25 years ago, in October of 1999, the Web Accessibility In Mind (WebAIM) project began at Utah State University. In the years previous, Dr. Cyndi Rowland had formed a vision for how impactful the web could be on individuals with disabilities, and she learned how inaccessible web content would pose significant barriers to them. Knowing that higher education institutions could be a model for accessibility, she submitted for grant funding to increase awareness and education on this topic. Surprisingly, the Department of Education funded the project and WebAIM was born.
View a timeline of WebAIM’s 25-year history.
With 3 staff members and a small budget, they began the work – the WebAIM.org web site was soon launched, then the WebAIM email discussion list. Educational articles and resources were created and trainings provided. Over the years the project grew and our online resources greatly expanded. Within a few years WebAIM was providing consultation services – training, web site accessibility testing, and other technical assistance – all focused on WebAIM’s mission of expanding the potential of the web for people with disabilities by empowering individuals and organizations to create accessible content.
As WebAIM proudly celebrates 25 years of advancing web accessibility, we’re thrilled by the great progress made in this field. Our WebAIM Million work shows that many of the common accessibility issues from 1999 persist, but we remain committed to our vision of the web being universally accessible and we look forward to the next 25 years of achieving this dream.
As one of those first 3 staff members, I have to say that it is both satisfying and surprising that WebAIM has lasted as long as it has, considering its humble origins. Congratulations to all the people who have been a part of WebAIM over all these years!
Congratulations on 25 years! It was incredible to be a part of WebAIM for 6 of those years.
I appreciate all your efforts to make the web accessible to everyone of all abilities. And I congratulate you on the 25th anniversary of WebAIM. Best Regards
From all of us here at Top Tech Tidbits, congratulations on 25 years!
Congratulations for 25 years, and here’s at least 25 years more!
Congratulations on 25 years! Here’s to the next 25 years of success and growth…
WebAIM’s outstanding tools, research, training, and articles, and community resources are peerless. Congratulations on these 25 years, and best wishes for 25 more!
Huge congratulations on the 25th anniversary!
Webaim has always been a great resource for learning and sharing accessibility knowledge. Your contributions to the Accessibility Industry are unmatched. Kudos to everyone who has been part of this remarkable journey!
Wishing Webaim and team rocking next 25 years!!
Thank you so much for your efforts and congratulations on this milestone! 25 years is awesome!
Congratulations! I’ve learned a lot over the years and often refer back for best practices. Thank you for your dedication!!