By Joydeep Dey. With an estimated 650 million differently-abled
people in the world, accessibility has presented itself as a
real challenge for the information technology industry. Many
countries are instituting legislation (such as the Americans
with Disabilities Act in the United States) that makes access to
information, products, and services mandatory for individuals
with special needs. In these countries, government and academic
institutions are required to purchase and support technologies
that maximize accessibility. For example, in the United States,
Section 508 of the Federal Rehabilitation Act requires all
federal contracts to include solutions for employees with
disabilities. The international community of people with
disabilities is also successfully causing companies to sell
accessible software. Building software that can be accessed by
all is not only a legal requirement, but also makes prudent
business sense. Software with rich accessibility features
increase sales besides providing potential b