Harvard Business School Publishing Addresses Federal Accessibility Requirements with Delivery of Latest Leadership Development Programs

Business Wire, August 25, 2005

BOSTON -- Harvard ManageMentor(R) Meets Guidelines of Section508 of U.S. Rehabilitation Act

Harvard Business School Publishing (HBSP), the highly regarded publisher of premier leadership and management development programs, today announced the compliance of its Harvard ManageMentor(R) program with the guidelines of Section 508 in the U.S. Rehabilitation Act. Additional HBSP programs are also being built to address these guidelines, including Stepping Up to Management, a title within The Essential Leader(TM) line aimed at new managers, which will be available in fall of 2005. With this announcement, HBSP strengthens its commitment to offer a high-quality learning experience for all users.

"Broader access to Harvard Business School Publishing's leadership programs will help federal agencies develop more effective managers and leaders," said Maureen Betses, vice president of corporate learning, HBSP. "While the Section 508 guidelines are driven by the government, we recognize the importance of delivering this level of access for users in all of the markets we reach."

HBSP conducted a thorough process to address the accessibility guidelines for its most broadly applicable offerings. A third-party web content accessibility expert reviewed the product and made recommendations. HBSP engaged Harvard Business School students and faculty with specific usability requirements to provide feedback on the accessibility of the products. HBSP also used industry web analysis tools to test usability of the programs. The resulting offerings contain content structured to fully support the use of assistive technology for users with disabilities.

HBSP will continue to examine its current offering portfolio and product development plans to ensure that accessibility guidelines are addressed. As part of its ongoing efforts to address market needs, HBSP is continuing to investigate standards for usability and explore the applicability of other accessibility standards endorsed by leading industry standards bodies.

About Harvard Business School Publishing

Harvard Business School Publishing (HBSP) was founded in 1994 as a not-for-profit, wholly-owned subsidiary of Harvard University. Its mission is to improve the practice of management in a changing world. HBSP does this by serving as a bridge between academia and enterprises around the globe through its publications and reach into three markets: academic, enterprise, and individual managers. HBSP has approximately 250 employees, primarily based in Boston, with an office in New York City. Its business units are Harvard Business Review magazine and article reprints, Harvard Business School Press books, Harvard Business School Publishing Newsletters, Harvard Business School Publishing Conferences, Harvard Business School Publishing Higher Education, and Harvard Business School Publishing Corporate Learning. www.hbsp.harvard.edu