Design for diversity

City and county governments increasingly rely on the Web as a fast and effective way to share information - such as civic calendars, transportation schedules, and policies and proceedings - with residents. As those resources move online, local government leaders are realizing the importance of making their Web sites accessible to residents and employees with disabilities. According to the 2000 Census, 19.3% of Americans have a disability of some kind, and 41.9% of Americans aged 65 and older are disabled. In June 2001 Congress enacted standards for Web accessibility under Section 508 of the Federal Rehabilitations Act. The standards provide a basic set of guidelines for HTML, plug-ins and other content commonly found on the Web so that people who have difficulty seeing a computer monitor or using their hands to operate a keyboard can benefit from federal Web sites.