This small change could make a big difference for accessible technology

Tech firms such as Yahoo, Facebook, Dropbox and LinkedIn announced that they will develop standard language that lets applicants know that having accessibility knowledge is "preferred" to land a job. The move is part of a larger program called "Teaching Accessibility": a joint effort between disability advocates, schools and the tech industry to make all technology accessible from the start. The initiative grew out of discussions the organizations were already having through a technology forum set up by the American Association for People with Disabilities, where representatives meet regularly to talk about how to make accessibility issues more visible in the tech world.

A line in a job description may not sound like much, but the signal it sends to applicants and universities about knowledge of accessibility issues is a big deal, said Henry Claypool, a consultant on disability issues and former executive vice president of the AAPD. "It's abundantly clear that commerce, work and entertainment is now engaged online," he said. "If accessibility issues aren’t addressed, the ability of these populations -- particularly deaf and blind individuals -- is really impeded. You can easily argue that if you don’t have [accessible technology] that people are being excluded. And that’s dangerously close to discrimination."