It’s that special time again. AIR-Interactive, sponsored by Knowbility, kicks off this Friday.
The month-long competition matches volunteer teams of Web professionals with local artists, musicians, and non-profit organizations. Each team builds a Web site for its nonprofit client, which is then judged by an expert panel on how accessible it is (as well as a number of other aesthetic, functional, and client satisfaction criteria). Team members are also given access to free training in accessible Web development techniques. Not only is the competition great fun, but team members walk away better equipped to act as accessibility advocates in their community.
In 2007 my team built a site for textile artist extraordinaire Susan Cranshaw, who remains a dear friend of mine.
I also highly recommend Knowbility’s annual Access U accessibility conference. Access U is an invaluable resource for Web and IT professionals who want to know about accessibility laws, assistive technology, and best practices for developing accessible Web sites and applications.
