Providing website accessibility for the visual and hearing impaired is a task that organizations tend to classify as just some technical or legal requirements that have to be met. Some organizations don't even consider accessibility at all. For Global Accessibility Awareness Day today, we want to remind everybody that when you choose not to update your site to meet accessibility standards, you are not only excluding a number of potential consumers from accessing your site, you are missing out on the opportunity to assist real human beings in their fight for digital independence.

More people seem to be learning about web accessibility as of late. Whatever the motivation, be it written or unwritten legal requirements, expanding markets and/or profits, or human empathy; making websites more accessible to people with disabilities is ultimately the right thing to do. When it comes to accessibility, prospects and clients alike ask about 508 compliance. But does Section 508 go far enough? Or should we be doing more?

This week's Reader's Corner contains a collection of articles, ranging from fun to informative. Did you know that the most commonly searched question beginning with "What is" in 2013 was "What is twerking?", that and other fun facts are available for you to read in Madelyn's submission. If you want to veer towards the educational side, there are new rulings on website accessibility that may surprise you. Or, If coding is your M.O. then check out Jay's submission for an intro to Dockerfile.

Global Accessibility Awareness Day 2018 is today, May 17! To celebrate the occasion, I’ll be attending the a11yRTP meetup Accessibility Unconference at the SAS Institute campus in Cary, NC. As an "unconference", there will not be any planned sessions. Participants will suggest topics, and sessions will then be selected based on mutual interest. Two of the topics I hope to be able to participate in are the upcoming WCAG 2.1, as well as a review of recent and pending Web accessibility legal cases.

Presentation slides from our Accessibility presentation from the Digital Marketing For Business 2015 conference.

This post will answer questions about accessibility and usability with project managers and decision makers in mind.