Moving Towards Accessible Web Design: 1999 in Review

The Y2K bug - now wasn't that a lot of hype over nothing! Well, one item that won't fizzle is accessible web design. With current legislative changes combined with the realization of the economic benefits of accessible web design, it is here to stay!

Here are some highlights from 1999 in the move towards accessible web design becoming universally accepted:

April 2, 1999 The Attorney General issued a memorandum to the heads of all Federal agencies advising them of the requirements of Section 508 and providing instructions for conducting self-evaluations of their electronic and information technology. For more information regarding this new legislation, check out the Department of Justice's Section 508 Home Page.

April 15, 1999 The HTML Writers Guild launches the AWARE (Accessible Web Authoring Resources and Education) Center, whose "mission is to serve as a central resource for web authors for learning about web accessibility."

May 5, 1999 Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 released as a World Wide Web Consortium Recommendation. These guidelines are becoming accepted as one standard for accessible web design.

May 25, 1999 Commissioned by the National Science Foundation, the White Paper "The Growing Digital Divide in Access for People with Disabilities: Overcoming Barriers to Participation" was presented at the first-ever "Understanding the Digital Economy" conference.

July 8, 1999 In the virtual debate "Boosting the UK Digital Economy - A Virtual Think-Tank", recommendations are made for action by government and business on accessible web design. (see Recommendations 31-33)

July 29, 1999 Resulting from the online Petition for the Accessibility of the Portuguese Internet, the Portuguese Government approved a resolution mandating that government web sites incorporate accessible web design features for people with disabilities. Who says individuals can't spawn change!

September 1999 World Economic Development Congress publication "World Markets in 2000" selects the web accessibility article "The Growing Digital Divide in Access for People with Disabilities: Overcoming Barriers to Participation" for distribution at their World Bank/IMF Summit and to government cabinets around the world.

September 13, 1999 The Attorney General of Australia directs the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission to investigate the impact of electronic commerce on older Australians and Australians with a disability.

November 4, 1999 The National Federation of the Blind filed a lawsuit against the leader in interactive services America Online, Inc. for violating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) because, unlike other dial-up networks, its software remains incompatible with programs that convert text to audio or Braille.

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