Steve Jacobs started working for NCR Corporation in 1982 as a computer salesman, after having worked for six years in computer sales with NCR’s competitors. In 1984, he was promoted to Industry management. Over the next seven years, he held other positions within the company. In September 1991, AT&T acquired NCR, which was then renamed “AT&T Global Information Solutions.” Around the same time, a not-for-profit corporation called IDEAL at AT&T was established by a group of AT&T employees, mostly engineers, to support the hiring of individuals with disabilities who had core competencies.
In late 1991, Steve Jacobs became Chairman of AT&T Project Freedom. Project Freedom collaborated with AT&T’s Consumer Advisory Panel on Disability Issues (CAPDI) to evaluate AT&T’s products and services and make them as accessible as possible to consumers with disabilities. In 1993, Project Freedom pioneered the use of interactive video technology for sign-language communications over distances using dual ISDN networks. The resulting services are now called Video Relay Services (VRS) and enable persons with hearing disabilities, who use American Sign Language, to communicate with voice telephone users through video equipment.
In 1996, AT&T underwent restructuring, and NCR became a separate company once again. In January 1997, Jacobs continued IDEAL’s technology work and became president of IDEAL at NCR Corporation. From 1997 to 2002, IDEAL supported NCR Corporation in designing and developing financial/retail products and services that were accessible to consumers with disabilities.
In December 2002, Jacobs retired from NCR and spun-off IDEAL at NCR into IDEAL Group, Inc., a privately held, for-profit, Ohio-based corporation. Through the years, IDEAL Group formed/acquired additional subsidiary divisions, all focused on accommodating the access needs of individuals with disabilities using advanced technology. Some of IDEAL’s accomplishments included developing accessible prototype kiosks for the Smithsonian Institution’s American History Museum and integrating technology into George W. Bush’s inauguration program and guidebook.
In addition to its technological innovations, IDEAL Group has also been involved in advocacy efforts, including participating in national policy discussions, authoring accessibility standards and guidelines, and presenting at conferences on disability and technology.
Overall, Steve Jacobs’ work at IDEAL at NCR and IDEAL Group has had a significant impact on improving accessibility for individuals with disabilities through the development of groundbreaking technologies and advocacy efforts.