The Web is becoming increasing ubiquitous and transparent. It is part of our every day life at home and at work. It is also becoming part of our every day life when we are on the move. Web-enabled mobile technologies and portable devices are being deployed at a fascinating rate, so that soon mobile browsers will outnumber traditional desktop browsers.
This trend is creating new markets and opportunities for creative ideas and applications. Amongst these markets are e-government initiatives that aim to deliver maximum services for the citizens and authorities at the same time. These systems need to be inclusive and accommodate the accessibility needs of people with disabilities and elderly Web users.
At the same time, the understanding for Web accessibility is shifting. In May 2008 the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities will enter into force, making access to information technology a basic human right. This will have significant impact in a world of dynamic Web applications, user-generated content, and social networking systems.
This presentation will look at some emerging Web trends and discuss the impact on people with disabilities and on a rapidly ageing workforce. It will also highlight some of the potential solutions and challenges for Web authoring tools, user agents, and content creators.
See Shadi's BioWeb-2.0 applications use the Web as a platform for delivering end-user applications. This transformation has a profound impact on how applications are authored, deployed and consumed. Software applications in this environment are no longer monolithic — instead, they are naturally separated into distributed components that implement application and interaction logic. The application logic along with user data resides in the network cloud; the user interface made up of presentation and interaction logic is delivered in a form best suited to the user's needs, e.g., via a universal client such as a Web browser.
The advantages of this usage/delivery model for mainstream users has been widely explored in the last 18 months. This keynote focuses on the impact of this transformation on users with special needs. Today, the potential for universal access presented by applications delivered via the Web remains largely unrealized. This is partly due to the impedance mismatch that results from trying to treat interactive Web applications as static Web documents. Eliminating this impedance mismatch requires innovation at all levels of the technology stack with respect to:
- How Web applications are authored and deployed,
- How Web applications are consumed,
- How Web interaction is augmented by adaptive technologies.
This keynote will describe some of these challenges and the accompanying opportunities.
See TV Raman's Bio"Due to a family health emergency, Mike Paciello deeply regrets that he is unable to speak at this year's conference. Mike expresses his sincere gratitude to the conference organizers for their understanding on this matter, particularly our host colleagues in Beijing. He extends his warm wishes to all participants and looks forward to seeing everyone again at the next Web4All event. Sincerely, Mike Paciello, Founder, The Paciello Group, LLC."
We are entering a new era of accessibility, a literal third wave. Third wave accessibility is a model set of standard accessibility features, interfaces, services, and data stored in accessible format. Third wave accessibility embraces themes including usability, interoperability, and standards harmonisation.
The question is: Does the emergence of Web 2.0 and it's ecosystem of dynamic, open source, semantic-driven social networks fly in direct opposition to third wave accessibility?
This presentation focuses on the accessibility challenges Web 2.0 presents to users with disabilities. We will examine the complexities intrinsic to Web 2.0 and determine what it will take to achieve synthesis with third wave accessibility.
See Mike's Bio
