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Join Us at AIR-Boston

Help us bring the Knowbility Accessibility Internet Rally (AIR) to greater Boston and New England!

"For most people, technology makes things easier. For people with disabilities, technology makes things possible."
—President's Council on Disability

This is the inaugural year for AIR-Boston. Please join us in the Race to Accessibility.

What is AIR?

AIR stands for "Accessibility Internet Rally". AIR-Boston is a friendly, one-day web design competition in which teams of web developers create web sites for local non-profit organizations, sites that are accessible to everyone—including people with disabilities and senior citizens as they age.

Boston's best web designers will compete for prizes and recognition as they learn the latest accessible web design techniques and showcase their skills for community service organizations in a fun, high-energy web development contest. The "web-raisings" take place in one day, with a two-week planning period between web teams and their non-profit partners just prior to Rally Day. Everyone receives training in web accessibility in the months prior to the competition.

We are currently planning Rally Day for 2007. We are forming a local Boston advisory board, looking for sponsors, and gathering volunteers to support this exciting program now.

Be sure to visit Best of AIR to see previous winners in other cities and other AIR programs.

Contact AIR-Boston

To ask about AIR-Boston, contact us by email at air-boston-info@knowbility.org or by phone at 781.646.6849.

To stay informed as the program develops, join our AIR-Boston mailing list.

More About AIR-Boston

AIR-Boston is an exciting community development opportunity in which everyone benefits:

• Teams of Greater Boston's web developers receive free training in accessible web design techniques and then use their design skills to create accessible web sites for local non-profit organizations and community groups.
• Non-profit, community, and educational groups that serve the needs of greater Boston and New England communities receive donated, professionally designed web sites that support their missions—along with free web hosting for one year.
• People with disabilities gain increased access to web-based information that can help them live more independent lives.
• Everyone benefits by having dozens of new, accessible web sites on the Internet that set an example for high-quality accessible design that welcomes everyone and removes the barriers that shut people out.

AIR activities include:

• Hands-on web developer training in accessible web design tools and techniques.
• Non-profit training in internet marketing and how to prepare communications for the Web.
• A kickoff party to match each web development team with its non-profit partner.
• Two weeks for non-profit representatives and their assigned web development team to plan the web site.
• Accessibility consulting during the planning phase with nationally recognized accessibility experts.
• One high-energy Rally Day during which the web sites for dozens of non-profit groups are created.
• Judging by accessibility experts at two levels—basic and advanced.
• An awards celebration to recognize all participants and present trophies to the most accessible web designs.

The AIR program, which originated in Austin, Texas in 1998, is held annually in cities around the country and is described in the book, Maximum Accessibility: Making Your Web Site More Usable for Everyone, by John D. Slatin, Ph.D., and Knowbility's Sharron Rush.

This exciting program has been recognized for excellence and innovation by business and political leaders, and has received local and national media coverage for its innovative methods and unequaled results. For over seven years, Knowbility has led national AIR programs to improve technology access for people with disabilities.

Join us now in bringing the award-winning AIR program and wider internet accessibility to Boston and New England!