World Laws
Introduction to Laws Throughout the World

Something to Think About...

Every region in the world has experienced over 100 percent growth in Internet usage in the last five years according to the table of World Internet Usage and Population Statistics - external link provided by Internetworldstats.com - external link. With the Internet becoming a more important part of society throughout the world, many countries are recognizing and acting upon the need to ensure access to the web for people with disabilities.

It seems as if each nation is taking a slightly different approach to the problem of Internet access for people with disabilities. Some have established laws that provide human or civil rights. Others, like the United States, have addressed the access issue through the technology procurement process. One fairly common approach throughout the world is for nations to support and adopt the Web accessibility guidelines (WCAG 1.0) created by the WAI.

The following sections of this article cover key laws, documents, and events that relate to web accessibility in many countries and regions throughout the world.