Steve Jacobs

Steve Jacobs has been in the computer industry for 30 years. Jacobs is President of IDEAL Group, Inc. and CEO of Online Conferencing Systems Group, Inc. a subsidiary of IDEAL. IDEAL Group is a 2002 spin-off of IDEAL at NCR Corporation (NYSE: NCR).  IDEAL Group's mission is, "To develop and use advanced technologies in support of enhancing the quality-of-life, independence, educatability and employability of persons with disabilities."

Jacobs served as President of IDEAL at NCR until his retirement from NCR, at the end of 2002, after 25 years of service. Previous to heading IDEAL Jacobs had responsibilities as NCR’s global accessibility program manager and managed a wide-range of technical support, application development, technical education, hardware product management and commercial industry marketing groups.

Previous to NCR’s spin-off from AT&T (NYSE: T) at the end of 1996, Jacobs served as Chairman AT&T Global Information Solution's Project Freedom.  In 1992 Project Freedom pioneered the use of interactive video technology in support of sign-language communication over the Internet. Today this service is referred to as video relay services (VRS).

Appointments and related activities:

• Federal Communications Commission’s Consumer Advisory Committee [2005-2007]

  • Home page: http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/cac/

• Ohio Governor's Council on People with Disabilities [2002-2005]

  • http://governor.ohio.gov/Appointments/102502appts.htm

• Federal Communications Commission's Consumer/Disability Telecommunications Advisory Committee which has since been renamed the FCC Consumer Advisory Committee [2000-2002];

  • Home page: http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/cac/

• Chaired the International Coalition of Access Engineers and Specialists (ICAES) International Access Engineering Accessible Design Awards Program [2001];

  • Awards Announcement: http://www.icaes.org/072601_press.htm

• Chaired the Association of Access Engineering Specialists (AAES) Excellence in Access Awards Programs [1999-2000];

  • Announcement: http://www.mdtap.org/tt/2000.05/announcements.html#Link9

• Chaired the 1999 Association of Access Engineering Specialists (AAES) Excellence in Access Awards Programs [1999];

  • Announcement: http://www.universaldesign.net/news/apr00.htm#us1

• U.S. Access Board's Electronic and Information Technology Access Advisory Committee [1998-1999];

  • Background Information: http://www.access-board.gov/sec508/status.htm

• U.S. Access Board's Telecommunications Access Advisory Committee [1997-1998];

  • Background Information: http://trace.wisc.edu/docs/taac_intro/taac.htm

Major projects and activities:

• Co-authoring an update to the Department of Commerce's STAT-USA/Internet Companion to International Business. [2006-2007];

  • Publication: http://www.stat-usa.gov/pub.nsf/0/f176c61b92bb58d885256a62007c3b9f?OpenDocument

• Co-authored National Council on Disability report entitled, "Design for Inclusion: Creating a New Marketplace" [2004];

  • Report: http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/2004/online_newmarketplace.htm

• Authored, "Design for Inclusion: Industry White Paper" [2004];

  • Paper: http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/2004/inclusion_whitepaper.htm

• Co-authored National Task Force on Technology and Disability report entitled, "Within Our Reach" [2004];

  • Report: http://www.ntftd.org/report/tableofcontents.htm

• Co-authored the U.S. Access Board's Electronic and Information Technology Access Advisory Committee Report that was used to develop the Access Board’s Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Standards [2000];

  • Report: http://www.access-board.gov/sec508/commrept/eitaacrpt.htm

• Co-authored the Telecommunications Access Advisory Committee Final Report that was used, by the Access Board, to develop their Telecommunications Act Accessibility Guidelines [1998];

  • Report: http://www.access-board.gov/telecomm/commrept/taacrpt.htm

Jacobs is a 1973 graduate of Ohio State University. He and wife, Pauline, have been married for 33 years.  They have two daughters, Shana and Jessica.

More information about Steve Jacobs

1. IDEAL Group, Inc. History:
http://www.ideal-group.org/history

2. IDEAL Group, Inc. Current/Past Projects:
http://www.ideal-group.org/initiatives

3. Steve Jacobs Bio:
http://www.ideal-group.org/bio.htm

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