As more and more individuals with disabilities earn competitive pay and secure high profile positions, the job market is taking notice.
Employees with disabilities, many equipped with the latest in technology, are introducing prospective employers to just how much can be conquered when given the right accommodations.
With these expanding options comes telecommuting, a new manner in which individuals with disabilities are proving they are valued members of the workforce.
Noting this trend, TecAccess specializes in information technology (IT) accessibility as well as compliance solutions for Section 508 of the U.S. Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and 1998, provides accessibility testing and assessment, training, engineering, policy review and consulting.
Section 508 requires federal agencies to make their electronic and information technology accessible to people with disabilities.
TecAccess quickly made use of the improvements in telecommuting and has since hired 40 “associates” with disabilities from around the world.
The small Virginia-based company is now counted among one of the best electronic and information technology companies in the world.
Adding an even better twist to this success story, TecAccess is working with the likes of Canon USA, Wachovia, Thomson, and Circuit City not to mention U.S. government bodies, including the U.S. Marines, U.S. Navy, and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Offices.
The company and its employees, all experienced in the IT arena, routinely seek out such customers to advise them on such issues as Section 508, FCC Section 255 and the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) – which requires all federally funded agencies to develop, procure, maintain, and use technology that is accessible to persons with varying degrees of disabilities.
While public organizations are not required to be Section 508 compliant, private websites and products that are complaint are much more protected and less likely to be found liable under the Americans with Disability Act (ADA).
As countless companies are beginning to see that consumers with disabilities control a large portion of the market, more corporations are looking to TecAccess to help with their accessibility so that they too can become more welcoming to all people including people with disabilities.
From home, top rated employees like Rosemary Musachio — who has cerebral palsy and cannot speak — navigates a word board and head pointer to assist TecAccess in these efforts.
By hiring employees with IT skills such as Musachio, TecAccess pays their associates to assist corporations in making common sense improvements in their technology.
It’s quite possible that a service such as this could have helped AOL in 1999, when the National Federation of The Blind lodged a landmark lawsuit against the growing giant. The suit claimed AOL violated the US federal Americans with Disabilities Act by failing to provide access for individuals with disabilities to its site.
It was no surprise, when the next version of AOL was made more accessible.
As the industry takes notice of accessibility issues and laws such as Section 508, employees with disabilities who have technology experience are in the unique position to join such efforts as TecAccess to advise corporations on acceptable practices.
With high speed Internet and advancements in technology, many individuals with disabilities can choose to work from home, further expanding opportunities to those who may have never considered a career in such a field.
Further Info:
TecAccess is a SBA 8(a), Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB) certified, and woman-owned company that is one of the leading providers of Section 508 compliance solutions and IT/Web accessibility. The majority of TecAccess associates are persons with disabilities. Contact TecAccess at www.tecaccess.net or (804) 749-8646.
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