# What is WAI? The Web Accessibility Initiative

DevFeed: [What is WAI? The Web Accessibility Initiative](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/what-is-wai-the-web-accessibility-initiative-9426.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://a11yproject.com/posts/what-is-wai/>)

Author: Ilknur Eren

Published: 2022-07-18T00:00:00Z

Content type: article

Language: en

Sources: [The A11Y Project](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/the-a11y-project.md>)

Topics: [Web Accessibility (a11y)](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/web-accessibility.md>), [Web](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/web.md>), [Web Content Accessibility Guidelines](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/web-content-accessibility-guidelines.md>), [Accessibility](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/accessibility.md>), [aria](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/aria.md>), [FIRST](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/first.md>), [Internet](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/internet.md>), [browsers](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/browsers.md>), [User interface design](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/ui-design.md>), [image slider](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/image-slider.md>)

Tags: [accessibility](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/accessibility.md>), [applications](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/applications.md>), [aria](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/aria.md>), [browsers](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/browsers.md>), [community](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/community.md>), [content](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/content.md>), [development](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/development.md>), [education](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/education.md>), [evaluation](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/evaluation.md>), [internet](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/internet.md>), [standards](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/standards.md>), [support](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/support.md>), [tools](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/tools.md>), [web](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/web.md>), [web-accessibility](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/web-accessibility.md>), [web-content-accessibility-guidelines](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/web-content-accessibility-guidelines.md>)

## AI overview

This article explains the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI), a W3C initiative launched in 1997 to improve Web accessibility for people with disabilities. It describes W3C's role in developing Web standards, WAI's accessibility guidelines and resources, and its contributions to WCAG and WAI-ARIA.

## Source excerpt

The Web Accessibility Initiative is W3C's effort to improve accessibility of the Web for people with disabilities. What is the World Wide Consortium? In order to know about the Web Accessibility Initiative, we must first talk about the World Wide Consortium, also known as W3C. Founded in 1994 and currently led by director Tim Berners-Lee and CEO Jeffrey Jaff, W3C is an international community where organizers develop international standards for the Web. As described by W3's website, "W3C's mission is to lead the Web to its full potential." Organizers from all around the world, involved in many different fields, join W3C to develop guidelines that ensure long-term growth for the Web. The Web Accessibility Initiative is one initiative that was launched by W3C. What is the Web Accessibility Initiative? The power of the Web is in its universality. Access by everyone regardless of disability is an essential aspect. Tim Berners-Lee, W3C Director and inventor of the World Wide Web W3C launched The Web Accessibility Initiative, (WAI), in 1997, with support from the White House. The Web Accessibility Initiative's main goal is to make the internet accessible for people with disabilities. WAI brings people from disability organizations, governments, and research labs from all around the world to develop guidelines and resources to make the Web accessible to people with disabilities. This includes: auditory, cognitive, neurological, physical, speech and visual disabilities. In short, WAI develops accessibility standards and offers implementation guidance. As described by W3C Website, WAI "pursues accessibility of the web through these primary activities": Ensuring that W3C standards support accessibility Developing accessibility guidelines for web content and applications, browsers, and authoring tools Developing resources to improve web accessibility evaluation processes and tools Supporting education and outreach on web accessibility Coordinating with research and development