Enabling an Accessible Web 2.0
Becky Gibson
IBM Emerging Technologies
5 Technology Park Drive
Westford, MA USA




Web 2.0, the interactive, dynamic web we know and use, is constantly being rewritten with new features and tools for construction of sites. Every application that appears now is just an incremental improvement over what has been available. Who are the people creating this environment we all live in and work in this present time? What drives them? Do they have common goals? Do they have a common vision?
For one small part, they do share a common goal, making the web accessible to all – even those who rely on assistive technologies. In order to carry the load of extra inputs, queries, and devices used for assistive technologies, an “undercurrent” channel for conveying this information was created. This article states that this web enhancement is still being constructed at the present and has some way to go before it is universally accepted and utilized. The article names one of the goals as the ARIA, or Accessible Rich Internet Application. In order for ARIA to be utilized, the browser must have the semantic width and depth necessary to handle these several channels of information concurrently. The idea driving developers is “is to provide data on the Web in a universal format that can be interpreted by software agents.” Of course, these agents are the browsers with which we interface the web. The article finishes up with a brief description of the tools available to developers for creating a semantically enhanced WEB 2.0 environment.




I like this short video as it explains in easy-to-understand terms exactly what "assistive technology" means. She says that computer assistive technologies are just one of many aids available.