Well good news - no royalties to speak of, but at least the message is out there and Journal editors, journalists and bloggers can request a free online review copy of your book right from your book’s homepage. Since its online publication on Sep 11, 2008, there has been a total of 5293 chapter downloads for your book on SpringerLink, our online platform. Over the last year(s) the download figures have been as follows:

The ACM SIGACCESS Student Research Competition (SRC) is a forum for undergraduates and graduate students to present their research, exchange ideas, receive feedback from a panel of experts, and have an opportunity to win awards for their work. Lets see who’s made it this year to the SRC at ASSETS. Don’t be fooled, the SRC submissions go through a number of reviewing steps including a standard review by the SRC judges before they are even accepted to the conference.

Seven years ago, or so, Yeliz and I decided Web Accessibility researchers needed a primer on the domain. We felt there was plenty of practical advice, but no research advice. In this case we decided to create a book1 on the subject. The other day we see that - with 4263 - the message seems to be getting out. You are surely aware that your book Web Accessibility is published in both print and electronic formats.

This year the W4A be running a joint W4A WWW 2012 panel on accessibility and its definition at WWW 2012. This will be on Wednesday the 18th at WWW2012 but will be free entry to W4A Pass holders. The organizers (of which I’m one) suggest that there are many different views of web accessibility with many questions to be answered: what is the relationship between web accessibility and usability? Is web accessibility for all or is it strictly for disabled people?

Simply, ‘yes please!’ to the newly proposed Indie UI! See what their charter says (if it gets approved). You see, this WG reminds me of the old Device Independence working group - which should never have lost its charter - and further dovetails into my view of Accessibility which is more about moving barriers to effective use - such that anyone can accomplish effect interactions regardless of, and not limited to impairment or disability.

I discussed the first RDWG Symposium on Web Accessibility Metrics last week; here, as promised, is the full and un-edited transcript! So without further adieu, I’d like to give the floor to the symposium chairs, Giorgio and Markel, maybe just give a few introductory words, just a minute or two, and then we’ll get started with moderating the individual sessions. And again, instructions will be provided as we go step by step on how this Online Symposium – how the logistics will work out for that.

Yesterday we had the first (of what are planned to be many) W3C WAI Research and Development Working Group (RDWG) Website Accessibility Metrics Online Symposium. The Website Accessibility Metrics symposium brings together researchers and practitioners to scope the extent and magnitude of existing website accessibility metrics, and to develop a roadmap for future research and development in the field. Details are in the Background and Objectives. All 50 places on the symposium conference call where taken within 48h off its announcement, but fortunately there was a live transcription service and all of the slides and extended abstracts are online and openly available.

The original simonharper.info website, archived from March 2005. A window into my online office from the early days of web accessibility research.