This panel discussion will focus on issues in the remediation of accessibility shortfalls in information technology products and both philosophical and practical considerations involved in deciding when a product is sufficiently compliant with accessibility standards. While there is general agreement on such design standards, there is considerable uncertainty about enforcement policies and effective strategies for fixing accessibility problems, given the trade-off of costs and benefits for even the best-intentioned product developers.

Our panelists include accessibility professionals with backgrounds in consulting services, research, and relevant legal considerations. We intend to strive for a free-wheeling discussion rather than a series of presentations. Provocative questions will be both raised by the moderator and solicited from the audience. We will consider current practices in characterizing accessibility problems, strategies for rating their severity and prioritizing needed remediation, and trends in both civil legal proceedings and government regulatory policies in determining when accessibility goals have been achieved.