Date: 02/05/07 (WebDesign)    Keywords: technology, web, google

cross-posted

[note: I am not involved with this conference, I'm just passing along the info]

Call for Papers

Web 2.0 and the Semantic Web: Hindrance or Opportunity?

The World Wide Web (Web) is in transition; a fundamental evolution of the model which underpins the traditional Web. This new Web, Web (2.0), is a mesh of enhanced semantics, push application widgets, and embedded scripting languages and was developed to pursue the promise of enhanced interactivity. The possible benefits of the Web 2.0 is great but it seems that without timely and prompt action disabled users will be barred from these benefits. Indeed, using sites which such as: Flicker, YouTube, MySpace, Google Maps, and Google Portal will rapidly become `off-limits' to disabled users. Semantic Web technologies have already shown themselves to be useful in addressing some issues of Web Accessibility. However, this new technology has not yet started to make its way into mainstream applications. Without change, will the benefits of the Semantic Web be lost? Will the promising enhanced interactivity of Web 2.0 technologies become increasingly inaccessible to disabled users? We pose the question: Web 2.0 and the Semantic Web: Hindrance or Opportunity?

In this case topics of interests include (but are not limited to):

• Advances in Web 2.0 and Semantic Web technologies;
• Tools and technologies based on Web 2.0 and Semantic Web to support Web accessibility;
• Tools and technologies to make Web 2.0 and Semantic Web applications and systems accessible;
• Design and best practice to support Web accessibility;
• Technological advances to support Web accessibility;
• End user tools;
• Accessibility guidelines, best practice, evaluation techniques, and tools;
• Psychology of end user experiences and scenarios;
• Innovative techniques to support accessibility;
• Universally accessible graphical design approaches;
• Design Perspectives;
• Adapting existing web content;
• Accessible graphic formats and tools for their creation.

Further Information

• Important Dates;
• Instructions for Authors.

More info on W4A.

Source: http://community.livejournal.com/webdesign/1217496.html