RUNS HIS FINGERS OVER WIDE GREEN LEAVES. HE PATS HIS HAND DOWN THE LENGTH OF THE BRANCH, HIS FINGERS TRACE THE SMOOTH BARK UP THE UPPER BRANCHES, SEARCH THE NETWORK OF CONNECTING TREE LIMBS AND DISCOVER THEIR JOINTS. ABOVE HIS HEAD, MOHAMED'S FINGERS FIND A DENSE MASS OF WOVEN TWIGS. A BIRD'S NEST. SMILING HE RECEIVES THE CHICK FROM HIS SHIRT TOCKET AND DROP ITS GENTLY INTO THE NEST BESIDE ANOTHER FLEDGLING. HE RUBS THE TOP OF THE CHICK'S HEAD WITH HIS INDEX I FINGER, MOHAMED WIGGLES HIS FINGER LIKE A WORM AND TAPS THE CHICK'S OPEN, SMILING HE SLOWLY LOWERS HIS HAND. >> AND LET ME JUST SHOW YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW WE DID THIS. I HAVE THE LINES THE RESCRIPGZ LINES WRITTEN HERE AND I'VEAN OITATED CERTAIN ELEMENTS FOR INSTANCE, THAT I THINK ARE IMPORTANT TO FUNDAMENTALS OF AUDIO DISSCRIPGZ. HE KNEELS AND TAPS HIS HAND THROUGH THE THICK ROUND OF CURLED BRAWN LEAVES COLOR HAS SHOWN TO BE IMPORTANT TO PEOPLE WITH LOW VISION, PEOPLE WHO ARE CONGENTALLY BLIND. NEVER SEEN A COLOR, IT MEANS SOMETHING TO YOU BECAUSE YOU GROW UP IN THE WORLD. BLUE IS COLD, GREEN IS ENVY, JEALOUSY, WHATEVER, WE ALL HAVE A DIFFERENT PERCEPTION OF COLORS. YES, COLOR CAN--WE DON'T OVERDO IT ABOUT IT CAN HAVE IMPORTANCE PER PEOPLE WHO ARE CONGENITALLY BLIND AND KEEPING IN MIND THOSE FOLKS ARE A TINY PERCENTAGE FOR THE FOLKS FOR WHOM WE ARE PROVIDING AUDIO DESCRIPTION. GASP, CHIRPING HERE, TIMING AND CRITICAL IN THE CRAFTING OF DESCRIPTION, WE WE'VE DESCRIPTIVE LANGUAGE AROUND A FILM'S SOUND ELEMENTS AND THAT COULD BE SOUND EFFECTS AS WELL AS LANGUAGE, WORDS, HE CURLS HIS FINGERS AROUND THE BIRD AND SCOOPS IT, HE DOESN'T GRAP IT, HE DOESN'T PICK IT UP, HE SCOOPS IT AND INTOIS HANDS. YEAH, AND THEN, MOHAMED STARTS AS THE BIRD TIPS HIS FINGER HELLO WHAT GO SAY A--NIPS HIS FINGER, HE TAPS HIS FINGEROT CHICK'S GAPING BEAK, HE TILTS HIS HEAD BACK AND DROP ITS FORWARD, HE TIPS THE CHICK INTO THE FRONT SEARCH POCKET. DESCRIPTION LIKE POETRY IS WRITTEN TO BE HEARD SO ALLITERATION IS ONE LITERARY TECHNIQUE THAT CAN HELP ADD VARIETY AND MAINTAIN INTEREST. JUST A COUPLE MORE AN ADULT BIRD FLOWS FROM A NEARBY BRANCH. WELL WE'RE CONSTANTLY CHOOSE WAG TO DESCRIBE AND WHAT MORE, WHAT NOT TO DESCRIBE, WHAT TO LEAVE OUT. WELL WE DECIDED TO INCLUDE THAT BECAUSE THE ADULT BIRD RETURNS IN THE NEXT SCENE SO YOU HAVE TO PLAY LIKE A CONTINUITY PERSON IN THE FILMS AND PIECE IT ALL TOGETHER. ESSENTIALLY UFINALLY, HE RUBS THE TOP OF THE CHICK'S HEAD WITH HIS INDEX FINGER, NOT HIS IF ANYTHINGY, NOT HIS THUMB, SPECIFICITY AND RESIPGZ CREATES IMAGES AND HE WIGGLES HIS FINGER LIKE A WORM. THERE'S NO WORM THERE, BUT, IT'S OKAY FOR YOU TO INSLOBBING ITS--INVOKE ITS IMAGE IN THE GREATER GOOD OF HELPING SOMEONE VISUALIZE IN THEIR MIND'S EYE SO SIMILES OR METAPHOR K'S PAINT PICTURES. SNRK--I THINK PEOPLE WHO COMPRISE OUR AUDIENCE, PREME WHO ARE BLIND BUT KIDS, KIDS ALSO. KIDS WHO ARE BORN BLIND, DEVELOP BLINDNESS YOUNG IN LIFE, LIKE MOHAMED, RIGHT? BUT REALLY ANYONE MAY BENEFIT FROM INCREASED READING SKILLS AND MORE SOPHISTICATED LITERACY. THEY'RE ARE THE KINDS OF THINGS I WAS JUST POINTING OUT BUT LET ME MAKE THIS CLEAR TO YOU, WASN'T TOO LONG AGO WHEN I HAD A WORKSHOP AT THE CHILDREN'S MUSEUM WITH READING TEACHERS AND LITTLE ONES AND WE EXPERIMENTED WITH WORKING WITH KIDS AND SHORT VIDEOS AND PICTURE BOOKS, NOW OBVIOUSLY PICTURE BOOKS RELY ON THE PICTURES AND PICTURE BOOKS, NOW THE TEACHER TRAINED IN AUDIO DESCRIPTION TECHNIQUES, OR AVENUE AUNT STACIE, NIECES, NEPHEWS, AUNT STACIE WOULD NEVER SIMPLY HOLD UP A PICTURE OF OUR RED BALL AND READ THE TEXT: SEE THE BALL AND TURN THE PAGE. OH GOODNESS, NO, NO. YOU WOULD ADD, YOU KNOW THAT BALL IS RED, JUST LIKE A FIRE ENGINE. I THINK THAT BALL IS AS LARGE AS ONE OF YOU, IT'S AS ROUND AS THE SUN. A BRIGHT RED CIRCLE. OR SPHERE. WHAT HAS AUNT STACIE DONE? INTRODUCED NEW VOCABULARY AND INVITED COMPARISONS AND USED METAPHOR OR SIMILE WITH HER TWO YEAR-OLD NEPHEW OR SOMETHING, RIGHT? SO BY USING AUDIO DESCRIPTION, YOU MAKE THOSE BOOKS ACCESSIBLE TO CHILDREN WHO HAVE LOW VISION OR ARE BLIND AND YOU HELP DEVELOP SOPHISTICATED LANGUAGE SKILLS FOR ALL KIDS. OR FOR ANYBODY WITH A LEARNING DISABILITY. A PATIENTS IN THE CLINIC SURWORTH A THOUSAND WORDS, YOU'VE HEARD THAT. MAYBE. A DESCRIBER MIGHT SAY A FEW WELL CHOSEN WORD CAN CONJURE VIVID AND LASTING IMAGES. NOW IN THE MINUTES REMAINING HERE I WANT TO SHARE A BRIEF PRIMER WITH YOU WHAT WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A DESCRIBER, THE FUNDAMENTALS OF AUDIO DESCRIPTION THEY DWEEBED SOME YEARS AGO, VERY BRIEFLY THE FIRST OF THEM IS OBSERVATION. THE GREAT PHILOSOPHER, YOGI BERNEA DEETA, YOU CAN SEE A LOT JUST BY LOOKING. THAT'S TRUE. I THINK HE WAS ALSO A BASEBALL PLAYER BUT YEAH, AN EFFECTIVE DESCRIBER MUST INCREASE HIS LEVEL OF AWARENESS AND BECOME AN ACTIVE SEER, RIGHT? DEVELOP HIS VISUAL LITERACY AND NOTICE THE VISUAL WORLD WITH A HEIGHTENED SENSE OF ACUITY AND SHARE THOSE IMAGES. ARE YOU GOOD OBSERVERS? DO YOU THINK? WHAT DO YOU SEE HERE? OH, WE DON'T HAVE THAT. ALL RIGHT HA DO YOU SEE HERE? TAKE A LOOK AT THIS RID VIDEO AND PLAY ALONG WITH ME. HE SAID. >> THIS IS AN AWARENESS TEST. HOW MANY PASSES DOES THE TEAM IN WHITE MAKE? >> GO! HOW MANY DID YOU GET? HOW MANY? >> THE ANSWER IS 13, BUT DID YOU SEE THE MOON WALKING BEAR? >> WHAT? >> GO! >> WHAT'S HE TALKING ABOUT. >> IT'S EASY TO MISS SOMETHING YOU'RE NOT LOOKING FOR, LOOK OUT FOR CYCLISTS. THAT WAS PUT OUT BY THE METROOF LONDON. YEAH. JUST A SILLY LITTLE EXAMPLE OF OBSERVATION TECHNIQUES. NOW, I MENTIONED, WE HAVE TO EDIT, WE DON'T DESCRIBE MORE THAN WE DO DESCRIBE. WE HAVE TO DESCRIBE WHAT TO THROW OUT, WE HAVE TO EDIT FROM WHAT WE SEE, SELECT WHAT'S MOST VALID, WHAT'S MOST IMPORTANT HA IS AS I'VE WRITTEN HERE MOST CRITICAL TO AN UNDERSTANDING. HE POINTS TO HIS HEAD AND AN APPRECIATION, HIS HANDS ON HIS HEART OF THE VISUAL IMAGE. OF ALL PEOPLE, THE JURIST OLIVER WENDLE HOMES SUM THD UP PRECISELY, HE SAIDs THE GREAT STRUGGLE OF ART IS TO LEAVE OUT OF THE ESSENTIAL. THE EASYST WAY TO CONFUSE LISTENERS AND TO YAPPING TOO MUCH, INCLUDE TOO MUCH, SAY TOO MUCH NO QUESTION ABOUT THAT. FINALLY, THIRDLY, I SHOULD SAY, WELL THERAPIST IS WHERE WE FOCUS MOST OF OUR ATTENTION, LANGUAGE, USING AS FEW WORDS AS POSSIBLE. LESS IS MORE. TRANSLATING IT ALL INTO WORDS. OBJECTIVE, VIVID, SPECIFIC IMAGINE THATTATIVELY DRAWN WORDS, PHRASES AND METAPHORS. A DESCRIBER MUST USE LANGUAGE THAT HELPS FOLKS SEE VIVIDLY AND SOMETIMES SEE BEYOND WHAT'S READILY PARENT, THE WORM, WIGGLE THE FINGER LIKE A WORM, THERE'S NO WORM THERE. WHAT ABOUT THIS? IF YOU NEED TO CONVEY THE HEIGHT AND MAJESTY OF THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY, YOU COULD SAY THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT IS AS TALL AS 555 FEET. DOES THAT REALLY TELL YOU? OR IT'S AS TALL AS ... HELLO? HIGHER THAN TREE TOPS. SURE. THAT'S RIGHT. YOU'RE LOOKING AT IT THERE. GOOD. WHAT ELSE? >> CAN [INDISCERNIBLE] >> THAN AN AIRPLANE, YEAH, TWO FOOTBALL FIELDS ONE STACKED UPON THE OTHER. 50 ELEPHANTS THAT ONE GETS US IN TROUBLE SOMETIMES. BUT ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE ACCURATE. WHICH ONE CONVEYS THE MOST VIVEIT IMAGE OF THE HEIGHT OF THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT. THAT'S SOMETHING YOU HAVE TO CONSIDER AS A DESCRIBER. AND YOUR IMAGINATION HAS TO COME INTO PLAY OF IT'S NOT JUST 550 FEET, IT'S ALL THOSE AND ONE OF THOSE OTHER THINGS HELP YOU CONVEY IT BECAUSE AS MARK TWAIN KNEW, YOU CAN'T DEPEND UPON YOUR EYES WHEN YOU'RE IMAGINATION IS OUT OF FOCUS SO IT'S ALL ABOUT USING YOUR IMAGINATION. IT'S THE IMAGINATION THAT ALLOWSITOUS INVOKE A METAPHOR OR SIMLY AND USE--SIMILE AND INVOKE AN IMAGE, TO SENSE THE HEIGHT OF A SKYSCRAPER GOOD DESCRIBERS ALSO STRIVE FOR SIMPLICITY AND SUCCINCTNESS, LESS IS MORE IN WRITING TO A FRIEND, THE 17th CENTURY MATH MA FISSION PHILOSOPHER, BLAZE PACIFIC PACIFIC--PASCAL SAID I HAVE ONLY MADE THIS LETTER LONGER BECAUSE I HAVE NOT HAD THE TIME TO MAKE IT SHORTER. DESCRIBER VS TO TAKE THE TIME TO ED AND IT USE JUST THE RIGHT WORDS OTHERWISE IT'S EXTRAINIOUS AND CAN BE CONFUSING TOO. LESS IS MORE. AT THE SAME TIME, IT'S IMPORTANT TO MAINTAIN A DEGREE OF OBJECTIVITY IN MOST CIRCUMSTANCES. QUALITATIVE JUDGMENTS GET IN THE WAY, THEY CONSITUTE A SUBJECTIVE INTERPRETATIONOT PART OF THE DESCRIBER AND ARE REALLY UNNECESSARY AND UNWANTED. DESCRIBERS SHOULD YET, LET THE LISTENER CONGER THEIR OWN INTERPRETATIONS BASED ON A COMMENTAR THAT'S IS AS SUBJECTIVE AS POSSIBLE. SO, DESCRIBE ... [BANGING ] >> ANGER! >> [INDISCERNIBLE]. >> HERE'S THE THING, YOU CAN'T SEE ANGER. BUT SO DO BLIND PEOPLE, THEY CAN FEEL THINGS. BLIND PEOPLE ARE MISSING--HERE'S THE SECRET ABOUT PEOPLE WHO ARE BLIND THE EYES DON'T WORK SO GOOD OR AT ALL. BRAIN, ABSOLUTELY INTACT SO IF YOU GIVE THEM THE CONTEXT AND YOU TELL THEM, GRIMACE, CLENCHED FIST, STOMP FOOT, OH MY GOD, HE'S EITHER AGE REAR OR--ANGRY OR SOMETHING ELSE IS WRONG OR WHATEVER. BUT ANGER IS A DETERMINATION AND INTERPRATATION THAT YOU MADE IN YOUR BRAIN BY YOUR LONESOME. YOU SEE? AND WE CAN'T IMAGINE THAT EVERYBODY'S GOING TO INTERPRET THAT. IF STACIE'S SITTING HERE CRYING, I COULD SAY, STACIE IS SAD. NO. STACIE JUST ONE THE MARYLAND LOTTERY AND SHE KNOWS SHE CAN QUIT THIS LOUSY JOB AT NIH AND GET THE HELL--YEAH, RIGHT. [LAUGHTER] SO I CAN LOOK AT CRYING AND THINK, OH GOD SHE'S REALLY SAD BUT THAT'S MY INTERPRETATION. RIGHT? AND YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL, DON'T CLUTTER YOUR DESCRIPTION WITH YOUR OWN JUDGMENT OR INTERPRETATION BECAUSE AFTER ALL, AS IT WAS SAID, WE DON'T SEE THINGS AS THEY ARE, WE THINGS AS WE ARE. SOMETHING IN YOU MAKES YOU SEE SOMETHING AS ANGER, HAPPY, SAD, WHATEVER, LET THE BLIND PERSON HAVE THE JOY OF FIGURING THAT OUT AS WELL. THAT'S THE DEAL. THE FINAL FUND AMILLIOAL DESCRIPTION IS VOCAL SKILLS AND THIS IS FUN IN ADDITION TO BUILDING A VERBAL CAPABILITY, WE-OF-WE DEVELOPED THE VOCAL INSTRUMENT BECAUSE CERTAINLY IN PERFORMING ARTS, THE DESCRIBER, THE WRITER OR DESCRIPTION VOICES THE DESCRIPTION AND IT IS AUDIO DESCRIPTION, IT IS TO BE HEARD, SO WE STUDIED SPEECH, WE STUDY ORAL INTERPRETATION SKILLS, ONE QUICK EXERCISE, I USE INVOLVES THE PHRASE--ARE YOU READY: WOMAN WITH OUT MAN IS A SAVAGE. ROBBER OKAY, YEAH, THAT MAKES SENSE TO ME, CAN ME MOVE ON NOW. HELLO? HELLO? HELLO? LADIES? HELLO? WELL, NOW IF YOU DON'T LIKE THAT INTERPRETATION USE YOIR VOICE, JUST USING YOUR VOICE, SAY THOSE SAME WORDS, DON'T CHANGE ANY--DON'T TAKE ANY AWAY, DON'T PUT ANY, STAY THOSE WORDS AND MAKE IT MEAN JUST WITH THE WAY YOU SAY THEM, THE OPPOSITE. AND IF YOU CAN'T DO IT, IT STANDS--YOU'RE NOT GOING TO LET THAT HAPPEN, STAPESY ARE YOU? --STACIE, ARE YOU? >> ANYBODY? >> YES MA'AM. >> [INDISCERNIBLE] >> YEAH, I DIDN'T KITCHEN THE FIRST WOMAN, WE GOT STAP STATIC THERE, YOU SAID WOMAN. >> WITHOUT HER, MAN IS A SAVAGE! >> GOLD STAR, WOMAN: WITHOUT HER, MAN IS A SAVAGE! VERY GOOD. EXCELLENT! YES! AND ALL BECAUSE YOU FUNKUATION IS JUST AN INDICATION OF WHAT TO DO WITH YOUR VOICE WHEN YOU SPEAK, REALLY, THAT'S ABOUT IT. SO, NOW, QUICKLY IT'S VERY GOOD. IT HAS NOT BEEN LOST ON ME THAT WE'RE CELEBRATING TODAY NOT ONLY THE 10th ANNIVERSARY OF SECTION 508, BUT ALSO HALLOWEEN SO I WANT YOU TO PREPARE TO BE--PREPARE TO BE SURROUNDED BY THE UNDEAD, SO IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO CLOSE YOUR EYES, YOU DON'T HAVE TO CLOSE YOUR EYES, I'LL HAVE A PATIENTS IN THE PICTURE FOR FOR YOU , THIS IS A EXEPT FOR THE AUDIO DESCRIBED VERSION LAST YEAR RIGHT AROUND THIS TIME FOR THE CLASSIC FILM, NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD. LET'S SEE IF THIS IS FUN FOR YOU AND IF I CAN MAKE THIS WORK. THERE WE GO. >> ZOMBIE WRAPS ITS ARMS AROUND HELEN HER BACK TO THE DOOR, DRAGS HIMSELF TO STANDING AND STUMBLES TOWARD THE CELLAR AND DOWN THE STAIRS. [* MUSIC ] >> AT THE BASE OF THE STEPS COOPER LOOKS FORWARDSIS DAUGHTER LYING STILL ON THE PLATFORM. [* SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC ] HE STAGGERS TO HER, RAISES A HAND OVER HERE. BUT COLLAPSES. HELEN WRITHES I A SWROMY AROUND HER NECK, BARBARA LOOKS AT THE SIDE OF HER FACE. [* SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC ] BOSH RARUSHES TO HELEN HOLDING THE SLAT AT THE DOOR, THEY ZAP BERNEA DEETS RUSH TO HER, FINDING HER DAUGHTER OVER HERE KNEES OVER COOPER MOTIONLESS. >> GARREN CHOOSING AT A CHUNK OF FLESH, KAREN PUTS BESIDE HER MALE, HER MOUTH'S SOILED AND STANDS AND REACHES HER ARMS OUT TOWARDS HER MOTHER, KAREN ADVANCES. >> BABY. >> HELEN STUMBLEDS BACKWARDS TO THE FLOOR, TEAREN TAKE ACE POINTED TROWEL AND HOLD ITS IN BOTH HANDS AND CREEPS TO HELEN. [SCREAMING ] >> REPEATEDLY KAREN BRUNCHS THE TOOL INTO HER MOTHER'S CHECK AND TORSO, BLOOD DROOLS AND PLATTERS HER LIGHT STRIPED BLOUSE, THERE IN THE SHADOW CAST ON THE WALL, THE DARK IMAGE BLUDGE PLUNGING THE IMAGES OF DEATH IN DOWNWARD STREAMS, BLOOD SPATTERS AGAINST THE WALL. UPSTAIRS AT THE DOOR,-- >> CHILDREN, CHILDREN, THEY ARE YOUR COMFORT IN YOUR OLD AGE, YEAH? YES, YES! SO, BUT JUST IN CLOSING AND CERTAINLY HAVE THE TIME FOR SOME QUESTIONS IF YOU WOULD LIKE BUT I WANT TO EMPHASIZE ONE POINT. LET ME GET RID OF THIS BECAUSE IT'S DISTRACTING. HELLO; THERE IT IS. I DO WANT TO EMPHASIZE ONE POINT BECAUSE IT IS REFERENCED THIS MORNING THAT THE IDEA OF--IF IT'S IMPORTANT TO BE ON THE WEB, THEN IT'S IMPORTANT TO BE ACCESSIBLE, AND I SAY IT'S IMPORTANT TO MAKE A VIDEO ABOUT SOMETHING OR HAVE ANY VISUAL IMAGES IN YOUR PRESENTATION, THEN THEY MUST BE MADE ACCESSIBLE. OTHERWISE, LEAVE IT OUT. IT'S NOT THAT IMPORTANT. IT'S IMPORTANT, HAVE IT. GET IT OUT THERE FOR EVERYBODY. N. >> THERE'S NO REASON, WHY A PERSON WITH A VISUAL DISABILITY MUST ALSO BE CULTURALLY DISADVANTAGED. YOU KNOW? I'M TALKING ABOUT--SURE, CONFERENCES BUT MOVIES, TELEVISION, DANCE, METRICS SURVEYS UMKCS, IN THIS COUNTRY, THE PRINCIPLE CONSTITUENCY FOR AUDIO DESCRIPTION HAS AN UNEMPLOYMENT RATE OF ABOUT 70%. 70. THAT'S WHY THIS IS NATIONAL DISABILITY EMPLOYMENT AWARENESS MONTH BECAUSE IT'S A NATIONAL TRAGEDY. WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT NINE POINT-SOMETHING PERCENT. 70% HERE'S THE THING, I'M CERTAIN WITH MORE MEANINGFUL ACCESS TO OUR CULT AND YOU ARE ITS RESOURCES, PEOPLE BECOME MORE INFORMED. THEY BECOME MORE ENGAGED WITH SOCIETY AND THEY BECOME MORE ENGAGING INDIVIDUALS. AND THUS, MORE EMPLOYABLE. SO THAT'S MY LITTLE SOAP BOX MESSAGE FOR YOU. MY CONTACT INFORMATION IS UP THERE. AND I WOULD WELCOME YOUR QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE SOME OR OTHER. THANK YOU. [ APPLAUSE ] >> FOR ME? YES MA'AM RIGHT THERE ON THE AISLE THERE? >> WE OBVIOUSLY DEAL WITH A LOT OF DAT WHICH IS I GUESS YOU COULD SAY KIND OF DRY, BUT DO HAVE YOU ANY EXPERIENCE OR POINTERS WITH DESCRIBING CHARTS, PIE CHARTS, LINE GRAPHS, THINGS LIKE THAT. >> YEAH, YEAH, I HAVE A FAIR AMOUNT OF EXPERIENCE WITH THAT AND AS A MATTER OF FACT, I SIT ON THE FCC'S VIDEO PROGRAMMING ACCESSIBILITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE ITSELF IS MOSTLY TELEVISION ENGINEERS. AND WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT ALL THE STANDARDS AND PARTICULARS FOR HOW DOES THAT SECONDARY CHANNEL OR CHANNELS, HOW DID THAT AUDIO INFORMATION GET TRANSMITTED TO PEOPLE, OKAY SO THEY'RE MAKING ALL THESE CHARTS AND GRAPHS AND THERE ARE TWO BLIND PEOPLE ON THE COMMITTEE AND WELL, THEM AND ME, THE THREE OF US, FINALLY SAID, YOU KNOW IF YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE A CHART TO SHARE WITH EVERYBODY, YOU'VE GOT TO TURN INTO A NARRATIVE. EITHER THAT OR INCLUDE BITS AND PIECES OF NARRATIVE ON THE CHART THAT MAKE IT ACCESSIBLE AND SOME PEOPLE LEARN VISUALLY, SOME PEOPLE LEARN BY THE EAR SO IT HELPS OTHERS AS WELL. SO THAT'S WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO AND WGBH IN BOSTON HAS DONE RESEARCH ON STEM ACCYSTS ESSENTIALLY AND USING GRAFFS AND --GRAPHS AND CHARTS MAKING THEM ACCESSIBLE BUT I HAVE AS WELL. SO YEAH. >> A QUESTION BACK THERE? OH, THERE WE ARE. >> WITH THE RISK OF LOSING MY GOLD STAR-- >> UH-OH! [LAUGHTER] >> --YOU KNOW WE USE VIDEO A LOT OF TIMES FOR VERY UNIMAGINE NATIVE TALKING HEADS KIND OF INFO MERCIALS AND INFORMATION VIDEOS AND ONE OF THE THINGS TO TRY TO BRING AWARE OF CULTURE AND NEEDS INTO OUR INSTITUTE I'VE MENTIONED TO PEOPLE AND TELL ME IF I'M FAR FROM THE MARK, IF YOU FEED THE AUDIO FEED, IF YOU FEED THE AUDIO PORTION OF THE VIDEO ON TO A RADIO SHOW, AND YOU LISTEN TO IT ON THE RADIO SHOW, IF YOU'VE GOTTEN ALL THE ESSENTIAL INFORMATION THAT WE WANT TO IMPART THEN YOU DON'T NEED AUDIO DESCRIPTION. IF SOMETHING IS MISSING WE NEED TO DESCRIBE THAT, EVEN IF IT'S THE FRONT SLIDE AND BACKSLIDE DESCRIBING ATTRIBUTIONS? >> OR WHY DID YOU MAKE A VIDEO? WAS IT IMPORTANT TO SEE THE PEOPLE TALKING, WHAT DO THEY LOOK LIKE? IS THAT SIGNIFICANT? YOU KNOW I'VE USED THAT EXAMPLE ALL THE TIME OF MEET THE PRESS ON SUNDAY MORNINGS. I'M NOT ALWAYS UP AND ABOUT AND WATCHING TELEVISION AT 10 IN THE MORNING OR WHATEVER, I'LL CATCH IT ON C-SPAN IN THE AFTERNOON BECAUSE I KNOW WHAT DAVID GREGORY LOOKS LIKE. NOW I'VE HAD BLIND PEOPLE SAY TOO ME, WELL, OKAY, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT DEVELOPMENTAL ENDOCRINOLOGY EDUCATIONAL GREGORY LOOKS LIKE. I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHAT DAVID GREGORY LOOKS LIKE, IS THAT CRITICAL TO MEET THE PRESS. YOU KNOW IT'S A--IT COMES DOWN TO SOMETIMES JUST FUNDS AVAILABLE AND MAKING DECISION AS TO WELL, WE'RE GOING TO DRIB THIS BUT WE'RE NOT GOING TO DESCRIBE THAT. IF THERE'S ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD, SURE, THROW IN--NOW PEOPLE DO SOMETIMES MAKE THE MISTAKE OF THINKING, WELL THERE ARE VISUAL IMAGES BUT THERE'S NO TIME TO SAY ANYTHING. >> WELL, WE USE SPLIT SECONDS TO GET ACROSS AN IDEA, OR AN IMAGE. SOMETIMES I'LL HAVE PRODUCERS SAY, WELL, WE'LL PUT IN A FREEZE FRAME HERE. WE'LL JUST PAUSE THE DAMN THING HERE AND DESCRIBE. YOU'LL WANT MORE THAN FIVE SECONDS BUT I DON'T ASK FOR THAT, IF THE PRODUCER FEELS LIKE THAT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA. WE CAN DOO IT THAT WAY. >> I THINK THE KRIST TERRION IF IT'S ESSENTIAL PIECE OF INFORMATION THAT IS NEEDED BY THE LISTENER VIEWER, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, WHY WE MAKE A VIDEO, A LOT OF TIMES IT'S BECAUSE EVERYBODY'S DOING IT ON THE WEB THEMSELVES. SO, YOU KNOW--WE HAVE TO ALSO. >> PODCASTS ARE GREAT, TOO AND THAT'S JUST AUDIO BEING DOWNLOADED AND IT'S A LOT EASIER. A„i LOT LESS BAND WIDTH, ET CETERA, ET CETERA SO YOU KNOW, WHATEVER. BUT--BUT GOOD THOUGHT, GOOD QUESTION. >> ANYBODY ELSE? WELL, I THINK YOU GUYS-- >> WAIT. >> YES, YES, YES? >> DO YOU SEE THE JOB MARKET OPENING UP FOR AUDIO DESCRIBERS? >> YOU BETCHA. I REALLY DO. WITH THE MANDATE ESPECIALLY IN PLACE NOW, THERE ARE A LOT OF LITTLE COMPANIES, MOSTLY CAPTIONING COMPANIES THAT FIGURE, WELL, WE DO THE CAPTIONS ALREADY, WE CAN DO DESCRIPTION TOO, IT'S THE SAME THING ISN'T IT, OY, IT'S NOT THE SAME THING. BUT PRODUCERS LIKE ONE STOP SHOPPING. YOU KNOW SO THEY'LL--THAT'S WHY MY COMPANY HAS A TIGHT ASSOCIATION WITH VITAC, THE NATION'S LARGEST CAPTIONING COMPANY SO WE CAN RECEIVE ONE TAPE, IT GETS CAPTIONED, IT GETS DESCRIBED, BOOM. AND YES THERE'S GOING TO BE MORE OF A DEMAND. THAT'S WHY THE PROJECT WITH THE AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND WHICH I DIRECT IS FINALIZING A NATIONAL SET OF GUIDELINES FOR DESCRIPTION AND BASED ON THAT WE HOPE TO ESTABLISH A CERTIFICATION PROCESS FOR DESCRIBERS, YOU NEED TO BE CHAINED CERTAIN NUMBER OF HOURS, YOU NEED TO HAVE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF HOURS EXPERIENCE TO GET THIS GOOD HOUSEKEEPING SEAL OF AUDIO DESCRIBERNESS, AND IT REQUIRES EVERY BIT AS MUCH PREPARATION AND SKILL AS SIGN INTERPRETERS, FORGIVE ME SIGN INTERPRETER PEOPLE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, BUT YOU KNOW THAT THAT SKILL AND THAT VOCATION HAS BEEN LONG ESTABLISHED. AS SOMETHING YOU CAN GO INTO, MAKE A LIVING DESCRIPTION SHOULD BE THE SAME WAY. AND IT'S GETTING THERE. >> SO THERE, THANK YOU. >> [ APPLAUSE ] >> I'LL TURN THIS OFF HERE. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH, JOEL. THAT WAS AN EXCELLENT DEMONSTRATION AND NOT ONLY EDUCATIONAL BUT ACTUALLY VERY ENTERTAINING. I'D ALSO LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE HERE AND OUT IN CYBERSPACE FOR COMING TO MORE THAN WORDS, NIH CELEBRATES ACCESSIBILITY. AS KEN MENTIONED EARLIER IN THE DAY, THERE ARE MANY FOLKS TO THANK AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT. I DO WANT TO MENTION ONCE AGAIN, WE DO HAVE VENDERS AVAILABLE WITH A LOT OF ACCESSIBILITY SERVICES AND PRODUCTS. WE WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO GO OUT AND TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT'S AVAILABLE. WE ARE ALSO PLANNING TO PUT A SURVEY OUT ON THE WEB SITE, POST EVENTS SURVEY TO GET YOUR FEEDBACK ON THE EVENT AND HOW WE MIGHT MAKE IT BETTER IN THE FUTURE AND PLEASE STAY SAFE TODAY ON HALLOWEEN AND IF YOU'RE DRIVING, PLEASE WATCH OUT FOR THE LITTLE ZOMBIES AND OTHER DANCING BEAR, MOON WALKING BEARS AND OTHER KIDS THAT ARE OUT TODAY. SO THANK YOU AND AGAIN, APPRECIATE YOU ATTENDING TODAY. [ APPLAUSE ]