SmartForce, the world's largest e-Learning company, today announced the availability of approximately 1,500 learning paths or 5,000 hours of e-Learning that conforms with the accessibility standards under Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. Section 508 requires government agencies to ensure that government employees and members of the public with disabilities have access to government-provided electronic and information technology services in a manner that is comparable to the access provided for persons without disabilities. Users requiring accessibility features will now be able to access more than 1,500 SmartForce learning paths using assistive technologies such as screen readers. In addition, SmartForce recently announced a partnership with the leading accessibility consulting firm, Optavia Corporation, to offer a comprehensive range of accessibility solutions as part of SmartForce's overall e-Learning offerings.
Since June of 2000, Optavia has worked with SmartForce to develop solutions that comply with evolving Section 508 functional and technical standards and to validate innovative new e-Learning development approaches that enable 508 conformance without compromising the interactivity and richness that have long been hallmarks of the SmartForce e-Learning experience. The experience gained provides SmartForce and Optavia with a unique ability to provide expert accessibility consulting and design and to implement accessible learning solutions for clients.
The primary focus of the SmartForce/Optavia partnership is to help government clients develop and deliver learning solutions that comply with the requirements of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. Through this partnership, Optavia will provide a wide range of services including Section 508 accessibility reviews, accessibility consulting, and training and awareness workshops. SmartForce and Optavia will offer accessible design and implementation solutions, evaluation and selection of assistive technologies, development of accessible custom content, and legacy content conversion and accessibility remediation.
"Dynamic e-Learning environments create unique and complex issues for complying with accessibility standards and for meeting the needs of people with disabilities," said Julie Nowicki, president of Optavia. "SmartForce's e-Learning innovations and commitment to accessibility in combination with Optavia's expertise in usability and accessibility will provide the industry with opportunities to develop significant advancements in accessible e-Learning."
"With the immediate availability of nearly 5,000 hours of accessible e-Learning content, SmartForce demonstrates its commitment to providing not only the best but also the most accessible learning solutions in the industry," said Greg Priest, chairman and CEO of SmartForce. "As a company that prides itself on delivering engaging learning experiences that meet the needs of each individual, SmartForce believes that it is important to remove barriers to access and enable all people to enjoy the advantages of e-Learning."
SmartForce, the world's largest e-Learning company, provides integrated enterprise e-Learning solutions. SmartForce e-Learning is a comprehensive application infrastructure to support e-Learning initiatives in enterprises globally. Encompassing the largest body of e-Learning content in the world, and a fully integrated student environment, learning management system and a range of custom content creation and publication tools, SmartForce e-Learning provides the architecture that global enterprises are using today to implement e-Learning strategies to support their critical strategic business initiatives. With more than 2,500 major corporate customers, SmartForce e-Learning solutions bring the power of the Internet to the critical training business process.
Optavia Corporation, an authority in user interface design, helps businesses create universal and accessible online experiences to better connect with their customers. Optavia serves clients worldwide through training, design evaluation, usability consulting, and site development services. Leveraging proven user-centered design methodology and an international reputation as a leader in accessibility, Optavia helps clients create interactive environments that satisfy customer needs and achieve business objectives. Representative Fortune 1000 and government clients include the SAS Institute, GE Medical, VISA, and Wisconsin's Department of Tourism.