Link to Dana Marlowe's Discussion on Employees with Disabilities

To hear Dana's interview broadcast on hiring people with disabilities with Bruce Hurwitz, please click here:

Radio Discussion on Employees with Disabilities

On August 17, at 5:00 EST, Dana Marlowe will be the premiere guest on blogtalkradio's show with Bruce Hurwitz. Marlowe will discuss that people with disabilities constitute 20% of the population of the United States and are largest minority group in the country. She will talk about Accessibility Partners, which itself employs many workers with disabilities. Dana will work with Bruce discussing and dispelling the common misconception that people with disabilities are under-qualified, or they lack proper educational training, or are otherwise unfit for the job. In fact, they are extremely dedicated and hardworking individuals.

To read more about the discussion and radio show, please click here:

New ADA Regulations Lead to New Workplace Accommodations

With the new health care reform and the new additions to the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA), suddenly, disability has a new definition. It covers a wider range of disability, and one of these is pregnancy.

In Lisa Beyer's article in Workforce Management, entitled "Workplace Regulations Provide Relief to Pregnant Women and Breastfeeding Moms", the very issue of pregnancy in the workplace is discussed. While it is seen as meriting an accommodation, some businesses are still slow or just view them as perks.

Dana Marlowe weighed in on the issue, to discuss the importance of lactation rooms in businesses. Dana views lactation rooms as one example of reasonable accommodations employers should make for pregnant women and new mothers. "These regulations are important but are years too late in my opinion," Marlowe states. She continues, "Minor accommodations and common sense provide the best work environment and leads to more productivity".

To read the full article, click here:

A Model for Success

Sometimes, individuals who work from home are unfairly deemed to be less productive. Yet, if there are means to allow for successful and effective communication between the office headquarters and the worker, this is not an issue. An article on Portfolio.com recently highlighted the abilities or remote workers to connect back to the headquarters. Accessibility Partners, which operates on a telework model, voiced in on the issue. Principal Partner Dana Marlowe said, "An employee is just as valuable and efficient at home as they are in my office". What's her secret to monitor the efficiency? Marlowe continues, "Because of instant messaging software, I can check on their progress during the day".

To read the full article, click here:

Accessibility Partners Weighs in on Cyber Discrimination

An article published in early May by the Florida Health Industry Communications recently highlighted the important issue of website accessibility. Dr. Jeff Segal, MD, JD, FACS and Michael Sacopulos, JD provide an introduction to ADA and Section 508 legislation. They highlight idea of 'self regulation' with website accessiblity in the private sectors of businesses. While website accessibility is mandated for government agencies, it is only strongly encouraged for companies. Segal and Sacopulos discussed some of the current lawsuits regarding disability discrimination on inaccessible websites and looked for some expert accessiblity advice. Accessibility Partners was interviewed and the article includes some insight on the topic.

"If somebody doesn't have use of their hands and arms and they have some type of mobile disability, they might use some type of speech recognition to navigate the web. If they are trying to research a medical practice in their city and they Google it and doctors office comes up and they get to the website and the website is not accessible for them; it might be like getting to the door and having the door locked and having the doorbell be out of reach. So it kind of cuts off, unintentionally a whole population of potential clients," Dana Marlowe of Accessibility Partners said.

Internet accessibility isn't just a nice idea but it should be a major part of constructing a web site. Not only does inaccessibility leave open the opportunity for a lawsuit but you might be losing valuable customers, clients or patients.

To read the full article, click here:

Accessibilty Partners is Awarded a GSA Schedule Contract

Accessibilty Partners, announced in March that the company has been awarded the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) IT Schedule 70 contract. Known as the Multiple Award Schedule, the Information Technology (IT) Schedule 70 grants agencies direct access to commercial experts who can thoroughly address the needs of the government IT community through 20 Special Item Numbers (SINs) which assist with IT hardware, software and services. The GSA awarded Accessibility Partners awarded two SINs (132-50 and 132-51), which enable them to offer training courses and IT professional services.

IT Schedule 70 allows for choice, flexibility, ease of use and access to the highest quality of IT products, services and solutions from small businesses and industry giants. Local, state and federal governments can now work closely with the accessibility managers, engineers, consultants, analysts, remediators of Accessibility Partners to obtain services and training. As a trusted vendor partner with the government, Accessibility Partners can complete contracts with agencies faster and with fewer obstacles. The company hopes to provide 'best practice' services and training with federal agencies regarding not only accessible technology but also disability awareness to employees and key stakeholders.

"Working with the federal government as an authorized vendor partner will enables us to provide more opportunities to our dealers and to support our government partners in this very important field," said Dana Marlowe, principal partner of Accessibility Partners. "Accessibility Partners understands the imperative need of government agencies for Section 508 technology consulting and training. With the growing technological market, accessibility is becoming more of a requirement and less of an option".

To learn more about Accessibility Partners' services and company information, please visit GSAAdvantage! here:

and search for Accessibilty Partners either by name or contract number (GS-35F-0238X).

Winning A Contract with the Government

A February 3rd article in NFIB: The Voice of Small Business discussed small businesses awarded contracts with the government in surprising industries. The articled highlighted Accessibility Partners for its work with some large federal agencies. Dana Marlowe discussed the merits of working with the government on such an involved level. She talks about the flexibility of Accessibility Partners' work on that level and how exciting it is to enact real change in the government.

Accessibility Partners Sheds Light on Workplace Stress

On December 12, Want2Dish, a local Frederick, Maryland online newspaper featured an article about removing workplace stressors. Amanda Haddaway, the author of the piece, shared tips from local Maryland business owners about what they do to eliminate workplace stress. Dana Marlowe's submission discussed the merits of taking a small break from work to actually work out. Moving around eliminates a lot of stress, as well as taking small breaks to online shop for toys her son. Then, she gets to imagine how much fun she will have playing with him.

To read the full article, as well as Dana's submission click here:

Accessibility Partners Cleans Up!

The website, Virtue Radio Network, recently posted an artcle about cleaning your house for the holidays. Accessibility Partners' Dana Marlowe submitted her own unique tip to the site and was featured in the article. Dana's tip focuses on saving time with cleaning by maximizing the power of cleaning sprays and the usability of a laundry basket. As Dana puts it, it's like "cleaning two birds with one stone". The article goes on to include other quick and easy cleaning tips.

To read the full article, as well as Dana's submission click here:

Check out the video from the Stevie Awards!

A video clip of Accessibility Partners' win at the 2010 Stevie Awards for Women in Business is online. The award for best executive, presented to Dana Marlowe, is accepted by Sharon Rosenblatt on her behalf.

The video can be found here:

Accessibility Partners' Passion and Expertise Featured in IdeaMensch Blog

The November 19th post in the IdeaMensch blog featured an interview with Accessibility Partners' Dana Marlowe and the overall company's commitment to providing accessible technology for people with disabilites. IdeaMensch is dedicated to "Passionate People Bringing Ideas to Life". The post discusses the creation of the company in relation to the principal partner's, Dana Marlowe's experience. There is a heavy emphasis on hiring people with disabilities and on widespread accessibility in the technological arena. There are also mentions of various trends and books that the company follows. The intrerview also gives strong business tips to other small business and entrepreneurs. It is an educational interview but real. Dana gives humorous and serious advice to inspire any entrepreneur.

To read the full interview, click here:

Accessibility Partners' Dana Marlowe Wins Big in the Stevie Awards for Women in Business

Dana Marlowe, of Accessibility Partners, won a Stevie Award for Best Executive in the Stevie Awards for Women in Business on November 12, 2010 in New York, NY.

The Stevie Awards for Women in Business is an international competition recognizing the accomplishments of outstanding women executives, entrepreneurs, and the organizations they run. The awards are produced by the creators of the prestigious American Business AwardsSM.

In winning the Stevie, Dana Marlowe beat out other finalists as this years' Stevie Awards for Women in Business attracted more than 1,200 nominations overall. Sharon Rosenblatt, the Marketing and Communications Executive accepted the award on behalf of Dana Marlowe. Sharon was presented the Stevie Award by Sara Eisen, a markets reporter for Bloomberg TV. In accepting the Stevie, Sharon said, "By accepting this award, we hope to empower all people with disabilities".

Stevie Awards were handed out in categories including Best Entrepreneur, Best Executive, Lifetime Achievement, and Women Helping Women at the gala event at New York's Marriott Marquis Hotel on November 12. More than 1,200 entries from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry were submitted for consideration.

Accessibility Partners and Dana Marlowe were also finalists in three other categories. Accessibility Partners was nominated for Best New Company of the Year as well as Most Innovative Company. Dana Marlowe was a finalist in the Best Entrepreneur category as well.

A full press release about the event can be found here:

Bang It Out: Dana Marlowe's Musical Suggestions

The October 2010 edition of WebMD—the magazine featured a suggestion by Accessibility Partners' Dana Marlowe. The focus of the article was on stress and Dana provided a smart solution on her methods of distressing. When Dana needs a break from the stresses of the day, she replies, "I cruise right into my toddler's playroom, and I just jam out with his toys—-the xylophone, the baby piano. I almost have 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star' down". According to research featured in WebMD, this casual music making can have a positive effect on stress and keep it from becoming chronic. As Dana puts it, "It's a fun release from the daily grind".

To see the whole article, click here:

Accessibility Partners is a Finalist in Four Categories for the Stevie Awards for Women in Business<

Last week, the Stevie Awards for Women in business announced their finalists. Accessibility Partners as a company is a finalist in two categories: Most Innovative Company of the Year and Best New Company of the Year. Dana Marlowe was also nominated in two categories for the Stevie Awards:Best Entrepreneur – Service Businesses and for Best Executive – Service Businesses.
This prestigious award is given out once a year to honor the contributions women make across the spectrum of business. The Stevie Awards were created to honor and generate public recognition of the achievements and positive contributions of organizations and business people worldwide. The Stevie Awards for Women in Business are governed by a Board of Distinguished Judges & Advisors that features many leading figures in business. All women entrepreneurs and executives worldwide, and all women-owned and -run organizations worldwide, are eligible to participate in the awards. An awards dinner and ceremony will be held in New York City on Friday, November 12.

The complete list of finalists can be found here:

Social Entrepreneur Blog Features Accessibility Partnersh2>

The October 6th post in the Shoestring Venture blog focused entirely on Accessibility Partners and its commitment to social entrepreneurship. The post discusses the start of the company in relation to the principal partner's, Dana Marlowe's experience. There is a heavy emphasis on hiring people with disabilities and on widespread accessibility in the technological arena. There are also references to the types of technology that Accessibility Partners uses on a day-to-day to basis and how this translates into the employees with disabilities within the company. It illustrates the ups and downs of the startup company. The twist of the article is that it weaves in references of Bon Jovi's song, "Livin' on a Prayer" in relation to the plight of the entrepreneur.

The entire blog post can be found here:

Accessibility Partners Talks Finances on ABC Good Money Segment

A September 21 broadcast of Good Money on ABC News featured a phone-in question from Dana Marlowe. Dana discussed Accessibility Partners and the nature of teleworking from home with respect to client relations. She interacted amicably with the host, Susan Solovic. The segment was entitled, "Minding Your Business with Susan Solovic". The topic of discussion for that day was the small business lunch on a budget. The clip of the entire segment is featured below, although Dana's section begins roughly ten minutes into the clip.

Accessibility Partners Presented at September 28 Disability Advocacy Conference

Dana Marlowe presented on disability awareness in the workplace for an Community Options, Inc advocacy conference in Austin, Texas. The presentation is titled "Breaking Down Accessibility Workplace Barriers: The Nexus of Technology & Disability Advocacy". The presentation highlighted the various attitudinal behaviors displayed towards people with disabilities in the workplace. The purpose wass to quell some if not all doubts about the career skills of people with disabilities. The one-hour talk included a comprehensive primer on the basic history of the accessibility in technology movement with heavy emphasis on Section 508 and the World Wide Web Consortium. In addition, the presentation consisted of numerous examples of assistive technology and how people with disabilities use and rely on these in the workforce. There was an in-depth look at the various prejudices and stereotypes that people with disabilities consistently face while at work. The presentation demonstrated ways to not only repair but also improve on employee relations. The concluding portion gave tips and advice for the audience on how to be a better advocate for people with disabilities. It tied in the absolute necessity of assistive technology in the workplace in order to not only make a more competitive business for the employer but also one of greater employee diversity.

To see a more in-depth press release by Community Options about the conference and Dana's contributions, click here:

Rochester Institute of Technology Recognizes Accessibility Partners' Contributions to Disability Advocacy

The fall 2010 edition of RIT's magazine placed a bright spotlight on Dana Marlowe and her passion of providing equal technological access to all people with disabilities. The article discusses her efforts in the accessibility field in the past. Then she talks about how her efforts and experience drove her to help create Accessibility Partners. The article, written by Kathy Lindsley, focuses on Dana's earlier work and personal accomplishments catapulted her capabilities into creating a full-fledged business. The article goes on to mention Dana's various awards but highlights her commitment to the cause. Lindsley closes with a personal remark by Dana, "At the end of the day, I go to sleep so happy"

The full text of the RIT article can be found here:

The Hot Mommas Project Recognizes 1st Runner-Up Dana Marlowe at their Award Ceremony

On April 28, the Hot Mommas Project awarded Dana a 1st runner up prize for her unique case study. Dana's case study, From Exotic Entertainers to CEO: Stripping Down the Essentials of Entrepreneurship, discusses the importance of creativity and risk-taking as an entrepreneur in the business world. Furthermore, it capitalizes on Dana's commitment to Accessibility Partners and her passion for her job. Accessibility Partners thrives on its employee involvement within the community of people with disabilities. The Hot Mommas Project is an inspiring program through the George Washington University that uses case stories from ordinary women in often entrepreneurial roles. A Prentice-Hall textbook will publish ase studies in books across the country to serve as motivating factors for young girls and women in academic settings. The text of Dana's case study can be found here:

Technorati Blog Interviews Accessibility Partners' Dana Marlowe

Don Martelli, a writer for Technorati's blog, recently featured Accessibility Partners in his article, "Making Technology Accessible to the Disabled". Martelli's article highlighted Accessibility Partners' efforts to help companies and government agencies procure accessible technology. Martelli interviewed Dana Marlowe and they discussed Dana's interest in accessibility and how Accessibility Partners began. Martelli and Marlowe went on to talk about Accessibility Partners' professional growth from its initial creation. Technorati is a website that compiles several blogs with a focus on technology.

The full text of the interview can be found here:

Accessibility Partners Weighs in on the Smart Phone Popularity

BizTech Magazine published an article discussing the increasing usage of smart phones in the business world. Author Ben Bradley wanted to discover how this small piece of technology is so capable of changing the way people do business today. Dana Marlowe's input was included in the article but with a special twist. She not only discussed her personal Blackberry usage but how people with disabilities use this smart technology within Accessibility Partners. Dana touts how smart phones can connect people with disabilities to the technology world and how it can enable them to independence and autonomy. Because Accessibility Partners employs many employees with disabilities across the country, smart phones are an excellent method to ensure connectivity within the comapny. BizTech magazine focuses on technological trends in the business world and how this technology interacts with the people conducting everyday business.

The full text of the article can be found here:

Two Blogs Feature Accessibility Partners

An April 20 blog entry by Sarah Shaw in the Entreprenette Gazette contained 67 career tips submitted in by mid-level professionals. As number 43, Dana's entry, "Everything Counts", consisted of the following advice that she employs while working with Accessibility Partners:

"What Changed My Business: When I was starting my IT accessibility consulting firm my step-father gave me a tip he's been telling me for years. It's simple, but can be applied to many business decisions that were occurring at the beginning and still today. His words to me were never forget that "Everything counts." It's advice that I remember when dealing with clients as well as when talking to the person behind me in line at the supermarket. It's helped me with our Section 508 accessibility work and everyday life too."

The Entreprenette Gazette is a website that features articles focusing on women entrepreneurs and various related topics.

The remaining tips and the full blog can be found here:

On August 27, the Toilet Paper Entrepreneur included a contribution by Dana Marlowe. She submitted a business tip to the site as a means to not only share her experience with Accessibility Partners but to help others in similar situations. The blog post contained selections under the heading, "168 Different Ways How to be a Better Entrepreneur in One Minute".

Dana's selection was "60 Seconds To A Better Entrepreneur: Listening to my son giggle is one of the most invigorating and inspirational sounds for me. I think a little bit of focus on the family helps keep perspective on working long hours and being committed to my accessibility and Section 508 business. Since accessibility consulting requires travel, I've been known to listen to my toddler's laugh saved in a file on my phone and computer. That way I can always have a fun pick-me up that makes me smile and refocuses my energy on my business". The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur is an online, tell-it-how-it-is guide to surviving in the difficult business world.

The remaining tips and the full blog can be found here:

Dana Marlowe Discusses her Back-up Plan

Lisa Steadman, an author and personal blogger had an entry on April 19 about people and their career back-up plans. Steadman wanted to see what happened when 'Plan-A' no longer suited a person and they had to switch paths quickly. Dana Marlowe was featured in this section about her personal career plan with Accessibility Partners.

Dana said, "I left my steady bi-weekly paycheck and concrete job to open up my own consulting business. Business is booming and we've had to hire several people. My firm helps federal agencies and major Fortune 500 companies make their technology accessible for people with disabilities. We hire folks with disabilities with IT/Computer Science backgrounds around the country who telework and audit software, hardware, and websites from our clients. It's been going and growing great and I'm so glad I made that decision."

The full text of post can be found here:

Accessibility Partners Featured in Women in Business Blog

An April 5th edition of the womenbiz blog included mention of Dana Marlowe. The post's focus was having government clients and the ensuing benefits of maintaining such a client. Dana specifically stated why government clients were great assets to Accessibility Partners and said that other companies can reap these benefits: 1. Esteemed and credible client. 2. Pay on time, thereby expectancy aids with cash flow in a small business. 3. Federal employees committed to their position. 4. Once you have a contract, future procurement with that agency is sometimes easier. Accessibility Partners' has worked with government agencies to help them procure accessible technology and provide testing of those procurements.

The full text of the blog can be found here:

Other Recent Publicity

AP's Dana Marlowe has been featured in other prominent media outlets. Some of her recent submissions were published on FOXNews, NBC, Glamour, the Washingtonian Magazine and American Baby. She will be featured in future issues of Reader’s Digest, Parents Magazine, WebMD Magazine and RIT Magazine.

March 2010

Accessibility Partners presented at the 25th Annual International Technology & Persons with Disabilities Conference on Wednesday, March 24, 2010.

 

Social Networking Tips and Tools for Accessing the Inaccessible

 

Dana Marlowe

Dana Marlowe, Principal Partner of Accessibility Partners moderated an expert panel of people with disabilities who shared their social networking experiences and provided tips for a more enjoyable and beneficial experience. The panel was comprised of the following subject matter experts in the industry.

Tom Wlodkowski: Director of Accessibility for AOL, discussed the corporate perspective on social networking and aggregators: AIM Facebook & Lifestream aggregator

Mika Pyyhkala: President of NFB, Massachusetts, shared his tips and tricks as an extreme social networking power-user of Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, FourSquare, Blogger, Podcaster and more.

Shadi Abou-Zahra: W3C WAI Activity Lead, consulted on social networking and telework around the globe, and remote working management tips for using social networking tools.

Karen Beauregard

Karen Beauregard: Principal Partner of Accessibility Partners, discussed tips for baby-boomer and maturing population on social networking sites related to accessibility, security, and privacy.

 

Visit the CSUN Schedule for more details on the event by visiting the WEB-1004 page.

Championing Communication for People with Disabilities

In January 2010, Dana Marlowe visited Rochester Institute of Technology (Rochester, New York) to present on the topic of integrating people with disabilities in society. She gave an impassioned speech on the challenges people with disabilities face in not only the workforce but also all public places. Dana is a strong advocate for disability awareness and is an expert on the cause. She has traveled to other locations on behalf of Accessibility Partners to present on the same topic and has enacted real change. Her efforts have helped people with disabilities fully integrate into the work force. For further information, the full press release can be found here:

September 2009

Dana Marlowe, principal partner at Accessibility Partners, a firm that helps gov't agencies sand contractors make sure their technology meets federal disability standards, such as Section 508: "Everything from websites and computer software to the copier machines." So if an accountant at the Department of Labor is legally blind, the agency's financial management software must be able to work with whatever assistive technology that employee use.

 

Dana, a New York native, keeps busy reading mystery novels, playing fantasy football, and traveling to places where she can't speak the language and doesn't know what she's eating.

December 2009

In December 2009, Dana Marlowe, Principal Partner of Accessibility Partners, was awarded a top 35 under 35 award from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF). The 35 Finest Event was held at the B&O Railroad Museum in Baltimore, Maryland.

From Left to Right: Chris Barnhil, Dana Marlowe and Mac Tisdale