Dear Everyone:

The American Library Association [ALA - http://www.ala.org/] is inaugurating
its new website next Monday, April 7, 2003.

According to ALA's Accessibility Policy
(http://www.ala.org/ascla/access_policy.html), ALA's website needs to be
accessible.

According to key principles of the library and information science
profession - diversity, equity of access, and intellectual freedom - ALA's
website needs to be accessible.

After all, ALA is the home of ASCLA, ASCLA LSSPS, and the ASCLA Century
Scholarship Diversity Initiative
(http://www.ala.org/ascla/centuryscholarship.html)

I am confident that ALA has ensured the accessibility of its new site.  But
why is ALA not publicizing this fact in their press releases about the new
website?

During the past two weeks, ALA and its components have posted various press
releases about the new website.  The accessibility of the new website has
not been mentioned.

Is Accessibility such a given these days that it can be assumed?

During the past two weeks, upon first reading the press releases, I have
inquired with a number of ALA offices - other than ASCLA - about the
accessibility of new site. Some ALA staff did not know to what I was
referring, thinking that I was referring to the availability of the new site
(beginning April 7) rather than to its Accessibility (as in W3C WAI/Section
508, etc.).

Achieving accessibility and equity of access is a 24-hour-a-day positive
educational endeavor. We who already are accessibility advocates and
self-identifying members of the class may understand the importance of
accessibility, but let us not assume that accessibility is as yet perceived
as universally important as it truly is.

So does anyone know, is the new ALA website accessible?

--------------------------------

Ellen Perlow
[log in to unmask]


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