Austin-Based Consulting Firm Takes Second in International Web Accessibility Competition
Contest Provides Nonprofits with Websites That Are Accessible to Individuals with Disabilities
AUSTIN, TEXAS, December 13, 2016 —Technology consulting firm Microassist recently proved its chops in a specialized web development contest. That contest is the Open Accessibility Internet Rally, or OpenAIR, which focuses on creating sites accessible to individuals with disabilities. Microassist’s three-person team placed second out of 30 teams from around the world.
Hosted by Austin nonprofit Knowbility, OpenAIR kicked off in October and concluded with an awards ceremony last week. The annual event brings together web developers, designers, project managers and others in an interactive, weeks-long training event and friendly high-tech competition to develop professional websites for participating nonprofits. Sites are judged based on their ability to be perceived and usable by everyone, including those with vision, hearing, mobility or cognitive impairments.
Microassist’s award-winning entry was a multi-page WordPress website for nonprofit 4Cs, Christian Churches Collaborating for Change. 4Cs works with families and individuals affected by incarceration. By using an open source content management product, the nonprofit will be able to independently manage the new site. Cognizant in India won first place in the professional track for their work for the Alpha to Omega Learning Centre, a nonprofit organization based in Singapore and India. Third place went to General Motors for their work on Austin German Shepherd Rescue.
Microassist OpenAIR developers stand with members of the nonprofit 4Cs, Christian Churches Collaborating for Change. From left to right: 4Cs member Nelson Eldridge, Microassist Developer Jamaar Cormier and Software Development Manager Shashi Ganesan, 4Cs Assistant Treasurer Charlene Morris, Microassist IT Accessibility Specialist Jason Lin, and 4Cs President Patricia Jackson.
OpenAIR provides accessibility training and access to some of the best accessibility mentors in the world. This year, it also provided IBM’s leading-edge accessibility testing tool, the Dynamic Assessment Plugin (DAP) to both professional level and university teams.
Microassist, a custom training and application development company that creates accessible digital products, has placed in previous accessibility contests and was named Small Employer of the Year by the Austin Mayor’s Committee for People with Disabilities in 2012. For more about Microassist and OpenAIR, visit the company website at www.microassist.com or email [email protected].
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About Microassist: An Austin, Texas-based learning and development firm, Microassist creates, delivers, and hosts custom training, emphasizing online usability and accessibility. The company also develops ground-up online environments and provides digital remediation for websites, mobile apps, software platforms, electronic documents, and elearning platforms.
About Knowbility: Knowbility, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that supports the independence of children and adults with disabilities by promoting the use and improving the availability of accessible information technology.
About OpenAIR: The Open Accessibility Internet Rally, dating from 1998, is a web accessibility competition that brings teams of web professionals and computer science students to nonprofit organizations to build or improve their web sites. OpenAIR benefits nonprofit organizations by providing them with low cost free, professionally-designed, accessible websites in order to allow them to build a stronger web presence. The 19th Annual OpenAIR competition was sponsored by IBM, Deque, City of Austin, SXSW, Google, and Code Magazine.
—FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—
For information about this press release, contact:
Vivian Cullipher
Microassist
512-794-8440
[email protected]
www.microassist.com