e-access 11 conference

Microsoft

Microsoft is one of the technology industry leaders in accessibility innovation, in building products that are safer and easier to use, such as Windows 7 and Microsoft Office 2010, and in providing a platform that enables other companies to develop their own accessible technology solutions. Creating technology products that are accessible to everyone, regardless of age or ability, is an integral part of the Microsoft corporate mission: to help people and businesses throughout the world to realise their full potential.

Adobe

Adobe revolutionises how the world engages with ideas and information. Our award-winning software and technologies have set the standard for communication and collaboration for more than 25 years, bringing vital and engaging experiences to people across media and to every screen in their lives, at work and at play.

Adobe is committed to improving access to electronic information for people of all abilities. Our efforts to improve accessibility include making Adobe software tools and web properties accessible by anyone, enabling designers and developers to do the same, and supporting organizations with a similar focus.

Adobe has compiled practical information to help designers and developers who use Adobe tools to create content and applications that will function with assistive devices used by individuals with disabilities. Visit http://www.adobe.com/accessibility for more information.

BrowseAloud

BrowseAloud is the world leading text-to-speech solution from Texthelp Systems Ltd, which is designed to improve website accessibility for those with literacy difficulties, learning difficulties such as dyslexia, mild visual impairments or where English is a second language. With a choice of 17 high quality voices covering 9 languages and a number of unique features, BrowseAloud is quickly being adopted as the product of choice worldwide.

Texthelp Systems Ltd was formally incorporated in 1996 and specialise in the design of assistive software solutions to support those struggling to read and write. The company is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, Adobe Solutions Network Developer, Apple Business Partner, HP Business Partner and is ISO 9001:2008 accredited. For the past 11 consecutive years, Texthelp Systems Ltd has been a Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Award winning company.

Digital Accessibility Centre

The Digital Accessibility Centre is a, not-for-profit Social Enterprise. We work with organisations, helping them ensure that their web products are accessible to everyone regardless of age and/or ability.

We employ a team of testers, all of whom are people with disabilities and their testing is an integral part of our audit and accreditation services. We test Websites, Intranets, Extranets, internal applications, mobiles, tablet and IPTV.

Our service is robust and transparent, in addition to being excellent value for money. Clients are encouraged to spend the daywith our team which helps to familiarise clients with ‘real life’ usage of assistive technologies.

Microlink

Microlink is the UKs largest independent supplier of assistive technology and accessibility related solutions. Our mission is to help people to fulfil their potential in education and in the work place. Microlink has been instrumental in the advancement of the assistive technology industry are a Gold member of the Employers forum for Disability (EFD) and associated Business Taskforce on Accessibility Technology (BTAT) as well as founder member of the British Assistive Technology Association (BATA).

Our flagship corporate service is MiDRAS which is a complete, end-to-end disability management solution for the workplace. It enables businesses to fully outsource their work place Reasonable Adjustment to a complete one-stop shop provider.

Shaw Trust

Shaw Trust is one of the leading providers of Web Accessibility Services. Every day our skilled and committed team works with companies and organisations like yours to give them peace of mind knowing their website is reaching the widest possible audience and that it is compliant with the latest guidelines.

We test your website to the highest possible accessibility standards - auditing and accrediting websites in line with the latest W3C guidelines. And we were the first accessibility organisation to employ our own testing team; every member is an experienced assistive technology user who understands the frustrations of not being able to access websites that don't consider the needs of people with a disability. Theyre passionate, enthusiastic and committed with the experience to make things work for you.

Ability Magazine

Ability magazine is a campaigning publication for people who have difficulty using IT. It is aimed at those who buy, run and use accessible systems. Each issue of Ability magazine provides vital insight into the products, techniques and skills required to deliver systems for users who cannot use standard software and hardware.

Originally published by the British Computer Society's Disability Group, Ability magazine circulates to users, IT managers, human resources professionals and those who work in the disability field.

Ability aims to keep readers up-to-date on trail blazing user projects, product releases, regulatory changes and company news. Its features section contains valuable case studies, discussions of technical issues, product reviews and analysis of the latest trends in accessibility.

Artome Creative Design

Artome are a creative graphic design service that specialise in developing brands across all media on and offline. Responsible for the design concept for the eaccess 11 website, their portfolio includes work for clients such as HBOS, Lloyds Banking Group and Marks & Spencer.

E-Access Bulletin

Headstar, a publishing house and events organiser has been committed to publishing the e-access bulletin, the world's leading email newsletter containing independent, lively news and features on all issues surrounding access to technology by people with disabilities, for the past eight years.

All the monthly bulletin's content is newly researched, and written or commissioned by Headstar's own journalists. The newsletter is emailed out in plain text format, with all formatting designed to be easy to read by the text-to-speech and text-to-Braille technology used by many blind people.

If you would like to subscribe to the free, monthly, e-access bulletin, please email us at eab-subs@headstar.com adding "subscribe to eab" in the subject header.

Employers' Forum on Disability

Employers' Forum on Disability (EFD) is the world's leading employers' organisation focused on disability as it affects business. We help employers to position disability as a business priority and equip them to deliver best practice; and we help governments understand that services that make it easier for employers to recruit and retain disabled employees will make it much easier for disabled people to find and keep work.

We create a forum for exchange of innovation, advice and best practice regarding disability across business and the public sector. By sharing the experience and learning of our members as well as leading our own initiatives, we help to set the UK agenda on recruitment, employment and customer service for disabled people.

In 2008, we launched our 'Business Taskforce on Accessible Technology' (BTAT) to define and share best practice on accessible ICT and encourage suppliers to deliver accessible products and services. BTAT is chaired by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and other members include the Department for Work and Pensions, Lloyds TSB, KPMG and BBC

Meerkat Web Services

Established in 2000 (many years before the phrase "simples"), Meerkat provides high quality web site design and consultancy services for small to medium sized businesses and non-profit organisations. Responsible for the development and content management of the ecaccess 11 website, their portfolio includes projects for clients such as the Employers' Forum on Disability and Kate Nash Associates.

One Voice for Acessible ICT Coalition

The One Voice for Accessible ICT Coalition brings together like-minded organisations to act together with shared values and common goals to further the awareness, implementation and delivery of accessible ICT for the benefit of all. The Coalition acts as a facilitator between all members, working to an agreed agenda that is set by the members and providing a mechanism to share information.

The aim of the Coalition is to promote the take-up, usage and availability of accessible ICT. We achieve this through the following activities:

Campaigning to increase awareness of ICT accessibility issues, influencing providers of goods and services to make their products and services accessible and usable
Promotion of what already exists to help disabled users with technology
Professionalism which aims to establish accessibility as an integral part of training provided to IT and associated professionals.

Race Online 2012

Race Online 2012 is a challenge to everyone in the UK. Our ambition is to make the UK the first nation in the world where everyone can use the web.

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