Leading Accessibility Organisations Launch International Development
Consortium
Australia, Europe, Japan and United States form "WAT-C" to create real time
web and software accessibility analysis tools via GPL. - Thursday,
September 15, 2005
Melbourne, Australia. Today organisations representing four continents
announced the official launch of the Web Accessibility Tool Consortium
(WAT-C, www.wat-c.org). The new consortium is developing a series of
browser-based web accessibility analysis tools under a general public
license agreement.
"By harnessing the passion, knowledge, and creativity of this international
group of web accessibility practitioners," stated Steven Faulkner WAT-C
founder, "We have a unique opportunity to provide tools to promote the
understanding and development of an accessible web."
WAT-C is a collaboration of some of the world's leading accessibility
practitioners. These developers of free web accessibility testing software
& services include:
Accessible Information Solutions [Australia]
Infoaxia [Japan]
Juicy Studio [UK]
The Paciello Group [USA]
Wrong HTML [Japan]
The consortium will promote and pursue software development goals
including:
Free web accessibility testing software
Enhanced development of existing web accessibility testing tools
The internationalization of web accessibility testing software
"There is an international movement to harmonise divergent web
accessibility guidelines, such as WCAG by the W3C, Section 508 in the US,
and JIS in Japan," Makoto Ueki of Infoaxia and co-founder of WAT-C. "We
want to support this process through international collaboration in the
development of tools to help all web developers produce accessible
websites."
WAT-C will shortly release an updated version of the Web Accessibility
Toolbar for Internet Explorer, and recently announced the release of a
Colour Contrast Analyser utility. Toolbar versions for Mozilla/Firefox and
Opera are in development.
Contacts
Steven Faulkner
Accessible Information Solutions
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
www.accessibleinfo.org.au
Makoto Ueki
Infoaxia, Inc.
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
www.infoaxia.co.jp
Mike Paciello
The Paciello Group
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
www.paciellogroup.com
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