Government Acknowledges Need for Better Web Accessibility

March 20, 2012 udcom

In the summer of 2011, President Barack Obama asserted the need for the enhancement of technological accessibility. In attempting to be more compliant with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, Federal websites are required to be fully accessible to people who have disabilities.

In March of 2012, the administration sought feedback from citizens on how to achieve the goal of accessibility – more specifically, were they on the right path with their strategic plan in place.

Universal Design (UD) is an approach to design that increases the potential for developing a better quality of life for a wide range of individuals. It is a design process that enables and empowers a diverse population by improving human performance, health and wellness, and social participation (Steinfeld and Maisel, 2012). It creates products, systems, and environments to be as usable as possible by as many people as possible regardless of age, ability or situation.