[Mirrored (text only) from: http://www.sgmlopen.org/sgml/docs/wai.htm]

Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)

Hosted by the W3C, the Yuri Rubinsky Insight Foundation and the White House.

Event Name: Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)
Hosts: W3C, YRIF, and The White House
Launch Date: April 6, 1997, 9:00 am - 5:30 pm (PST)
Location: Santa Clara Marriott, Santa Clara, CA, USA.

From Mike Paciello, Executive Director of the Yuri Rubinsky Insight Foundation, comes word that on April 6th, in Santa Clara, CA, the Foundation, along with the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and representatives from the White House, will launch the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI).

While the World Wide Web is fast becoming the world's de facto on-line library, the technology of the Web has inadvertently created barriers for people with disabilities. Through the WAI, the W3C and the YRIF intend to take a leadership role in removing these accessibility barriers. The WAI will focus on developing enhanced standards (especially HTML, CSS, SGML, and XML), tool development, publishing guidelines, educational outreach and sponsoring research projects.

The World Wide Web is fast becoming the de facto repository of preference for on-line information, yet the technology of the Web has inadvertently created barriers for people with disabilities. The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), housed at three internationally recognized research facilities, coordinates the evolution of the Web and has a mission to "realize the full potential of the Web." W3C intends to take a leadership role in removing these accessibility barriers through a key program called the, Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI). To that effect, W3C proposes the creation of a WAI International Program Office (IPO) for coordinating five Web-related activities:

Technology development . Centered on protocols and data formats, especially HTML, CSS, SGML, XML, HTTP, PICS and PEP.
Development of tools . In particular, authoring tools that encourage development of content in a format that supports use by people with disabilities.
Guidelines for use of the technology . Guidelines targeted at browser vendors, authoring tool vendors, and content creators.
Educational outreach . For technology, tools, and guidelines to be effective, their users (the application developers, content creators, and hardware designers) must choose to employ them regularly and correctly.
Research and advanced development . User interface design, novel devices, certification tools and labels are all areas where additional work is required before standardization is appropriate.

W3C proposes to combine its own membership funds with those of foundations, industrial sponsors, the U.S. government, the Canadian government, and the European Commission to fund the WAI.

For more information about this event, contact Mike Paciello .