What is Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)

Web site design that does not conform to emerging accessibility standards and legislation will be increasingly under attack. In order to facilitate Web-based computer mediated communication to the disabled, extensive guidelines and laws are now in place to guide designers of content, development tools and devices and software used by those with disabilities. This chapter discusses accessibility guidelines in general and then outlines the two major efforts to ensure the accessibility of information through the Web: the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and Section 508 of the American Rehabilitation Act. Then, it will show the means by which content is evaluated for its accessibility. Finally, it will give an overview design practice that produces accessible content for consumption on the Web.