#189: Breaking Digital Barriers in Washington State
FEATURING:
- Ralph Johnson, CISO, State of Washington
- Mary Craig, CIO, Washington State Department of Services for the Blind
- Erik Sandie, Strategic Account Manager, Island
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU'LL LEARN:
How DSB's Orientation and Training Center helps individuals who lose vision learn essential skills - from computer literacy to independent living and employment skills
The impact of Title II ADA changes on state and local government websites and mobile apps
How enterprise browsers are evolving, with Gartner predicting universal adoption by 2032
Why human-centered design is crucial for accessibility and the importance of proper website assessments over overlay solutions
Real-world demonstrations of assistive technologies like Seeing AI and the transformative potential of services like Aira
Why accessibility should be built into initial design and why it's often less expensive than organizations assume
Washington State CISO & DSB CIO showcase digital accessibility tech and share guidance on ADA Title II compliance for state government websites.
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Want to see AI-powered security in action? Check out how the State of Montana revolutionized their cybersecurity using SentinelOne - they're now protecting over 15,000 endpoints across 25 state agencies. Click here to see their success story.
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