PRESS RELEASE: Our Ability Announces New Partnerships to Make NYS Documents More Accessible

For Immediate Release
Contact: Leanne Ricchiuti, Headline Media for Our Ability, 518-222-8073
February 7, 2024

PRESS RELEASE 

Our Ability Announces New Partnerships to Make NYS Documents More AccessibleOur Ability Continues Work to Encourage Inclusiveness & Accessibility

(Albany, N.Y.) – Our Ability is announcing that Disability Rights New York (DRNY), New York State Teachers’ Retirement Systems (NYSTRS), and the Warren, Washington, and Albany ARC (WWAARC), and will utilize Our Abilities’ ableist remediate tool for PDF office documents and web products and language.

Late 2023, the NYS Procurement Council approved Digital Accessibility and Usability Testing and Remediation Reporting Services (“DAUTRRS”) as a Preferred Source Offering by New York State Industries for the Disabled, Inc. (“NYSID”). Our Ability is eligible to become a Corporate Partner of NYSID which would allow Our Ability to provide digital remediate services to state and local government agencies bringing those agencies into compliance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. 794d) The Act requires that persons with disabilities have the same ability to access digital documents as those without disabilities.

Our Ability’s PDF document, language and web accessibility products utilize AI and an extension of their Abi chat bot to ensure digital accessibility for those with disabilities.

“We are proud that our generative AI system has expanded to include digital accessibility,” said John Robinson, Our Ability CEO. “It is our goal to build the latest AI technology, and at the same time hire additional employees with disabilities to expand accessibility for all. It is equally important that we are building this operation in New York State.”

Disability Rights New York, the New York State Teachers’ Retirement Systems, and the Warren, Washington & Albany ARC have both committed to utilizing services provided by NYSID through Our Ability.

“DRNY is continually working to ensure the highest level of accessibility for all the information that we provide,” said Timothy A. Clune, Executive Director DRNY. “We are looking forward to working with Our Ability and supporting the ever expanding need to grow with technology by using this tool.”

“We are proud that our generative AI system has expanded to include digital accessibility,” said John Robinson, Our Ability CEO. “It is our goal to build the latest AI technology, and at the same time hire additional employees with disabilities to expand accessibility for all. It is equally
important that we are building this operation in New York State.”

Disability Rights New York, the New York State Teachers’ Retirement Systems, and the Warren, Washington & Albany ARC have both committed to utilizing services provided by NYSID through Our Ability.

“DRNY is continually working to ensure the highest level of accessibility for all the information that we provide,” said Timothy A. Clune, Executive Director DRNY. “We are looking forward to working with Our Ability and supporting the ever expanding need to grow with technology by using this tool.”