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<h3><b>I just picked this announcement up and feel it is relevant to
ATHEN members....<br>
Norm<br><br>
<br><br>
<br>
Microsoft Will Help Launch a New Association for Accessibility
Professionals</b></h3>
<a href="http://blogs.msdn.com/3857/ProfileUrlRedirect.ashx">Daniel
Hubbell - MSFT</a> <br>
17 Dec 2013 7:11 AM
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<a href="http://blogs.msdn.com/b/accessibility/archive/2013/12/17/microsoft-will-help-launch-a-new-association-for-accessibility-professionals.aspx#comments">
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<a href="http://blogs.msdn.com/cfs-file.ashx/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-98-83/1881.RobSinclair1_5F00_2013.jpg">
<img src="http://blogs.msdn.com/resized-image.ashx/__size/60x0/__key/communityserver-blogs-components-weblogfiles/00-00-00-98-83/1881.RobSinclair1_5F00_2013.jpg" width=59 height=84 alt="Picture of Rob Sinclair">
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<i>This blog post was written by Rob Sinclair, Microsoft’s Chief
Accessibility Officer. Rob is responsible for the company's worldwide
strategy to develop software and services that make it easier for people
of all ages and abilities to see, hear, and use their computers.<br><br>
-----<br><br>
</i>Last month, I joined the founding members of the International
Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP) in a meeting where we
discussed the next steps to create an association and transform
accessibility into a globally recognized and respected
profession.<br><br>
In March, we will take one of our biggest steps by formally launching the
Association. So far, accessibility has developed at a grassroots level,
hindered by an inconsistent approach to training as well as the absence
of certifications and an established career path for engineers to follow
from higher education into the workplace.<br><br>
This new association will begin solving these challenges by creating a
global community for people and organizations working in accessibility to
share expertise and resources, support one another’s work, and follow
developments in this fast-changing field. As part of this effort, the
group will develop training materials, webinars and other educational
resources and point people to the wealth of existing industry resources.
All of this will lead to IAAP developing professional certifications to
help individuals demonstrate their level of expertise in one or more
aspects of accessibility and help them keep that expertise current.
Overall, the association’s goal is to help elevate the level of expertise
held by the growing number of people, around the world, who are designing
or authoring content, media, software, devices, and more.<br><br>
Perhaps most importantly, the association is an effort to create a
stronger sense of profession in a field of frequently self-taught
practitioners. It will help those working full-time in accessibility as
well as those that only include it as part of their jobs. It will support
companies and organizations by helping their leaders understand how to
build a successful accessibility program and develop the organizational
capacity needed to deliver accessibility solutions.<br><br>
We have a lot to do in the next three months including the creation of an
accessible infrastructure, including a website, to serve the association
and its members. It also includes beginning work to develop content, like
webinars, and a platform to share insights and experience from experts in
the field. All of this is being achieved through the contributions of the
23 founding member organizations, representing five countries, that have
committed money, personnel and materials to help prepare for the IAAP
launch.<br><br>
The window of opportunity to become a Founding Member organization is
quickly closing. If you are interested in contributing to the IAAP in
this leadership capacity, or if you simply have a question or suggestion,
please send us mail at
<a href="mailto:info@accessibilityassociation.org">
info@accessibilityassociation.org</a>.<br><br>
<br>
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