DOL Town Hall Addresses Social Media Accessibility
The virtual crowdsourcing event begins March 17 and ends April 4. It's the first of three social media accessibility online events this year.
The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy and the National Council on Disability are inviting the public to participate in a virtual town hall dialogue, "Advancing Accessibility and Inclusion in Social Media — The User Experience," about accessibility barriers of social media for individuals with disabilities, including job seekers and workers. This crowdsourcing event will take place March 17 to April 4 and is the first of three social media accessibility online events taking place during the next three months.
"Social media is transforming how we engage with customers, employees, job seekers, and other stakeholders," said Kathy Martinez, assistant secretary of labor for disability employment policy, "but when social media is inaccessible to people with disabilities, it excludes a sizeable segment of our population. This online dialogue will help us pinpoint social media accessibility barriers and discover new solutions for ensuring these digital services can be used and optimized by everyone."
"The National Council on Disability is privileged to co-host this online dialogue with ODEP as part of an ongoing collaboration between federal agencies and private-sector companies invested in the social media space," said Janni Lehrer-Stein, chairperson of access and integration for the National Council on Disability. "We anticipate that this online discussion will present new and exciting opportunities for Americans with disabilities and people around the world. Social media opens up a new marketplace of ideas and access for everyone, including people with disabilities, adding value and providing new opportunities through inclusive engagement in the virtual world."
The event is being coordinated under ODEP's ePolicyWorks initiative. To register, visit http://NCD-ODEP.SocialMedia.ePolicyWorks.org.