On September 30, the Access Committee of the Council of CIOs held the first in a series of public Listening Sessions, in collaboration with the Chief Acquisition Officers Council, the GSA Office of Governmentwide Policy and the U.S. Access Board. The purpose of the Listening Sessions is to engage citizens and employees in expressing concerns and proposing ideas about “Improving the Accessibility of Government Information”.

On July 19 the OMB issued a Memorandum for Chief Acquisition Officers and Chief Information Officers entitled “Improving the Accessibility of Government Information”. Among other specific requirements, the Listening Sessions are included as a means for “the government and interested members of the public to address concerns and propose ideas”.

The transcript of this first Listening Session, held in Chicago, Illinois, is available online. Future Listening Sessions are planned for Washington DC on December 13 during the IDEAS Conference, in San Diego, CA in March during the Annual CSUN Conference on Technology and Disability, and in the Spring in Silicon Valley. A summary of all the Listening Sessions, with specific recommendations, will be prepared and shared across agencies to improve accessibility and usability.