About Us
Who are the people behind the company?
Glenn Smith
Glenn is the president of Voice of Sight and Sound Inc., the parent company of 2BAccessible. Glenn was declared legally blind in 1986 as a result of retinitis pigmentosa. He is a 20 year veteran of using and teaching students about assistive technology. His leadership has transformed many of his students, as well as former and current staff, into an elite group of leaders in the expansion of 508/W3C Electronic Information standards to government and private industry.
As an expert on the 508 standards, he has consulted on the accessibility of software, websites, and Web applications since 1999. His leadership has molded and shaped the 508 standards for many federal agencies and private industry companies on the development of software and Web technology.
Glenn has also performed trainings for hundreds of visually impaired and physically disabled persons in the use of assistive technology. His training experience is broad-based, from the teaching of the basics of Windows to a new assistive technology user to training the trainers. He has trained users on the Microsoft office suites, proprietary software, and of course Internet Explorer. He has also trained Web developers, both individuals and groups, on the basics of the 508/W3C Web standards.
Glenn has presented at national conferences that include the federal IDEAS Conference in Washington, DC in 2003. He also spoke at the 2007 CSUN Conference in Los Angeles. Living in Arlington, Virginia, he has presented at several local companies and federal agencies on the benefits of accessible web design.
Tracy Whiting
Tracy Whiting is one of the key employees for 2BAccessible in her role as information technology specialist. Tracy lost her sight in 1988 as a result of retinitis pigmentosa. Her focus is on the use of adaptive software/equipment and 508/W3C standards testing and assistive technology training. She worked for the federal government for several years. She provided tech support and training to disabled employees. She supported developers in the application of 508 standards to produce accessible software and websites.
Tracy is responsible for the overall 508/W3C project management process. She is our task manager who coordinates project assignments, testing requirements, and result and recommendations reporting to customers and management.
Tracy is an experienced assistive technology trainer. She has taught visually impaired individuals in the use of assistive technology products, as well as in Microsoft's office suite products. Her extensive knowledge of Internet Explorer and the relevant assistive technology positions her well as a trainer and a tester of websites and Web applications.
Tracy was a co-presenter at the IDEAS conference in Washington, DC in November of 2003. She spoke about the provision of section 508 laws for accessible software and Web standards within the federal government. She demonstrated and explained how the 508 standards had improved her ability to do her own job.
Mike Warren
Mike Warren is 2BAccessible’s lead Web developer and automated test tool expert. The test tool that we use is HiSoftware’s Compliance Sheriff Solution. Mike himself is physically disabled and uses a wheelchair for mobility.
Mike has planned, designed and built small business networks for a technical school in Fort Worth, Texas. He made the network readily open for current and future growth. He designed the system to ensure accessibility so that all assistive technology has access to the components within the network environment. As a teacher assistant he helped other students learn these same principals in the school’s computer lab.
Mike has developed software applications, websites, and Web applications using 508 and W3C standards. He has experience using Visual Basic, JAVA, HTML, and other software Web development tools. Mike uses a comprehensive life cycle plan in his approach to website design. Mike is available for Web development consultation through an online Web service.
Yara Salazar
Yara Salazar is 2BAccessible’s general manager. She has worked in the assistive technology business for more than seven years. Yara is the pleasant phone voice of 2BAccessible and VSSI. She has worked with disabled employees, helping them when help is required and also motivating them to do work for themselves when they were uncertain they could accomplish the tasks. She dealt with these disabled employees with sensitivity and at the same time encouraged them to carry out their own job duties when she knew they could accomplish these tasks for themselves.
Yara is responsible for establishing our phone, accounting, and contact management systems. She has masterfully managed all of the administrative tasks that keep our company moving forward.
What kind of people will I be working with/buying from?
Website accessibility has been and continues to be a challenge for persons with disabilities, particularly for those who use assistive technology software. 2BAccessible’s focus is to utilize a mass production approach through a unique automated Web testing tool and streamlined Web design review. Its purpose is to expand commercial website accessibility and to increase disabled consumer sales for many e-commerce businesses, and organizations around the world. We intend to accomplish this goal through the highly motivated and experienced staff and consultants that are a part of our team.
Administrative and Sales Staff
Our administrative and sales staff has extensive experience and knowledge as to how disabled computer users can use assistive technology in order to complete their day to day activities. They also understand the struggle that companies go through to begin the process of website remediation. They have the ability to take what is often considered difficult and reframe it in such a way that a non-disabled person can have a good grasp of what needs to be accomplished. Several of our staff can provide first-hand demonstration on how accessible their company's website is by using their assistive technology on the company's website location.
Training Staff
2BAccessible’s trainers are patient and thoughtful in the preparation and the delivery of the training materials. We have all experienced firsthand going through the process of learning assistive technology, software applications, Internet, and Web development. We use concrete examples to explain and letting the users know they can explore new places once they are comfortable with their pathways.
Technical Staff
2BAccessible works with a host of professional web developers and testers whose expertise is in section 508 and the W3C Web standards. Many of them have performed development and training for the IRS, SSA, PTO, Homeland Security, and the Departments of State, Defense, Treasury, Justice, and Education.
Other Web development and testing staff have worked with AOL, Freedom Scientific, Yahoo, Oracle, and Microsoft, providing them with leadership and solutions to making websites accessible.
What does our company stand for?
Our goal is full accessibility to the Internet for persons with disabilities. 2BAccessible is the company that identifies the breach in the “exchange-of-information” between the disabled computer user and the eCommerce Website’s accessibility. Teaching organizations how to develop an accessible Website opens sales and profit portals. Teaching the disabled Web user how to access the Internet promotes demand for eCommerce business. By meeting the needs of client and merchant, 2BAccessible enables both to come together for a viable and more profitable exchange!
What does our company stand against?
Discrimination and inequality for disabled persons is unacceptable in our society today. People of our nation must become more aware of persons with disabilities. The fastest growing minority group within our nation is persons who become disabled later in their lives. Making these changes will impact all of us in the future.