Flattening the (inaccessible) cyberworld for people with disabilities.

1. Accessibility must be designed in, not bolted on. Universal design benefits all users, not merely those with disabilities. The government’s role has yet to be defined in encouraging (perhaps mandating) universal design and setting standards. 2. Technological accessibility is critical in today’s society. The international information infrastructure must not be off limits to people with disabilities. 3. Technology enhances educational and workplace inclusivity through individualized curricula, supported communication, schools and jobs without walls, and other innovations. 4. Accessible technology offers opportunities for health care reform, and telemedicine brings doctors to geographically isolated people; for welfare reform, telecommuting helps reduce chronic unemployment and underemployment among people with severe disabilities. 5. Technological accessibility problems exist not only for people with disabilities but also for all underrepresented individuals in society: the poor, the isolated, and the vulnerable.