Conclusion

As higher education institutions begin to utilize rich media technologies (Web 2.0), accessibility is simply one of many issues to consider in ensuring that content and services are deliverable to the full range of audience members. There is considerable promise for accessible rich media, but there is also much work to be done. Methods are currently being developed to allow assistive technology to work well with Web applications, and assistive technology is being improved to utilize and support these new methods. Full support by all players (operating systems, browsers and other user agents, authoring tools, and assistive technologies) is critical. Web designers and developers also play a critical role, and in order to develop accessible applications, they need training and support, authoring tools and reusable code libraries that support accessibility, and objective methods for evaluating the accessibility of rich media. Improved standardization among assistive technology products would also make full accessibility more attainable.

This CBI is an example of the kind of "bringing together" of perspectives that will be needed to orchestrate the many aspects of this challenge into effective, reliable, accessible Web applications we can all use.