I just read a great article on T+D (Training and Development) on the critical mass that is being reached in regards to accessibility. The author, Paul Harris, starts his piece by heralding the results of a very cool collaborative between Microsoft, Sonata Software Ltd, and the Digital Accessible Information SYstem (DAISY) Consortium to create an add-on to Microsoft Word, that can convert any Word document, in a single click, into the globally accepted DAISY Standard for reading and publishing multimedia content.

Mr. Harris posits that with new advances such as the aforementioned Word plug-in, Accessibility is quickly becoming the new green.

He backs up this claim by showcasing some of the advances taking place at the California State University system, and “Perfect storm” of policy, litigation and new technology led by 5 key drivers:

1. White House Leadership in the form of more emphasis on the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission to promote equality 

2.  A new amendment to the Americans with Disabilities Act, effective Jan. 1, that clarifies and strengthens the protection of anyone who faces discrimination on the basis of a disability.

3. A Section 508 “Refresh” is being proposed, and is prompting a drive for consistency of accessible technology rules around the globe.

4. An international push is coming from the United Nations Convention on Rights of People with Disabilities, which is expected to produce an ADA-type policy on a global scale to advance the rights and protect the dignity of people with disabilities.

5. Target Website Accessibility Lawsuit – The settlement between Target Brands and the National Federation of the Blind, where Target has agreed to pay $30 million and meet specific requirements regarding web accessibility, has made the issue of Web site accessibility “front-burner” for many organizations.

These are trends that all of us in the Web business need to pay attention to. Accessibility is going to be an integral part of what do for our clients, and how we do it!

Jose Villa

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