Why is Web Accessibility Important Today

1
Why is Web Accessibility Important Today

• Kim Naugle, Ph.D.
• Associate Dean, College of Education
• ADA Coordinator
• Eastern Kentucky University

2
Greetings and Thanks

• From EKU
• From the sponsor of the conference
• From all of those we wish to serve
• Personal Thanks
• Norb Ryan, ADA Coordinator for the State of KY
• Parker Owens, Web Accessibility Office
• Teresa Belluscio, Assistant Director, EKU Office
  of Services for Individuals with Disabilities

3
Why is Web Accessibility Important Today?

• The Numbers
• The LAW
• The Right Thing To Do

4
Disability Statistics2000 Census

• 54 million people with disabilities in the
  United States today
• 26 million of these people have severe
  disabilities
• 4.6 million are under the age of 18
• By the year 2010, there will be over 70 million
  disabled users of accessible technology

5
Disability Statistics

• In the US, roughly 12 of adults and at least 30
  of all people over 65 have an impairment.
• In Kentucky, 20 of adults are impaired.
• The major disability types are
• Visual - blindness, low vision, color-blindness
• Hearing - deafness
• Motor - inability to use a mouse, slow response
  time, limited fine motor control
• Cognitive - learning disabilities,
  distractibility, inability to remember or focus
  on large amounts of information

6
Its the Law!!!

• Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504
• 1998 Revision Adding Section 508
• enacted to eliminate barriers in information
  technology, to make available new opportunities
  for people with disabilities, and to encourage
  development of technologies that will help
  achieve these goals

7
Americans With Disability Act (1990)

• According to the Department of Justice, Covered
  entities under the ADA are required to provide
  effective communication, regardless of whether
  they generally communicate through print media,
  audio media, or computerized media such as the
  Internet.

8
Kentucky State Law

• In 2000, the Kentucky General Assembly passed a
  law, commonly called the Kentucky Accessible
  Information Technology (AIT) Act, KRS 61.980 -
  61.988, which requires state-supported
  institutions use accessible information
  technology resources.

9
And Finally!

• Today you will hear about other initiatives and
  laws
• You will hear about the challenges of
  accomplishing accessible design
• But most importantly you will hear the best
  reason for us to all be here
• IT IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO!
• Thank you for being here!