In collaboration with Joan Camezon, a member of the Americans with Disabilities Act Working Group, Web Task Force, State of Florida, I submit this article. While this article is my idea, Joan did the work in editing it. I am swamped lately with the duties of Chair of the Web Task Force here in Florida. With a Technology Conference in September, work on the curriculum for the training of Web Masters in State Agencies and a wonderful disability display at the Tech Conference. Thank you for your patients in my effort to provide every citizen in Florida, regardless of disability or not, the opportunity to enjoy and find information on the State of Florida's extensive web sites.
A special thanks goes to Governor Jeb Bush and his staff for their undaunted efforts in this monumental task. Also, thanks Joan for your work on the Task Force. She is wonderful!!
"The power of the Web is in its universality. Access by everyone regardless of disability is an essential aspect." -- Tim Berners-Lee, World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Director and inventor of the World Wide Web
The World Wide Web Consortium was created in October 1994 by Tim Berners-Lee, with a mission to lead the World Wide Web to its full potential by developing common protocols that promote its evolution and ensure its interoperability with a strong emphasis on usability for people with disabilities. The W3C has more than 400 Member organizations from around the world and has earned international recognition for its contributions to the growth of the Web.
The Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI), in coordination with the W3C and organizations around the world, is pursuing accessibility of the Web through five primary areas of work: technology, guidelines, tools, education & outreach, and research & development. The work of the W3C and WAI proceeded on a parallel though not necessarily a collaborative path with the emerging standards of the member countries, which of course include the United States. What follows is a very short discussion of some of the landmark pieces of legislation affecting accessibility of the Web to people with disabilities in the United States.
Prior to the late 1980's, computers were generally easy for most people with disabilities to use. People who were blind, for example, could use the same word processing software packages as everyone else. Instead of relying on monitors, they used assistive technology -- called "screen readers" -- to read in a synthesized voice all the text and punctuation that a sighted person would read on the computer monitor. All who used early word processors used keyboard commands to interact with the software. To print a document, for instance, one would simultaneously hit the "control" and "P" keys -- something that could be done as easily by blind people as others.
