The FeedRoom to Power `508-Compliant' Videos for two U.S. Federal Agencies, Ensuring Web Video Access to the Disabled

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The FeedRoom, a leading provider of Web video solutions for media companies, corporations and government agencies, today announced that both the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will deploy FeedRoom Access, an end-to-end streaming web video solution that affords accessibility to disabled users. The launch will ensure that the new web-based video offerings from the GSA and HHS are in compliance with Section 508 of the federal Rehabilitation Act, which regulates the accessibility of electronic and information technology to people with disabilities.

FeedRoom Access is the first component based on the company’s new next-generation web video platform, which will be released throughout the year.

FeedRoom Access addresses the individual needs of those afflicted by disabilities including blindness or partial or poor vision, colorblind users, deaf users and those limited to only keyboard/voice input. FeedRoom Access’s patent-pending technology is compliant with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, as amended in 1998, and provides an array of features designed to work with or without assistive technology (AT).

Included in this functionality is the display of synchronous captions for individual videos and an “AccessMap” that provides an HTML representation of the video library with navigation that is comparable to that in the standard user interface. Other features include transcript files for blind users to process while listening to accompanying audio, screen reader or alternative input device capabilities for those unable to use their limbs and speech recognition technology to automatically link to different screens.

“Web video has become a mainstream source of both entertainment and important information, so the next logical step in this emergence is to make sure that it is accessible to individuals with disabilities,” said Mark Portu, President and CEO of The FeedRoom. “The GSA and HHS are taking leadership positions in making their video offerings 508 compliant. We’re proud to be a part of the process and see unlimited potential for this technology in both the public and corporate sectors.”

The explosion of Web video has made access an emerging topic, particularly in the public sector. U.S. Representative Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), chairman of the Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet, has introduced a bill entitled “The 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act.” The bill would require TV networks in the United States to provide captioning and video description tracks when they stream their shows over the Internet. In addition, video description tracks would be made mandatory for traditional TV broadcasts, making them more accessible to the disabled.

“Ubiquitous access and compliance with Section 508 are issues that should be on the mind of all federal agencies that are deploying web video,” said Angela Hooker, an accessibility expert who consults on federal and private sector efforts. “As the medium becomes more entrenched, it will be subject to the same rigorous oversight as others like television or radio to ensure that no one is being denied access to the content.”

The GSA site will use the new 508-compliant content in the coming weeks to populate its www.usa.gov site, which is the public portal to all aspects of the U.S. government. Included will be videos ranging from PSAs to passport and tax information. Likewise, the HHS site (http://video.hhs.gov/access), which is live today, will feature crisis information on topics such as pandemic flu as well as PSAs on general health and fitness.

The FeedRoom’s support of the GSA and HHS represents its latest success in the public sector market, where it has provided online video solutions to entities such as the U.S. Department of State, Department of Defense, Marine Corps and The Pentagon.

About The FeedRoom

The FeedRoom is a market leader in providing Web Video solutions that optimize communication strategies for global organizations and government agencies. Our solutions combine powerful web video technology with content management and detailed reporting – providing a complete platform for content owners to create, control and distribute video.

The FeedRoom's services range from video production and site integration, to encoding, content management, streaming and detailed reporting. The FeedRoom offers a comprehensive feature set including: RSS feeds, UGC tools, Video blogging, Podcasting, Search Engine Optimization. Clients include: Barnes & Noble, General Motors, Intel, Hewlett-Packard, Sun Microsystems, ESPN, The New York Times, Conde Nast, Bristol-Myers Squibb, BusinessWeek, the U.S. Department of State and The Pentagon.

For more information, please visit www.feedroom.com.