It is unfortunate that America Online must suffer the embarrassment of the lawsuit. But we support the action by the American Federation of the Blind, and those individuals and organizations fighting for a better, faster, more accessible Internet. We believe it provides an excellent opportunity for AOL and other leading Internet companies to step up to the plate and do what they know to be right. Accessibility to the Internet is an important issue at every level. A nation that is willing to spend billions of dollars to ensure that a single child in a rural schoolhouse can access the Internet can ill afford to ignore the millions of disabled Americans who have the same need.
Accessibility is an issue that is long overdue for serious consideration.
Dennis C. Hayes is chairman of the trade association US Internet Industry Association.