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Lionbridge Announces First Industry-Wide Program For Technology Accessibility Certification |
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Program Coincides with Government Implementation of Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Section 508 WALTHAM, Mass., May 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Lionbridge Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: LIOX - news), a provider of solutions for worldwide deployment of technology and content, today announced the first industry-wide program for accessibility testing of technology products. The program will launch on June 21, 2001 to coincide with the effective date for the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Section 508, which requires that technology purchased by the government be accessible to people with disabilities. The ADA Section 508 certification testing will be conducted by Lionbridge's VeriTest labs, based on accessibility testing solutions developed by Data Dimensions, Inc., a Seattle-based testing business. Lionbridge has previously announced its agreement to acquire Data Dimensions in a transaction expected to close during the second quarter of 2001. All certified technology will obtain the ``Verified by VeriTest'' logo. VeriTest will offer certification logos for accessible software and hardware meeting ADA Section 508, as well as for accessible websites and products that support Accessible Technology (AT). VeriTest will maintain an online database of compliant products. ``As the world leader in operating software certification programs, VeriTest is highly qualified to lead in this crucial area of IT product development,'' said Rory Cowan, chairman and CEO of Lionbridge. ``Neither the government nor any other purchaser of software and hardware should have to guess whether technology is accessible for people with sight or hearing disabilities, or people who have difficulty working with a mouse. We are embracing ADA 508 and endorsing several other recognized standards for websites, and accessible technology interfaces.'' The U.S. government created the ADA Section 508 standard in order to guarantee access to information technology across government agencies as new products are purchased. The regulation focuses primarily on providing accessible technology for government agency employees with disabilities. Section 508 covers such areas as access to computer functions for those who cannot manipulate a mouse, and support for such technologies as an eye- tracking mouse, high-contrast displays and screen magnifiers. ``Accessibility for people with disabilities is a long-standing issue in information technology,'' said Jim Bampos, Lionbridge senior vice president of worldwide testing. ``Section 508 of the ADA has two consequences of significance to the IT industry. First, it sends a message that the 20%, or roughly 50 million Americans with disabilities must not be alienated due to inaccessible technology products. Second, it underscores the government's commitment to ensure accessibility for all employees of government agencies.'' VeriTest Services from LionbridgeVeriTest is the premium provider of testing services that enable technology companies to release proven enterprise-scale applications. With Datacenter-equipped labs in North America and Europe, VeriTest delivers test consulting, test plan development and test execution services. The VeriTest labs are the sole authorized facilities for some of the industry's leading logo-validation programs, including ``Certified for Microsoft Windows 2000,'' ``Ready for Microsoft Pocket PC,'' ``AT&T Wireless Certified Solutions,'' ``BMC Software Certified,'' and others. VeriTest is also authorized to perform Palm OS certification of hardware devices, as well as Novell Yes! and IBM ServerProven tests. To learn more, visit www.veritest.com. About Lionbridge Lionbridge Technologies, Inc. provides solutions for worldwide deployment of technology and content to the information technology, telecommunications, life sciences and financial services industries. Lionbridge's integrated globalization technologies and services enable global businesses to create and maintain their products and dynamic databases in multiple languages and cultural formats. Based in Waltham, Mass., Lionbridge maintains facilities in Canada, Ireland, the Netherlands, France, Germany, China, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Brazil and the United States. To learn more, visit www.lionbridge.com. About Data Dimensions Data Dimensions, Inc. is an international information technology services company that delivers quality assurance and testing, as well as application development and maintenance services to organizations ranging from emerging companies to the Fortune 100. For more information about Data Dimensions, or for a free Web site stress test, visit the company's Web site at http://www.data-dimensions.com
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