Accessibility Task Force
Bringing together accessibility specialists from across the world, the Accessibility Task Force works with accessibility organizations, technology vendors and others to help promote Web accessibility.
The Accessibility Task Force plays a key role in assisting product developers and manufacturers to improve Web standards support within their products.
The Task Force also works towards promoting a better understanding of Web accessibility by designers and developers, corporate organizations and government institutions.
The Web Standards Project is a grassroots coalition fighting for standards which ensure simple, affordable access to web technologies for all.
Recent Task Force Buzz
Call-to-action: Save the UT Accessibility Institute
By James Craig | August 29th, 2008
The University of Texas is closing its Accessibility Institute today. Non-profit Knowbility has started a petition to save it.
Though you may not have heard of the Accessibility Institute, you have been influenced by its work. Its late founder, Dr. John Slatin, was the former co-chair of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 (WCAG2), and was an influential mentor to many of the web standards evangelists, including myself and current WaSP group manager, Glenda Sims. If you’ve ever attended SXSW, you know Austin has one of the most vibrant web accessibility communities in the world, thanks to the hard work of Knowbility and the University of Texas Accessibility Institute. The knowledge shared by these groups has influenced web and software developers worldwide, resulting in a more accessible web used and enjoyed by all of us, disabled or not.
The importance of accessibility research and development was echoed this week by retailer Target’s decision to settle its web accessibility discrimination lawsuit by the National Federation of the Blind (NFB). The story was covered in many US and international news outlets, and the the outcome of the case is a timely wake up call to the business world that good design is accessible, universal design.
The Accessibility Institute’s influence for the greater good cannot be overstated. The decision to close it on the eve of the universal design revolution is a poor choice by the UT Administration. If you agree, please sign the petition to keep accessibility research and development alive and well.
http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/SavetheInstitute
Update: This post has been translated into Polish.
More Buzz articles
| Title | Date |
|---|---|
| What the Target settlement should mean to you | August 28th, 2008 |
| British Standard for accessibility | July 11th, 2008 |
| UK government accessibility consultation | November 4th, 2007 |
| A review of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0, May 2007 Working Draft | June 11th, 2007 |