This presentation will describe ways to ensure that different types of messages can be received by people with varying abilities. It will review both U.S. and international government regulations, and will point to freely available resources on the web and in print as appropriate. The United States Census Bureau estimates that 19% percent of the population has a disability of one kind or another. For people over age 65, this number leaps to 42%. Legislation (such as Section 508 and the Americans with Disability Act in the U.S., the European Union Charter of Fundamental Rights, and the Disability Discrimination Act in the United Kingdom) has helped to bring these numbers to the attention of both government agencies and commercial providers. It has become increasingly clear that information products need to be accessible to everyone, and that investing in accessibility is not just a government requirement, but that it also makes good financial sense.
