GSA Acting Administrator Bibb Elected Chair of Access Board

GSA Acting Administrator Bibb Elected Chair of Access Board

GSA #10222

March 24, 2006
Contact: Andrew Gibbons, (202) 501-1231
andrew.gibbons@gsa.gov

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) announced today that GSA Acting Administrator David L. Bibb has been elected as Chairman of the United States Access Board.  The U.S. Access Board is an independent federal agency that serves as the coordinating body for government-wide efforts to ensure accessibility for people with disabilities.

“I’m honored and humbled by the Board’s decision,” said Bibb.  “I look forward to working with my Board colleagues as we strive to help provide assistance to all persons with disabilities.”

The Access Board works with other federal agencies to directly represent the public. The Board is divided evenly among the private and public sectors.  Half of the Board members represent federal agencies, while the public sector is represented by citizens – the majority with disabilities – nominated by President George W. Bush.

According to the Access Board, it “develops and maintains design criteria for the built environment, transit vehicles, telecommunications equipment, and for electronic and information technology.  It also provides technical assistance and training on these requirements and on accessible design and continues to enforce accessibility standards that cover federally funded facilities.”

James R. (“J.R.”) Harding, II Ed.D. was also elected as vice chair of the Board.  Harding was nominated to the Board by President Bush in 2002, and replaces Bibb as vice chair, who was previously serving in that position.  Find more information at www.access-board.gov.

GSA is a centralized, federal procurement, property management, policy development and information provision agency, created by Congress to improve government efficiency and help federal agencies better serve the public. In this role, GSA acquires products and services on behalf of federal agencies; plays a key role in developing and implementing governmentwide policies; provides services and solutions for the office operations of more than one million federal workers; and encourages a citizen-centric relationship with government by providing a single "point of entry" to the information and services citizens need in a timeframe they can appreciate. This allows citizens to receive accurate, timely and consistent answers and information, and helps federal agencies better respond to citizen inquiries.