SSB BART Group
Breaking Down the Walls to Digital Access

Organizations belonging to the current internet-driven era are obliged to follow public web regulations. If an enterprise, at any stage, fails to maintain compliancy to such regulations, it turns vulnerable to the risk of legal issues. The risks or costs applicable to litigation issues are real and based on the substantive allegation that inaccessible systems limit the civil rights of people with disabilities. Achieving compliance with the relevant laws and standards requires extensive testing, consultation, and validation of systems, as well as specialized knowledge and infrastructure. Additionally, functional testing of systems by individuals with disabilities has to be a vital part of attempts to achieve compliancy with these standards. Despite the susceptibility of the situation, most organizations are not equipped nor have the resources to execute or coordinate this type of testing. Finally, ongoing acquiescence attempts call for sustained governance and training activities.

Recognizing these deficiencies and acting on them effectively is the cornerstone of California based SSB BART Group (SSB), with areas of focus including developing software, training, and consulting solutions that cater to the specific accessibility requirements. SSB operates closely with companies to ensure compliance with digital accessibility laws and standards such as the American Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 508 and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).

SSB offers auditing, design and development, plan and program development and comprehensive training services to ensure acceptance of all types of digital technology. This applies to web sites, web applications, physical hardware, software, telecommunications, and electronic documents.

Founded in 1997 by engineers with disabilities, SSB has completed accessibility projects for hundreds of enterprise-class firms focused on achieving accessibility compliance across large development environments. Today, SSB leads the space in enabling organizations to create digital properties in an accessible fashion.

SSB’s Accessibility Management Platform (AMP) provides the infrastructure for facilitating all aspects of a successful accessibility acquiescence program. With a powerful testing engine and work flow, AMP allows organizations to quickly and efficiently achieve compliance in a cost-effective manner. Further, the company’s Accessibility Help Desk gives clients access to the industry’s best resources with zero overhead.

Being Distinctive

“Our sole focus has always been on digital accessibility. Many competing firms offer general usability, privacy, security, brand compliance and search engine optimization. However, such solutions often leave customers with short term solutions that are poorly managed and executed. Given the complexity of digital accessibility and the difficulty of implementing accessibility initiatives, the current requirement is for a singular and strategic focus on accessibility,” explains, Timothy Springer, President and CEO.

SSB’s strategic focus empowers organizations to achieve proper, rapid and cost-effective technologies, by combining risk management and real world implementation concerns. This includes balancing the risks of being non-compliant with the legal and regulatory requirements. Finally, SSB solutions not only meet regulatory standards, but also work in the real world for people with disabilities.

Industry Is Still In Infancy

The expert opinion from SSB is that the digital accessibility solutions are still in their nascent stages, far away from mainstream development. Recognizing this, SSB impart straight forward yet concise guidance on fixing accessibility issues, maximizing investments on accessibility, and balancing requirements for legal conformance and usability for individuals with disabilities.