WebAIM Director Recognized For Social Impact

WebAIM Director Jared Smith recently received the Social Impact Award at the Information and Communication Technologies Accessibility Testing Symposium in Washington, DC.

“I'm just thrilled to have been recipient of that award,” he said. “Anytime there are accolades like that, I always think back to our entire team here. It really is a team effort.”

WebAIM has provided web accessibility solutions since 1999 through tools, education and technical assistance. It is part of the Institute for Disability Research, Policy and Practice.

Sam Kanta, accessibility and UX consultant for The Sustainable Change, said Smith and the WebAIM team have helped user experience professionals make the case for improved accessibility to their business leaders. Thanks to WebAIM’s research, they have more than persuasive words. They have real data made available in the annual WebAIM Million report.

“We actually have a very large set of quantitative data that has so many possibilities for more ongoing analysis,” she said. “It gives us a strong foundation to be able to refer to when we're making the case or demonstrating the challenges.

“The fact that they have repeated the WebAIM million is fantastic, too, because we can then see incrementally what has changed and shifted,” she said. “And then that enables people in this space to take opportunities to improve upon part of their web experience … to make it more inclusive.”

Kanta was a key coordinator for the conference and the sponsor of the Social Change award. Smith, in addition to receiving the recognition, delivered a keynote address there.

In addition to a trophy, the award provided $500 for a charity of the recipient’s choice. The prize was donated to NVDA, an Australian nonprofit that provides free screen reader technology to those with print disabilities.

To find out more about WebAIM and its mission, visit their website.