Web Accessibility with HTML 4.0
By Molly E. Holzschlag
Providing accessible Web sites is not just a courtesy -- it has been interpreted in the U.S. as being the law. In September 1996, a U.S. Department of Justice policy ruling set forth the premise that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements apply to Web pages. As Web sites are increasingly becoming environments where we shop, enjoy entertainment, and access government information such as IRS and motor vehicle forms, Web accessibility should become a major concern for Webmasters interested in not just complying with graciousness, but lawfulness, too.
The W3C has worked hard to create standards -- but these standards aren't always adhered to for a variety of reasons. Some reasons for ignoring a standard come about because of a desire to be experimental or innovative, such as when we use browser-specific tags or technologies. Other reasons are less precise, such as in the case of developers who are ignorant of the standards and how to use them according to the needs of the site and demographic for which they're designing. And of course, not all the responsibility rests on developers. Significant finger pointing could also be directed at those browser developers who ignore standards that can be incorporated into their products to facilitate usability for all people.
In the context of broadband technologies, Web accessibility remains an often overlooked and important development concern. As we rush hither and yon to experiment with the latest and greatest audio, video, graphic, or multimedia technology, we forget that accessibility concerns will still be with us in a broader-band environment, just as they are with us in TV and telephony.
