Speakers

• Hoskie Benally, Community and Government Liaison, NADLC
• Austin Moore, Staff Attorney, NADLC
• Amy Nieves, Public Affairs Specialist, U.S. Access Board

Privacy Statement

In order to register for this webinar you will need to create an account and provide, at a minimum, your name, email address, phone number, city, and country. If you do not wish to create an account, you may watch this webinar after it has been recorded. Webinars are typically posted 2 days after the live session. You can access our previously recorded webinars here: AccessibilityOnline archives. Be advised that in order to obtain continuing education credits you must register and create an account. Continuing Education Recognition Request Policy.

Join speakers from federal and state government agencies for a webinar on digital accessibility in the United States. This session will provide a review of U.S. accessibility laws, share helpful resources, and dive into implementation—covering lessons learned, best practices, and recommendations for the future. Registrants will be able to submit questions in advance during the registration process. Real-time captioning and sign language interpretation will be provided.

Speakers

Katherine Eng, Senior ICT Accessibility Specialist, U.S. Access Board

Jay Wyant, Chief Information Accessibility Officer, Minnesota State CIO Office

Privacy Statement

In order to register for this webinar you will need to create an account and provide, at a minimum, your name, email address, phone number, city, and country. If you do not wish to create an account, you may watch this webinar after it has been recorded. Webinars are typically posted 2 days after the live session. You can access our previously recorded webinars here: Section 508 Best Practices archives. Be advised that in order to obtain continuing education credits you must register and create an account. Continuing Education Recognition Request Policy.

On Monday, May 4th, several Board Members and staff visited the Centreville Bank Stadium in Pawtucket to observe the accessibility of the facility. Pawtucket Mayor Donald Grebien joined the Board to speak about the accessible design elements that were included during the construction of the stadium.

The next day, on Tuesday, May 5th, the Access Board held its annual town hall meeting at Bally’s Event Center in Lincoln. This meeting provided the Board with the opportunity to hear directly from residents regarding the state of accessibility in their communities. The town hall was chaired by Public Board Member Tina Guenette, who currently serves as Vice-Chair and Acting Chair of the U.S. Access Board. Following the town hall, the Board attended the first annual Rhode Island Accessibility Summit. More information on the town hall meeting and the Summit can be found in the Board’s news release.

In the morning on Wednesday, May 6th, the Access Board attended a panel discussion on beach access and trails at The Coast Guard House in Narragansett. The panel included Amanda Cantrell (Deputy Director, Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management), Jeanne Cooper (Preserve & Shorebird Program Manager, The Nature Conservancy), Harry Horgan (Co-founder, The Impossible Dream), and John Kostrzewa (author of Walking Rhode Island and former reporter for the Providence Journal). These subject matter experts discussed the accessibility barriers that exist when designing ocean trails, beaches, seawalls, and other nature trails.

Later in the afternoon on Wednesday, the Board visited the Rhode Island Veterans Home in Bristol. While there, the Board attended a facility observation to learn about the accessible features of the facility and the types of care provided to residents. Following the observation, the Access Board participated in a panel discussion with Kasim Yarn (Director, Rhode Island Office of Veterans Services) and Paul Murgo (Administrator, Rhode Island Veterans Home). During this discussion, residents of the facility, including many residents with disabilities, shared their experiences at the Veterans Home with the Board.

Finally, in the morning on Thursday, May 7th, the Access Board attended two separate panel discussions at Track 15 in Providence. The first session focused on the accessibility of tribal communities and the role that the Access Board can play in helping to ensure access for Native Americans with disabilities. The panel included Chief Raymond “Two Hawks” Watson (Principle Chief, Mashapaug Narragansett Tribe) and Dr. Silas Pinto (Deputy Chief of People & Culture, City of Providence). Furthermore, the second session at Track 15 included a panel of experts who discussed the accessibility of streets and towns, including the RiverWalk and the annual WaterFire event, both of which are based in downtown Providence. This panel included Daniel Baudouin (Historic Benefit Street), Liza Birch (Board President, Providence Streets Coalition), Norelys Consuegra (Director of Mayor’s Center for City Services, City of Providence), and Chris Martin (Director of Special Projects, City of Providence).

In the afternoon on Thursday, the Board attended two more sessions at Farm Fresh in Providence. First, the Board participated in engaging demonstrations of accessible drumming with Dr. Pinto and local culture and culinary accessibility with Go Providence. Additionally, staff from the Rhode Island State Archives joined the Board to share resources and materials relating to the 250th anniversary of the nation and of the state of Rhode Island.

Following these sessions, the Board attended a final panel discussion on arts, culture, and tourism with state and local leaders and tourism professionals. The panel included Stefan Pryor (Rhode Island Secretary of Commerce), Bob DaSilva (Mayor of East Providence), Dr. Pinto, Joe Wilson Jr. (Director, City of Providence Department of Art, Culture and Tourism), Kristen Adamo (President and CEO, Go Providence), and Erin Degulis (Senior Director of Convention & Visitor Services, Go Providence).

On Thursday evening, several Access Board Members and staff attended a final site visit to learn about the various accessibility features of the Rhode Island Convention Center, the largest of its kind in the state. This session concluded a highly productive week in the Ocean State, and the Access Board greatly appreciates the engagement of federal, state, local, and tribal officials, local advocates and organizations, and community members throughout its visit. Moreover, the Board would like to acknowledge the efforts of Acting Chair Guenette for the critical role she played in bringing many of these meetings to fruition.

The next meeting of the U.S. Access Board will take place in-person in Washington, DC from July 27 – 29, 2026. Visit the Access Board’s website or sign up for the free subscription to get notified of upcoming Board meetings, webinars, trainings, and other events.

Members of the public may attend and listen to the session through Zoom for Government, by phone, via livestream, or in person at the Board’s Washington D.C. Conference Space. For further information, contact events@access-board.gov.

Public Meeting of the U.S. Access Board
July 29, 2026 
1:30 – 3:00 PM (ET) 

In-Person Attendance Information
U.S. Access Board Conference Space
1331 F Street NW 
Suite 800 
Washington, D.C. 20004
Note: For the comfort of all participants and to promote a fragrance-free environment, attendees are requested not to use perfume, cologne, or other fragrances.

Virtual Attendance Information 
Meeting link: https://www.zoomgov.com/j/1611432557
Meeting ID: 161 143 2557
Passcode: 426429
Dial in: 1-646-828-7666  
Contact: events@access-board.gov
Livestream link

Agenda

• Introductory Remarks and Roll Call
• Board vote on approval of draft January 2026 meeting minutes
• Board vote on location of 2028 and 2029 out-of-town Board meetings
• Executive Director’s Report
• Standing Committee Reports
• Election Assistance Commission
• Federal Agency Updates
• New Business
• Adjourn

On August 7, 1998, President Clinton signed the Workforce Investment Act into law, which included the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1998. These amendments transformed Section 508 from non-binding guidelines into enforceable standards, which the Access Board developed. Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act requires that ICT created, procured, maintained, or used by federal agencies is accessible to people with disabilities. On December 21, 2000, the Board issued the initial version of the 508 Technical Standards, which became enforceable under law beginning June 21, 2001.

The Workforce Investment Act was later repealed by Congress and replaced by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014.

Later, on January 18, 2017, the Board issued the Revised 508 Standards, a refresh to update the original technical standards. Since then, the Access Board has continued to develop resources to help federal agencies, state and local governments, private businesses, and members of the public ensure that their ICT is accessible. Some of these resources include the bi-monthly Section 508 Best Practices webinar series, the ICT Testing Baseline Portfolio, and various contributions to Section508.gov in partnership with the General Services Administration (GSA).

Additionally, the Access Board provides confidential technical assistance on its ICT accessibility guidelines and standards through its email at 508@access-board.gov and through its helpline at 1-202-272-0080, extension 3, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (ET) weekdays. Accessibility specialists are available to answer questions on accessibility as it relates to ICT and various other contexts.

The next installment in the Section 508 Best Practices webinar series is entitled “U.S. Digital Accessibility: Laws, Resources, and Real‑World Insights,” and will take place on July 14, 2026. Register for this session today and subscribe for email updates so you never miss an upcoming webinar.

Each year, the U.S. Access Board visits a city outside of Washington, D.C. to learn about the state of accessibility around the country. During the week of May 4th, the Access Board traveled to Rhode Island for its 2026 out-of-town Board meeting. On Tuesday, May 5th, the Board held its annual town hall meeting at Bally’s Event Center in Lincoln, RI, where it heard directly from residents regarding local accessibility concerns. The event was immediately followed by the first annual Rhode Island Accessibility Summit, which the Access Board attended as honored guests.

During the town hall, seven Presidentially appointed Public Board Members represented the agency, including Vice-Chair and Acting Chair of the Access Board, Tina Guenette. Representatives from the General Services Administration and the U.S. Departments of Commerce, Health and Human Services, Labor, Transportation, and Veterans Affairs were also in attendance. Brett Smiley, Mayor of Providence, RI, and Dr. Silas Pinto, Deputy Chief of People & Culture, City of Providence, RI, provided opening remarks at the session.

35 community members testified during the public comment portion of the town hall. Participants shared a range of accessibility concerns including, among others: accessible housing, medical facilities, public rights-of-way, emergency planning, enforcement of the Americans with Disabilities Act, employment of people with disabilities, and risks associated with the use of artificial intelligence. The full town hall recording is archived on the Board’s YouTube channel.

Following the town hall meeting, the Board attended the first annual Rhode Island Accessibility Summit, which was also held at Bally’s Event Center. The Summit was hosted by the organization RAMP (Real Access Motivates Progress), which was founded by Ms. Guenette. In her capacity as CEO and President of RAMP, Ms. Guenette facilitated the various sessions held throughout the event.

The Rhode Island Accessibility Summit was the Ocean State’s first accessibility summit and brought together leaders from the federal, state, local, and tribal levels. The event began with a roundtable between Lieutenant Governor Sabina Matos, the Access Board’s Executive Director Dr. Sachin Pavithran, Ms. Guenette, and other Access Board Members. During this session, Lt. Governor Matos discussed the importance of engaging the local community to stay on top of emerging issues and concerns within the Rhode Island disability community.

Following the roundtable, public officials from all levels of government reaffirmed their commitment to accessibility and spoke about the recent strides toward greater access that have been made in the state. Former Congressman James Langevin delivered the keynote address, which was followed by remarks from Rhode Island Secretary of State Gregg Amore, Rhode Island General Treasurer James Diossa, East Providence Mayor Bob DaSilva, Dr. Pavithran, and Congressman Gabe Amo. The Access Board was proud to attend the first annual Rhode Island Accessibility Summit and greatly looks forward to continued engagement with the disability community, as well as all community members, in the Ocean State.

The next meeting of the U.S. Access Board will take place in-person in Washington, DC from July 27 – 29, 2026. Visit the Access Board’s website or sign up for the free subscription to get notified of upcoming Board meetings, webinars, trainings, and other events.

Joe began his career with positions at the Department of the Navy, C.A. Maguire Associates, Inc., and the Thomas Flatley Development Company. Later, in 1974, Joe was appointed as Rhode Island’s first State Building Commissioner and served in that position for 28 years. During his tenure, he developed the law which provided for the adoption of the State Building Code in 1977. The code included the Commercial Building Code, 1 & 2 Family Dwelling Code, Plumbing Code, Mechanical Code, Electrical Code, and Energy Code. Later specialty codes were added for accessibility, industrialized buildings, and rehabilitation.

During his retirement, Joe co-founded C & D Code Consultants, Inc., and was appointed to the U.S. Access Board by President George W. Bush. During his four years on the Board, Joe served on several committees and helped to advance accessibility for people with disabilities across the United States.

The Access Board remembers the irreplaceable contributions that Joseph Cirillo made to accessibility and sends its condolences to his wife Charlene and their family, friends, and colleagues.

Read Joe’s full obituary to learn more about his incredible life and career.

The complexity of the built environment poses numerous and evolving wayfinding and other accessibility challenges for pedestrians with vision disabilities. Tactile Walking Surface Indicators (TWSI) are one tool that can be used to improve accessibility and safety within public-rights-of-way. This webinar will cover existing requirements and will then aim to demonstrate the considerable research evidence that supports the recommendations for the design and use of TWSI that now appear in various reports and guidebooks. The webinar will also identify ongoing projects that document accessibility and safety challenges for pedestrians with vision disabilities; projects that also include efforts to provide evidence-based solutions. Registrants will be able to submit questions in advance during the registration process. Real-time captioning and sign language interpretation will be provided.

Speakers

Sarah Presley, Accessibility Specialist, US Access Board

Alan C. Scott, Ph.D, Consultant

Privacy Statement

In order to register for this webinar you will need to create an account and provide, at a minimum, your name, email address, phone number, city, and country. If you do not wish to create an account, you may watch this webinar after it has been recorded. Webinars are typically posted 2 days after the live session. You can access our previously recorded webinars here: AccessibilityOnline archives. Be advised that in order to obtain continuing education credits you must register and create an account. Continuing Education Recognition Request Policy.

This position is open to the public and closes on June 04, 2026.

To view the public announcement, 26-AB-12955125-X, please click the following link: https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/870366700.

For further information, contact the Applicant Call Center at (304) 480-7300 or by email at accessboardinquiries@fiscal.treasury.gov.

Speakers

Chad Chelius, ADS, ACI, Consultant

Raquella Freeman, ADS, CPACC, Consultant

Privacy Statement

In order to register for this webinar you will need to create an account and provide, at a minimum, your name, email address, phone number, city, and country. If you do not wish to create an account, you may watch this webinar after it has been recorded. Webinars are typically posted 2 days after the live session. You can access our previously recorded webinars. Be advised that in order to obtain continuing education credits you must register and create an account. See Continuing Education Recognition Request Policy.