Internet accessibility: beyond disability

The Web accessibility movement originated in the activities of people with disabilities and their advocates. Most specifically, blind people led the way to opening the benefits of the Internet to disabled citizens. In the United States, the effort to achieve this goal gained momentum when Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act came into effect in 2001. Section 508 requires all federal government purchases of electronic and information technology products to meet accessibility standards. Today, the Internet is largely accessible to blind computer users, providing access to research materials, online shopping for nearly every imaginable product, a variety of entertainment options, career and professional sites, and other resources too. Accessibility guidelines offer a baseline for interoperability that goes beyond the needs of disabled people.