New York State Forum Selects HiSoftware for State Web Accessibility Validation Solution

Validation solution to be made available to all New York State Agencies and State University campuses to validate compliance with Web accessibility as specified by the NYS Office for Technology Mandatory Technology Standard S04-001

Albany, NY and Nashua, NH – October 16, 2007 – The New York State Forum (www.nysforum.org), a program of The Research Foundation of The State University of New York, announced today that it has selected HiSoftware (www.hisoftware.com), a leading provider of software, services and managed operation solutions, as a partner for developing a Web-based compliance testing solution. The solution will be available to all New York state and local government Web developers required to be in compliance with New York State’s Web accessibility requirements.

Gregory Benson, Jr., executive director of The NYS Forum, underscored the importance of the compliance testing tool, “As more state and local government information and services migrate to the Internet, equitable access for all is essential,” says Benson. “Viewing this as a priority, The NYS Forum has worked in partnership with the NYS Office for Technology and Office of the State CIO to create state standards that address Web accessibility and usability for the disabled. We are pleased to be working with HiSoftware and the best of New York State’s government Web development staff on the creation of this compliance testing tool. We are confident it will contribute to the efficiency of those who create the thousands of state and local government Web pages for public access.”

The validation solution will address multiple standards. In 2004, OFT issued NYS Technology Policy P04-002, Accessibility of State Agency Web-based Intranet and Internet Information and Applications and NYS Mandatory Technology Standard (MTS) S04-001, Accessibility of State Agency Web-based Intranet and Internet Information and Applications. The Mandatory Technology Standard comprises 14 individual guidelines that must be adhered to, and Policy P04-002 requires State agency Web developers and contractors to validate content prior to posting it on the Web site. NYSMTS SO4-001 is a composite of guidelines adapted from the Worldwide Web Consortium's (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) version 1.0 and from U.S. Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act.

Diane Taylor of the Office of the NYS Comptroller and Chair of The New York State Forum’s Executive Board, said, “The creation of this validation tool was one of the seven recommended actions that resulted from a NY state Web developer’s survey conducted in 2005 by The New York State Forum. It had become evident that Web development contractors working on state Web pages were having difficulty performing adequate compliance testing. To address these difficulties, both in the government and corporate sectors, The NYS Forum has undertaken this important project to create a NYS-specific accessibility compliance validation tool. We are working in close coordination with the NYS Office of the Chief Information Officer to see that this developmental work is in close alignment with the state standards.”

HiSoftware President and CEO, Kurt A. Mueffelmann, said, “The State of New York has implemented a very aggressive Web accessibility program through the various initiatives it has put in place to govern the accessibility of its Web sites. We are pleased that The New York Forum has selected HiSoftware and its solutions to help meet its state-wide goals for providing fully accessible Web sites and resources for all individuals.”

About NYS Forum (NYSFORUM)

A program of The Research Foundation of The State University of New York, the New York State Forum is a network of public officials and state government organizations concerned with information management, policy, and technology. The mission of the New York State Forum to promote policies and practices for effective, equitable and secure use and management of information resources in New York State government at all levels. For more information about the NYS Forum visit www.nysforum.org. 

About HiSoftware

HiSoftware (www.hisoftware.com)  is a leading provider of Web content and social computing compliance software that monitors risk management across disperse e-Content environments – keeping information safe, appropriate and within regulatory guidelines. The company’s solutions provide a Governance, Risk Management and Compliance (GRC) platform for automating effective business processes for confidentiality, privacy, brand integrity, site quality, accessibility and inappropriate content for public websites and intranets. HiSoftware’s customers consist of many of the world’s largest public and private intranet and public facing sites including US and international government agencies and Global 2000 companies.

Media Contact
Irena Mroz
HiSoftware
+1.603.578.1870
irena@hisoftware.com