Andres Carvallo to Receive 2009 Dewey Award for Community Service

I was informed by Hugh Forrest, Event Director of South by Southwest Interactive, that I had been selected as a recipient of the 2009 Dewey Award. I am humbled and honored to receive such recognition.

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The Dewey Winburne Community Service Award celebrates the vision that technology is society's most effective tool to level the playing field between the haves and the have-nots. Like the man whom it honors, the criteria for judging this prize is somewhat open-ended and fluid: candidates need to primarily live in the Central Texas area and be involved with a grass-roots effort to use convergent media to better the lives of this community's less fortunate citizens. Beyond these two stipulations, qualifications for this award are largely dependent on the skill sets of the nominees.

The awards ceremony will take place during the 2009 South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive Festival on Monday March 16, 2009.

http://2009.sxsw.com/interactive/

Andres is a Knowbility board member and the Chair of its Air Austin Program since 2007.

Knowbility's mission is to ensure barrier-free I.T. - supporting the independence of people with disabilities by promoting the use and improving the availability of accessible information technology. Access to web-based information and activities has never been more important. Knowbility is working hard every day to improve technology access for all.

http://www.knowbility.org/main/?content=home

The Accessibility Internet Rally in Austin (AIR-Austin) is a unique, award-winning local program that has received national media coverage. AIR-Austin matches teams of Web designers and developers with non-profit organizations to build Web sites that are accessible for people with disabilities. This year, more than 100 professionals teamed up to create 15 accessible non-profit Web sites in one day of friendly competition. Many elements of design make a Web site more accessible to people with disabilities, while at the same time enhancing functionality and visual elegance. The same techniques that help disabled users (including those who use assistive technology) also aid handheld and mobile users. Thanks to those of you who helped to prove this by participating this year.

http://www.knowbility.org/air-austin/