The largest government information technology conference and showcase in the world, will provide blind and sight impaired government employees with tools to navigate to and through the 450 industry exhibits at the event. Produced by the EITAC Solutions Group, both Metro system navigational directions and a complete directory of exhibitors and booth numbers listed by category of products and services will be available in advance to regional visually impaired government employees. Now celebrating its 25th anniversary, FOSE 2001 will take place at the Washington DC Convention Center on March20-22, 2001.
Bill Howell, Sr. Vice President of Post Newsweek Tech Media Group and General Manager of FOSE, remarked, "FOSE is a focal point for the government to train its information technology professionals on the importance of information access by persons with disabilities. The General Services Administration's Center for IT Accommodation estimates that nearly 20,000 government employees are blind or visually impaired. We are reaching out this year to ensure that the broad array of technology information at FOSE is available to all."
Tim Curtin, owner of EITAC Solutions Group and legally blind himself, explained, "The government underscored its commitment to providing employees with access to technology tools through its soon to be mandatory standards in Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. We will provide a Braille booklet that visually impaired and blind employees will use to travel to the Convention Center and once there, easily locate the technology solutions they want to visit. We are producing a Braille and tactile graphical map with instructions to the Convention Center from the China Town/Gallery Place metro site, a location central to many government agencies. In addition, we are developing a directory that includes a list of all vendors exhibiting, booth numbers and the category of product that will be displayed. Government agencies may wish to distribute our FOSE Braille booklet to their employees."
EITAC Solutions Group specializes in making organizational information fully accessible to employees with disabilities by providing services to comply to Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, including Braille translation, tactile graphics, descriptive narratives for enhancing the accessibility of complex graphical content on Web-based systems, and full accessibility consulting. For further information, visit EITAC Solutions Center at FOSE in booth #1460 or e-mail Tim Curtin at tcurtin@eitacsg.com or visit EITAC's Web site at http://www.eitacsg.com.
FOSE 2001 is owned and operated by Post Newsweek Tech Media Group, a division of The Washington Post Company, and a leading publisher, organizer of trade shows and conferences, and provider of online services in government and business technology. From its headquarters in the nation's technology capital, the company delivers smart content and smart solutions in the $100 billion nationwide government technology market and to high-tech businesses in the dynamic Washington metropolitan region that spans Maryland, the District of Columbia and Virginia. Post Newsweek Tech Media Group products include: in-print publications- Government Computer News, Washington Technology, GCN State & Local, Washington Techway, and the IT Almanac; in-person events such as FOSE, FOSE @ IRMCO and more than 50 other conferences and events; and online products including www.gcn.com, www.wtonline.com, www.fose.com, www.washtech.com, and www.newsbytes.com. For more information on Post Newsweek Tech Media Group and its products, visit www.postnewsweektech.com.
To register for FOSE 2001, visit www.fose.com or call 1-800-791-FOSE. To receive a copy of the FOSE 2001 Braille booklet on or after March 12, contact Tim Curtain at 1-800-981-5660 or via e-mail at tcurtain@eitacsg.com; requests received before March 15 can be delivered prior to FOSE 2001. On-site at FOSE 2001, Braille booklets will be available at FOSE 2001 registration booths at the Washington DC Convention Center.
