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Open Source Community helps developers improve Internet access for the aging and disabled
05 August 2010 , Written by Dhruv Tanwar
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With a view to ease the barriers in participating in Internet activities experienced by aging people or those with disabilities, the OpenAjax Alliance (OAA) has created new open source tooling technology that aids software developers in easing access and use of Web 2.0-enabled business, government and consumer web sites. The new technology simplifies Web applications testing for compliance with current accessibility standards and guidelines, expediting delivery of new accessible Internet applications.

The OpenAjax Alliance is an organization of vendors, open source projects, and companies using Ajax that are dedicated to the successful adoption of open and inter-operable Ajax-based Web technologies.

Earlier, developers had to complete their code and then run various reports to ensure that their application was compliant with accessibility standards. With the new tooling technology, applications are tested dynamically as developers build the code, providing real-time feedback on compliance. OAA says the new technology will help narrow the Web 2.0 digital divide for many segments of the global population by facilitating consistent, industry-wide interpretation of standards such as the World Wide Web Consortium's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, version 2.0 (WCAG 2.0).

The new rules format can be used by any tool vendor and is the first to integrate structural design pattern analysis to ensure that Web 2.0 sites can effectively interact with assistive technologies. But according to OAA leaders, the most important outcome of this open community effort is that it promises to spur the growth of innovation around accessibility tooling for the next-generation of Web applications and services. The Accessibility Tools Task Force was initiated and established by OAA members in 2009 to develop best practices for reporting accessibility compliance and accessibility violations by accessibility test tools.
 

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