Special Session on the Web Accessibility Initiative - Tuesday, September 1st, 11.00 - 13.00, Room A

Chaired by: Judy Brewer, W3C, Web Accessibility Initiative, Boston, USA; Oreste Signore, CNR-ISTI and W3C Italy, Pisa, Italy.

This Special Session on Web Accessibility at AAATE 2009 will explore several topics of importance to achieving the goals of an accessible and inclusive Web. Discussants will consider issues in the migration from the World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 1.0 to the new standard WCAG 2.0, examining issues such as standards harmonisation and different approaches to policy adoption and referencing. Discussants will also explore issues arising from the convergence of different technologies onto the Web and the emergence of new dynamic and social technologies within the Web, each of which can inadvertently create new barriers to accessibility. They will explore the role of accessible browsers and media players, and their interoperability with assistive technologies; and will explore how to more effectively exercise vigilance over accessibility support in future Web technologies so that the Web can become and be maintainable as an accessible and inclusive environment.