ThanksAmerica Info/Referral for Assistive Technology, Computer Training and Web Accessibility Consulting Services!

Girmay Micael is dedicated to providing outstanding Assistive Technology (AT), and Web Accessibility services to his customers. These services are including of accessibility, usability and functionality test; procuring accessible technology, employment background check and computer training with adaptive tools. In addition, Girmay is dedicated to empowering the disabled community by informing them about available resources, employment opportunities, technologies, laws and regulations to become more independent and productive that leads to a better quality of life. GZM-ATS raises public awareness about disability through outreach activities, education, and advocacy in the society.

Accessible website, product and services are not only for people with disabilities!

The European Technology Standard Institution (ETSI) has defined accessibility as, Accessibility is extent to which products, systems, services, environments and facilities can be used by people from a population with the widest range of characteristics and capabilities, to achieve a specified goal in a specified context of use. Learn more about accessibility: Products and services that have been designed accessibility in mind enables persons with disabilities to exercise their right to vote, to gain access to transportation, education, employment, housing or recreation .

If companies or organizations want to attain a competitive advantage in increasing market share nationally and globally, those entities must understand that accessible websites, service and product do not mean catering to people with disability. E.G. The baby boomer generation are senior citizens whose population with strong purchasing power through the Internet; and the increasing number of people who browse with mobile devices are huge demand and market for accessible products and services. Users not fluent in the site's language, outdoor users, people with older technologies, low literacy users, people with slow internet connections and users in noisy environments are non-disabled users who benefit from functional, usable and accessible websites, products and services.

Therefore, if companies and organizations want to enhance their business value, entities and institutions must develop and design functional, usable and accessible products and services for all people with disability means for the "57,000,000 people", acording to the US census bureau. In addition, the CKSource (CKSource is the creator of CKEditor, the most popular WYSIWYG HTML editor, and CKFinder, a powerful online Ajax file manager) telss, "The number of people over 65 has reached nearly 30% in Japan, 20% in Europe, and 16% in the U.S." Blindness or visual impairment is a leading disability in our world; therefore, easy modification during product development that includes high contrast mode, using default or defined aria, audio description, volume control, video caption, alternative text label to image, proper use of semantic html elements, authoring and development search text tools, fonts resized mechanism, bypass blocks, ... and designing a products that can be access in multiple ways by different group of disabled people to without breaking functionality is all it takes to reap the accessibility harvest. Therefore, if you are client-focused company, you have no choice but to commit to ensuring that your product and services is routinely tested for accessibility with the end goal to discover how easily people can use your products and services and website. This information would be used to improve future designs and implementations to ensure products AND SERVICES are usable by the greatest number of customers, with consideration for any unique needs of people with special needs.

Are you looking for Accessibility, Usability and Functionality Tester?

No problem, call now to Girmay Micael Senior Accessibility, usability and functionality Tester and assistive technology coordinator at (206) 629-5411 for appointment. Girmay will conduct comprehensive usability and accessibility test for your website against Web Content Accessibility Guideline (WCAG 2.1) Level A & AA success Criteria. Microsoft Accessibility Standard (MAS), the Rehabilitation Act Section 508, the American with Disability Act (ADA), the European Technology Standard Institution (ETSI), and I will do manual testing, automated scans, reviews, color sampling, keyboard only, browser plug-ins and code reviews through the use of screen readers: JAWS, NVDA, Window Eyes, Narrator and VoiceOver.

Are you interested on Procuring Accessible Technology?

Would you like to cultivate the culture of inclusion and diversity in your organization? People with special needs can be fully included in everyday activities of your organization! Whether you work for federal/state agency, public institution, or corporation, you can do it by incorporating accessible technology in early system development.

Are you interested on Employment Background Check?

Are you looking for computer training and/or obtaining Info/Referral of resources?

If you are person with disability looking for assistive technology (AT) needs assessment, AT service and product information and referral, AT training and hardware/software training no problem just call Girmay Micael at (206) 629-5411. You may or may not be charged; it depends your income. assistive technology is hardware or software that helps access products and services for people with disability. AT can be low-tech, middle-tech, or high-tech. Braille displays, screen readers, screen magnification software and eye tracking devices are few examples of high-tech AT. Information about AT click here, or read below

Assistive or Adaptive Technologies (AT) are tools and resources used by people with disabilities to help improve their quality of life. AT enhances and increases independence, learning, mobility, communication and choice. Furthermore, AT has been used by people with disability for education, health, employment as well as for fun. AT can be as simple as handrails, walkers, canes, eyeglasses, hearing aids, knee braces or manual and power wheelchairs, or as technologically sophisticated as hearing-aids, screen-readers, voice-activated computer systems and telecommunication devices designed to be used by people with all types of disabilities. Who can use AT?

In our society, there are many people who use assistive technology: Visually impaired people use cane, guide-dogs, GPS, computer screen readers and scanners for their daily activities. Many elderly people use grab bars in the bathtub to help prevent them from falling; People with hearing impairments use hearing aids; children with muscular dystrophy depends on wheelchairs and/or walkers for mobility; car accident victims or Veterans use crutches to help them recover; people with autism and fine motor limitations use Augmentative and alternative device for communication (AAC); and some sports athletes use assistive technology in the form of ankle supports to help them prevent further injuries.

• Acording to the American with Disability Act (ADA):

  There are many Federal civil rights laws that ensure equal opportunity for people with disabilities. To be protected by the law for disabled, one must have a disability or have a relationship or association with an individual with a disability. An individual with a disability is defined by the law as a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, a person who has a history or record of such an impairment, or a person who is perceived by others as having such an impairment.

• Laws for people with vision loss or people with disabilities:

If you are person with visual impairment or parents of blind person, and looking for advocacy services to realize your dreams How to achieve success, contact the following great advocacy organizations of blind people. These organizations have collective decades of experience in educational, social, and rehabilitation program to help you plan for the possible outcomes.

• American Council of the Blind web site, or call at (202) 467-5081 (800) 424-8666 for the main office
• American Foundation for the Blind, or call the main office at (202) 469-6831
• The National Federation of the Blind, or call the main office at 410-659-9314

Learn a distinction exists among the above organizations representing and/or advocating for individuals who are blind or visually impaired.

• Free advocacy organizations of the blind and visually impaired
• Washington Council of the Blind (WCB) web site or call 1,800 255-1147 for the main office:
• WCB&affiliate chapters in Washington State.

The Social Security SSI or SSDI beneficiary 2024 Income Changes

If you are educator, advocator, rehabilitation professional, counselor, who serve persons with disabilities or applicants and beneficiaries who would like to get information specific to your situation regarding eligibility or benefits click here on: Social Security Administration work incentive program specific to your disability

• The social security has increased the Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) amount for individuals with disabilities, other than blindness, from $1470.00 to $1550.00 for 2024.
• The social security has increased the SGA amount for individuals who are blind from $2,460 to $2,590 for 2024.
• The monthly earnings amount that the social security use to determine if a month counts for the disabled Trial Work Period month is $1110.00 per month in 2024.
• The social security has increased the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Federal Benefit Rates (FBR) from $914 to $943 per month for an eligible individual and from $1,371.00 to $1415.00per month for an eligible couple for 2024.
• For 2024, the amount of earnings that will have no effect on eligibility or benefits for SSI beneficiaries who are students has increased from $8,950 to $9,230 a year. The amount of earnings that the social security can exclude each month, until they have excluded the maximum for the year, has increased from $1,930 to $2,040 a month.

Federal, State, and Social Benefits for Citizens

In the official benefits website of the U.S government, there are thousands of Federal government benefits program for citizens who may be eligible for it. One of the Social Security Administration&39s (SSA) highest priorities is to support the efforts of disabled beneficiaries who want to work by developing policies and services to help them reach their employment goal. The Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) programs include a number of employment support provisions referred to as work incentives. If you like to Learn more about work incentives, ticket to work, or If you would like to learn how to apply for assistance or to learn what benefits category you fit check on the below links.

• Federal government benefits
• Benefits available for your particular disability and situation
• U.S government's website dedicated to teaching all Americans the basics about financial education click here.
• Health Insurance Marketplace, Affordable Care Act
• USA government's Web Portal