PRESS RELEASE: HTML Writers Guild Opens Web Accessibility Center

          HTML Writers Guild Opens Web Accessibility Center

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                     Kynn Bartlett <kynn@hwg.org>
15 April 1999 09:00 PDT                         Director, AWARE Center
Fullerton, Calif.                                       (714) 526-5656

               New AWARE Center Promotes Creation of 
                   Web Pages Usable by Everyone

The HTML Writers Guild is pleased to announce the opening today of 
the Accessible Web Authoring Resources and Education (AWARE) Center, 
an online resource for web designers who want to make web sites that 
can be used by everyone.

"Many World Wide Web pages are completely unusable by people with
disabilities or older computers," explains Kynn Bartlett, President
of the Guild and Director of the AWARE Center.  "Most web page authors
simply aren't aware of the problems with their designs, and that's
where we can help.  We make web authors aware of how their design 
practices can affect accessibility."

Created as part of the Guild's April 1999 Web Accessibility Month,
the AWARE Center, located at http://aware.hwg.org/, features an
introduction to web accessibility, tips and techniques on improving
access to web sites, and links to disability and universal access
web sites.

"The must-read document for all web authors is the Web Content
Accessibility Guidelines from the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C),"
said Bartlett.  "The W3C's Web Accessibility Initiative has created
the definitive reference for ensuring that all users can access
information placed on the web."

The HTML Writers Guild is the only association of web authors to
join the World Wide Web Consortium, and it takes an active role in
the development of both web standards and guidelines on applying
those standards to improve the web, such as those of the Web
Accessibility Initiative. 

"Web accessibility is a major focus of the HTML Writers Guild,"
said Leanne Phillips, HWG Vice-President of Member Education.
"The Guild's primary purpose is to expand the body of knowledge
regarding web design, including the creation of accessible web
sites.  The AWARE Center, by serving as a central resource for
accessible web authoring techniques, moves us forward in that
direction."

Other activities by the Guild that support web accessibility
include a yearly, month-long focus on accessible design each
April, participation in the Web Accessibility Initiative's
working groups, web conference presentations and tutorials by
AWARE Center staff on accessible design, and a popular online
course on web accessibility through the HWG's Online Education
Program.

"Our focus on accessibility is a natural part of the Guild's 
mission to teach effective web design," noted Ann Navarro, 
HWG Vice President of Finance and Director of Online 
Education.  "The techniques used in accessible web design 
improve a web site's performance across different platforms
and browsers.  This saves development time and cost by creating
one highly accessible web site that can be used by everyone."

The resources of the AWARE Center are open to all web authors and
may be accessed online at http://aware.hwg.org/.


ABOUT THE HTML WRITERS GUILD

With a membership of over 95,000 web authors in more than 130 
countries, the HTML Writers Guild, Inc., is the world's largest 
international organization of web authors.  The Guild's purpose 
is to assist its members in developing and enhancing their 
capabilities as web authors; to compile and publicize information 
about standards, practices, techniques, competency, and ethics as 
applied to web authoring; and to contribute to the development of 
the web and web technical standards and guidelines.

Through online classes in web development, active email discussion 
lists, extensive resources for web authors, membership in the World 
Wide Web Consortium, and special projects such as the AWARE Center, 
the HTML Writers Guild works to improve the quality of the World
Wide Web for all users.

The HTML Writers Guild's main web site is http://www.hwg.org/.

                                -##-

--
Kynn Bartlett <kynn@hwg.org>
President, Governing Board Member
HTML Writers Guild <URL:http://www.hwg.org>
Director, Accessible Web Authoring Resources and Education Center
  <URL:http://aware.hwg.org/>

Received on Thursday, 15 April 1999 12:06:46 UTC