TecAccess: Biography: Debra Ruh, Founder and President

Debra has more than 25 years of professional experience implementing and creating technology, compliance, policy, quality assurance, training and e-Learning solutions for government agencies and organizations all over the world.

Recently, Debra was appointed to the Olmstead Board by Virginia Governor Tim Kaine, and she serves proudly as a board member of the US Business Leadership Network (USBLN®). In addition, she is the 2007 winner of Enterprising Women Magazine´s Advocacy Award as well as Northrop Grumman´s 2007 Community Support award.

In 2006 Debra was awarded the Women in Technology Leadership Award, the Rising Star award by the National Association of Women Business Owners, and the Social Responsibility Award by the America-China Foundation to support international relations. In 2005 Debra´s received the SBA Small Business Person of the Year, and was picked as one of the "Most Powerful Women in IT" by Virginia Magazine.

Debra´s company, TecAccess, was awarded the prestigious US Depart of Labor Presidential Freedom Initiative Award, as well as the 2005 Lighthouse International Employer of the Year for hiring people with Vision Impairments.

Debra´s work experience includes Founder and President of TecAccess, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Strategic Performance Solutions, Vice President and Dean of Distance Learning with Market Street Mortgage, Vice President of Training & Development and Quality Control for SunTrust Mortgage.

Debra is a recognized leader in the E&IT Accessibility and Section 508 Compliance arena. She has been invited to speak on Section 508 Compliance and IT Accessibility Issues all over the world, including a recent request to present before the European Union and in emerging countries throughout Africa. In addition, she has spoken before the US Government Section 508 Coordinators and for many government agencies including the US Coast Guard, US Marines, US Navy, SSA, USDA, HHS, NIH, USPTO, DOT, DOC and GSA.

Debra has also been invited to speak at many conferences on Section 508 and E&IT Accessibility around the world, including CSUN, IDEAS, ASTD National Conference, The E-Learning National Conference, FedWeb, The National E-Gov Conference, GSA PBX Conference, E-Learning E-Gov Conference, VCU RRTC Business Roundtable and VCU Employment Conference, International Productivity and Quality Control, and the Accessibility Leadership Conference and Learning & Training Week.

Debra has authored many articles for national publications and is a major supporter for the rights of persons with disabilities. She has been featured on CNN, NPR, and US News & World Report. Debra is committed to enriching the lives of special needs adults by utilizing their skills and talents in Corporate America. Her vision is to educate and introduce businesses to the wide variety of skills available in the untapped special needs market. As an add value to Debra´s business model, both industry and government are now realizing that including people with disabilities into products and services ensures return on investment and helps reach new markets.

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