Web Accessibility in Mind (Web AIM) is a non-for profit organization that began in 1999 with a mission to increase awareness of web accessibility. Web AIM.org has created numerous tools such as WAVE, a web accessibility evaluation tool, the Color Contrast Checker, and manual checklists for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.0), updated to 2.1 in June 2018, by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)e.
- WebAIM's Introduction to Web Accessibility is a great resource for understanding how people with disabilities use the web, the frustrations they feel when they cannot access the web, and what you can do to make your sites more accessible.
Since the CSI library's virtual presence online is as essential as it's physical spaces, self-created online library resources and websites need to be checked for web accessibility for individuals with disabilities. Federal law considers websites freely available online as 'public' spaces that must be accessible to people who have disabilities. Just how 'compliant' websites need to be is in question, even for private businesses under Title III of the ADA law. Government websites were slated to comply with WCAG 2.1 AA standards at minimum in January 2018, but the DOJ withdrew it's the set of guidelines for later time. Level AA is considered the targeted standard for most commercial websites and is the baseline for online accessibility rules around the world.
UPDATE: Under the new DOJ rule, compliance is required within a specific, strict timeframe with possible legal and financial consequences:
- Agencies serving populations of 50,000 or more must meet these standards within two years from the rule’s publication date of April 24, 2024. Enforcement begins on April 24, 2026.
- Agencies serving smaller populations have three years to comply. Enforcement begins on April 26, 2027.
|
Facebook LinkedIn Instagram