GAWDS Manifesto
Membership is open to all organisations involved in the creation and development of content and design for the web - both for profit, and not for profit organisations.
The Manifesto includes:
- A committment to the principles and practice of accessible web design.
- Helping members: develop appropriate skills, compete for work, and gain a competitive advantage via accreditation or association.
- Facilitating accreditation in accessible website design and the formation of an accreditation body.
- Generating a market for the skills of web designers and developers committed to accessible web design.
- Promoting a vision of the future that assumes accessible web design to be, relevant, obtainable, and not at odds with successfull business practice or good visual and usable design.
- A committment to learning, sharing, and assisting fellow members put accessible web design techniques into practice.
- As there is little clarity and agreement as to the definition of accessible web design, I put forward this definition as a starting point. In short, there are two levels of accessibility: first accessibility to machines (use standards), second accessibility to people (flexible design).
- To promote the use of web standards and encourage their adoption.
- Follow WAI recommendations where appropriate.