Overview

The Web is filled with resources that specialize in Web accessibility. In this chapter, you are exposed to organizations that are deeply involved in Internet and WWW access development, education, and research. Several have developed their own Web sites, and many others have developed products and services that can assist you in the development of your own accessible Web site.

Also note that I have not limited this section to resources located in North America. The community of people with disabilities stretches across many boundaries. The significance of this is evident by the sheer number of Web accessibility resources available today. Because there are so many resources, the intent of this chapter is to provide you with a reliable collection of Web accessibility experts, rather than an exhaustive catalogue. Using this list, you will be able to access thousands of other Web sites devoted to accessibility.

All the sites listed can be found on WebABLE! ( http://www.webable.com/). I encourage you to surf each site and take advantage of the wealth of information, products, and tools each has to offer. Many of the organizations described here were kind enough to provide their own mission statements and business descriptions.

WAI-ing the Difference

Beyond the use of WebABLE! as a key online resource for Web accessibility (sorry, I couldn t resist the plug), the central resource for Web accessibility development is the Web Accessibility Initiative ( http://www.w3.org/WAI/). The WAI s program office, directed by Judy Brewer, has worked overtime to ensure that...