Introduction:

Steve Jacobs has been in the computer industry for 30 years. Jacobs is President of IDEAL Group, Inc. IDEAL GROUP is a 2002 spin-off of IDEAL at NCR Corporation (NYSE: NCR).  Jacobs is also CEO of Online Conferencing Systems Group, Inc. a subsidiary of IDEAL Group.

IDEAL Group has two additional subsidiaries, StyleWriter Development Group that markets applications designed to simplify the content of web pages and other documents and InftyReader Group, Inc.  InftyReader is an application that recognizes and translates scientific documents (including math symbols) into LaTeX and MathML.

IDEAL Group's mission is, "To develop and use advanced technology in support of enhancing the quality-of-life, independence 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).

Jacobs is a 1973 graduate of Ohio State University. He and wife, Pauline, have been married for 33 years.  Pauline and Steve have two daughters and a grand daughter.

Appointments:

• Federal Communications Commission’s Consumer Advisory Committee [2005-2007]
  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]
  http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/cac/

• Chaired the International Coalition of Access Engineers and Specialists (ICAES) International Access Engineering Accessible Design Awards Program [2001]
  http://www.icaes.org/072601_press.htm

• Chaired the Association of Access Engineering Specialists (AAES) Excellence in Access Awards Programs [1999-2000]
  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]
  http://www.universaldesign.net/news/apr00.htm#us1

• U.S. Access Board's Electronic and Information Technology Access Advisory Committee [1998-1999]
  http://www.access-board.gov/sec508/status.htm

• U.S. Access Board's Telecommunications Access Advisory Committee [1997-1998]
  http://trace.wisc.edu/docs/taac_intro/taac.htm

Publications:

• Co-author: Update to the Department of Commerce's STAT-USA/Internet Companion to International Business. [2007]
  http://www.stat-usa.gov/pub.nsf/0/f176c61b92bb58d885256a62007c3b9f?OpenDocument

• Co-author: "Over the Horizon: Potential Impact of Emerging Trends in Information and Communication Technology on Disability Policy and Practice [2006]
  http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/2006/emerging_trends.htm

• Co-author: National Council on Disability report entitled, "Design for Inclusion: Creating a New Marketplace" [2004]
  http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/2004/online_newmarketplace.htm

• Author: "Design for Inclusion: Industry White Paper" [2004]
  http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/2004/inclusion_whitepaper.htm

• Co-author:  National Task Force on Technology and Disability report entitled, "Within Our Reach" [2004]
  http://www.ntftd.org/report/tableofcontents.htm

• Co-author: 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]
  http://www.access-board.gov/sec508/commrept/eitaacrpt.htm

• Co-author: the Telecommunications Access Advisory Committee Final Report that was used, by the Access Board, to develop their Telecommunications Act Accessibility Guidelines [1998]
  http://www.access-board.gov/telecomm/commrept/taacrpt.htm 

Projects:

• http://www.ideal-group.org/initiatives