Wow. Just wow.
I'm so happy that we are starting the IAAP Connections site-- even if it is only in beta for now. There are so many places on the internet where people can talk about accessibility but relatively few places reserved for the dedicated professionals working in this space and trying to "raise the bar" for the profession. But even more exciting is the opportunity to have special niche communities within this larger community for special interest groups.
As a lawyer, my passion is all about laws, policies, and standards. I love the idea of best practices and innovative solutions for raising the ceiling for what we can achieve now and in the future. At the same time, I also know that much of the day-to-day gruntwork of changing the world means raising the floor of what we can/should expect of everyday IT developers who will never be accessibility specialists. It's not glamorous work. It might not get us a keynote presentation at TED or SXSW. But it is where societal shift occurs.
So I'm delighted to kick off the Accessibility Laws, Policies, and Standards Worldwide Community! On or soon after the opening day, I hope to reach out to the members representing the 47 countries currently part of IAAP. Just knowing what laws, policies, and standards exist around the world would be a huge benefit for all of us. Even if some of these members may not be in countries with accessibility laws affecting IT, I'm hoping that they can draw from the rest of us to effect change in their country.