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About Us

Our Story

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

Each year, Knowbility directly serves more than 1000 people through our Accessibility Internet Rally, AccessU, and other training and consulting services.

Since 1999, Knowbility has been working with hundreds of businesses, 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 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 has 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

Knowbility is actively recruiting for committed board members who can help us raise awareness and funds to support our community programs. Interested? Complete the Volunteer Interest form to indicate interest in board service.

Our Team

Strategic Partners

Deque Systems

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.

St. Edwards University

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.

Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired

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.

VSA Texas

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.

Sponsors

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.

  • 2017 — Martha Arbuckle Meritorious Service Award, The Austin Mayor’s Committee for People with Disabilities and the Texas Governor’s Committee for People with Disabilities; to Executive Director for exceptional degree of service to people with disabilities.
  • 2015 — FCC Chairman’s Award for Innovation in Accessibility
  • 2012 — Media Award for Outstanding Leadership, National Assoc. of Social Workers, Texas
  • 2010 — Texas Governor’s Award for Volunteerism
  • 2010 — City of Austin Mayor’s Committee For People with Disabilities, Partnership Award
  • 2010 — Employer of the Year, the Texas Rehabilitation Association
  • Executive Director named a Community Tech Champion by the U.S. Congressional Black Caucus.
  • 2003 — TEC Champion Award for Outstanding Technology Leadership from the Washington DC based Education Technology Think Tank and CTCNet
  • 2002 — Dewey Winburne Community Service Award to Executive Director, Sharron Rush, SXSW Interactive Media Conference
  • 2002 — Outstanding Community Collaboration, Texas State Legislature, for ATSTAR project
  • 2001 — Community Technology Partnership Award from Capitol Area Training Foundation
  • 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
  • 2000 — Peter F. Drucker Foundation for Nonprofit Innovation. Knowbility’s Accessibility Internet Rally (AIR) recognized as innovative program
  • 2000 — White House recognition — Rocky Mountain AIR program was cited by President Clinton as noteworthy initiative bridging the digital divide
  • 2000 — Texas Interactive Media Award (TIM) for public service for AIR-Austin project.
  • 2000 — National Labor Summit highlights Knowbility’s AIR program as a “best practice” in the employment of people with disabilities
  • 1999 — Community Collaboration Award; Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce, United Way/Capital Area and citysearch.com.
  • 1998 — Achievement in Media Award, Austin Mayor’s Committee on People with Disabilities