About Us

Our mission is to support the independence of children and adults with disabilities by promoting the use and improving the availability of accessible information technology.

Our Story

Knowbility, Inc. is a nonprofit organization based in Austin, Texas and an award-winning leader in accessible information technology.

Each year we directly serve more than 1,000 people through our OpenAIR program and our training and consulting services.

Since 1999, Knowbility has been working with hundreds of business, educational entities, government and nonprofit organizations to train staff, implement effective accessibility strategies, and monitor long term goals to reach millions of new users.

Knowbility, Inc. was incorporated as a 501(c)(3) in March, 1999 shortly after conducting its first community-building event called the Accessibility Internet Rally (AIR Austin) now called OpenAIR. AIR Austin proved to be an effective model for engaging the information technology sector and the social services community in disability issues. It has since become an annual event and been replicated in several U.S. cities. Knowbility’s team of experts is internationally recognized for its role in creating the worldwide standard for web accessibility implementation and training.

Our Board

Past Members

Our Team

Strategic Partnerships

Deque Systems offers end-to-end web compliance products that are Web 2.0 ready. Knowbility incorporates the Worldspace tool in the testing of many sites and has teamed up with Deque to offer the tool to its clients.

Visit Deque Systems

MicroAssist is an experienced software education center who partners with countless organizations in need of custom E-Learning, classroom training, and technology services. Knowbility began to working MicroAssist in 2009 as part of the OpenAIR program. Knowbility and MicroAssist collaborate to build interactive online accessibility courses that are fully SCORM complaint to corporate and government clients. Contact us for more information on how to make this training part of your own accessibility program support.

Visit MicroAssist

St. Edwards University is a private college located in Austin Texas. Since 2004, Knowbility has partnered with St. Ed’s Office of Information Technology to host John Slatin AccessU – a curated digital accessibility conference. Every spring hundreds of accessibility experts-in-training invade the lovely South Austin campus for two days of accessibility training by leaders of the usability and accessibility fields.

Visit St. Edwards University

The Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (TSBVI) serves as a special public school in the continuum of statewide placements for students who have a visual impairment. It is also a statewide resource to parents of these children and to professionals who serve them. Students, ages 6 through 21, who are blind, deafblind, or visually impaired, including those with additional disabilities, are eligible for consideration for services at TSBVI.

Visit TSBVI

Knowbility partners with VSA Texas in the provision of audio described and captioned video content for corporate business, academia, and government agencies. Contact us for accessible media support.

Visit VSA Texas

Awards & Recognition

Knowbility has received numerous awards and national recognition for excellence in service to people with disabilities, including special recognition by the Clinton White House, the US Congressional Black Caucus and the US Department of Labor as a leader in best practices in the employment of people with disabilities. In 2009 and 2010 Executive Director, Sharron Rush, was invited to the West Wing to consult about disability and employment issues with Kareem Dale, the Obama White House Special Advisor on Disability Issues.

FCC Chairman’s Award for Innovation in Accessibility, 2015
Media Award for Outstanding Leadership, March 2012, National Assoc. of Social Workers, Texas
Texas Governor’s Award for Volunteerism, July 2010
City of Austin Mayor’s Committee For People with Disabilities, 2010 Partnership Award
Employer of the Year, the Texas Rehabilitation Association, June 2010
Executive Director named a Community Tech Champion by the U.S. Congressional Black Caucus.
Featured in articles in Equity online newsletter, May 2004 and in Sophist online newsletter
TEC Champion Award for Outstanding Technology Leadership from the Washington DC based Education Technology Think Tank and CTCNet, September 2003
Dewey Winburne Community Service Award to Executive Director, Sharron Rush, SXSW Interactive Media Conference, 2002.
Outstanding Community Collaboration, Texas State Legislature, for ATSTAR project, 2002.
Community Technology Partnership Award from Capitol Area Training Foundation, Feb. 2001
Executive Director, Sharron Rush, named to Top 25 Women of the Web by San Francisco Women of the Web for raising awareness of the need for Internet accessibility, April 2001.
Peter F. Drucker Foundation for Nonprofit Innovation. Knowbility’s Accessibility Internet Rally (AIR) recognized as innovative program, October 2000.
White House recognition – Rocky Mountain AIR program was cited by President Clinton as a new and noteworthy initiative bridging the digital divide, September 21, 2000.
Texas Interactive Media Award (TIM) for public service for AIR-Austin project.
National Labor Summit highlights Knowbility’s AIR program as a “best practice” in the employment of people with disabilities, April 2000.
Community Collaboration Award; Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce, United Way/Capital Area and citysearch.com.
Achievement in Media Award, Austin Mayor¹s Committee on People with Disabilities, October 1998

About Knowbility

Equal Access to Technology for People with Disabilities

Knowbility is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with the mission of improving technology access for millions of youth and adults with disabilities all over the world. Our programs reflect our core values and the strong belief that accessible technology is a key to providing equal access to educational, employment, and social opportunities for people with disabilities. Whether you want to learn about accessibility, participate in the community or get help from our experts; Knowbility has the experience you need. As a worldwide leader in accessible information technology since 1998 we’ve worked with hundreds of business, education, government and nonprofit organizations to train staff, implement effective accessibility strategies, and monitor long term goals to reach millions of new users.