[Nfbv-announce] Please consider providing input and participating in the dialogue on improving the accessibility and usability of federal websites.

[Fredric Schroeder]

Please consider providing input and participating in the dialogue 
on improving the accessibility and usability of federal websites.  
The message below came from Kareem Dale; feel free to pass it 
along to others that may be interested in joining the 
conversation.


Subject: Disability Accessibility Included in National Dialogue 
for Improving Federal Websites

We encourage you to spread the word about this great opportunity 
to join the conversation about federal websites.


Please see below for all the details.


The federal government wants to re-invent how it delivers 
information and services online, and we need your help.  We want 
to bring the best of the web to the .gov domain.  So share your 
ideas to help us answer: What practices, policies, and principles 
should guide federal websites.  You can submit ideas on any of 
the campaigns from Sept 19 - Sept 30 
<http://web-reform-dialogue.ideascale.com/> , but we will also be 
hosting one hour dialogue-a-thons with our discussion catalysts 
on each campaign.  You can also follow comments about the 
dialogue on Twitter under the hashtag #dotgov.



Accessibility Dialogue-A-Thon

Monday September 26, 3:00 PM ET.

We invite you to participate in the one-hour long, live 
"dialog-a-thon" on Universal Access 
<http://web-reform-dialogue.ideascale.com/a/pages/dialogue-a-thon
>  to have a targeted, real-time conversation with a critical 
mass of participants.  Sharron Rush will be hosting the 
accessibility dialog-a-thon on Monday, September 26, from 3-4 pm 
ET.  If you are unable to join, you can still participate in the 
National Dialog for the full 2 weeks.  The dialogue-a-thon is a 
time we've devoted to specifically addressing ideas for improving 
accessibility of federal websites.



More information:

Two -Week National Dialogue on Improving Federal Websites

The National Dialogue for Improving Federal Websites is sponsored 
by the White House and the U.S.  General Services Administration.  
The dialogue is a critical part of the .gov Reform Initiative 
launched in June 2011, to streamline how we manage federal 
websites and provide a better customer experience when people 
access government information and services online.  The online 
conversation lasts from September 19 through September 30, 2011.



The online conversation features eight different discussion areas 
open for two weeks, including one on accessibility.  You will 
have the opportunity to submit and vote on ideas 
<http://web-reform-dialogue.ideascale.com/>  for improving how 
people access government information and services online, with 
different devices and assistive technology.  We hope this 
conversation will complement the ongoing work of our group and 
other public discussions that have happened recently around 
accessibility.





Please spread the word about the National Dialogue to your 
networks, friends, and colleagues.  We're looking for a very 
broad and diverse set of ideas.





The 508 compliant IdeaScale platform is being used to host the 
Dialogue.  Our 508 specialist has rigorously tested the platform; 
however, if you find things that aren't accessible, please let us 
know and we'll work to address them.





 The purpose is to allow people to submit and vote on ideas for 
improving various aspects of improving federal websites, such as: 
content, search, usability, accessibility, social media, 
multilingual content, and online services.   The .gov Task Force 
will review the ideas and consider them as they develop a 
National Web Strategy and make recommendations for streamlining 
federal websites, strengthening federal web policy, and improving 
citizens' experience with federal websites.





 We know there is a goldmine of good ideas from the community, so 
we hope--and expect-- that you'll actively participate in the 
discussion and share your expertise and knowledge.  We want to 
hear what's working well, what can be improved, innovative ways 
to rethink the federal web, and specific examples you have from 
your industry or organization.





 You can also follow comments about the dialogue on Twitter under 
the hashtag #dotgov.

Many thanks for helping promote this.  We hope you can chime in 
to submit, vote, and comment on ideas: 
http://web-reform-dialogue.ideascale.com/ 
<http://web-reform-dialogue.ideascale.com/







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