Center for Information Technology Accommodation (CITA)Assistive Technology (AT) Showcase Grand Opening
Please Note: The following is the prepared text for Mr. Perry's Remarks. It is not a verbatim transcript of the remarks as delivered.
Remarks
By Stephen A. Perry
Administrator
U.S. General Services Administration
Center for Information Technology Accommodation (CITA)
Assistive Technology (AT) Showcase Grand Opening
April 3, 2002
I am pleased to be here with Marty Wagner, Jennifer Sheehy, Dr. Beth Wilson and all of you to celebrate the opening of the
AT Showcase. I am truly proud of what we are doing here today. The opportunity to offer an important resource like the AT Showcase is one of the joys of public service.
GSA's job is to provide you-our federal customers-with the resources you need to carry out your own missions. As a primary provider of goods and services to the federal government, GSA has an important role to play in helping federal agencies
meet legislative requirements, such as those under Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
Since 1985, GSA has been a source of information on Assistive Technology through our earlier "Center for Information Technology Accommodation. " now CITA fulfills the same role, and our Section 508 Web site is a primary resource. It offers
free online training opportunities and in-depth information on implementing Section 508 in the federal workplace.
We are also pleased to provide forums for technology vendors, persons with disabilities, advocacy groups, researchers and you-the 508 coordinators-to exchange information and ideas.
GSA brings together people, products, and services. But we go beyond that to provide solutions for the designers,
developers, purchasers and users of assistive technology in the federal government.
For technology buffs, the new AT Showcase is a bit like the proverbial candy store. What a display of state-of-the-art
equipment and computer hardware and software! Everything you might need to make your workplaces fully accessible for
all workers.
As a demonstration lab, the AT Showcase allows you to "test drive" the latest products, equipment and computer software before making your purchase.
The new and improved AT Showcase also includes ergonomic products that can address, and even help prevent, the musculoskeletal injuries that are becoming more prevalent today.
And only at GSA's AT Showcase can you find this array of choices available in one place.
Our second purpose in coming together today is to recognize our federal agency partners, including the Section 508 coordinators. On the one-hand, you are our customers, the people for whom we are providing resources such as the 508
Web site, training and the "buy accessible" database.
Because of the work each of you do, your individual agencies can carry out their missions in service to our citizens, secure
in the knowledge that they are meeting their legislative requirements under Section 508.
But you should also know that you are an invaluable resource for all of us at GSA. Through your questions, expectations
and creative thinking, you constantly challenge us to be the best. You are our collaborators. We could not do our job so
well without your input and support.
I know there are others in the audience who deserve acknowledgement:
- industry partners, who develop accessible electronic and information products, and the vendors, who keep us
up-to-date on what's available. - advocacy groups who provide input on AT needs and also get the word out about what GSA is doing.
- and, of course, the end users of all this technology. You are one of the reasons we get up each morning and come to work!
All of you have made it possible for GSA to be a leader in making the federal workplace more accessible. We thank you
for your many contributions.
Now I would like to recognize one person who has been so instrumental in helping us all implement Section 508. Doug Wakefield and his colleagues at the Access Board have developed the standards for assistive technology that guide us
today.
We are presenting this pin to Mr. Wakefield on his own behalf and also as the representative of the many other dedicated
people at the Access Board whose hard work truly is opening doors to information technology. Please join me in thanking
Mr. Wakefield and his colleagues with a round of applause.
Thank you all for being here today.
