Microsoft Leads Accessibility Effort
From: eWeek - 12/10/2007
By: Darryl K. Taft

Assistive technology vendors, IT companies, and key nongovernmental
organizations have formed the Accessibility Interoperability Alliance (AIA)
in an effort to improve the interoperability of existing technology for
disabled users. AIA will also develop new software, hardware, and Web-based
products, work to improve developer guidelines, tools, and technologies, and
lower development costs. Consistent keyboard access, interoperability of
accessibility APIs, user interface automation extensions, and accessible rich
Internet application suite mapping through user interface automation will be
the initial focus of the collaboration. "Today, developers must work across
divergent platforms, application environments, and hardware models to create
accessible technology for customers with disabilities," says Rob Sinclair,
director of the Accessibility Business Unit at Microsoft. "The AIA is an
opportunity for the entire industry to come together to reduce the cost and
complexity of accessibility, increase customer satisfaction, foster inclusive
innovation, and reinforce a sustainable ecosystem of accessible technology
products."  

Read the entire article at:
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,2230727,00.asp

Links:
Accessibility Interoperability Alliance
http://www.accessinteropalliance.org/

Robert Sinclair
http://www.microsoft.com/enable/microsoft/sinclair.aspx

Industry Alliance Aims to Increase Accessibility, Interoperability and
  Innovation
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/12-10-2007/0004719439&EDATE=

Making Technology Accessible to Everyone
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/features/2006/jun06/06-05VistaAccessibility.mspx

Accessibility Perspectives
http://www.microsoft.com/enable/microsoft/perspectives.aspx