Communicating in virtual worlds through an accessible Web 2.0 solution

Online Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) make accessing information any time, any place and using any device a reality for more than a quarter of the worlds population. The Internet can improve communication and increase the independence of people who have disabilities and those who are geographically or socially isolated. Despite this potential, Web 2.0 applications and 3D virtual worlds remain largely inaccessible to many people with disabilities. This paper describes the design and development of an open source accessible 3D virtual world environment and Web 2.0 solution incorporating features that address the identified accessibility limitations of currently available technologies. Copyright 2010 Denise Wood. No part of this article may be reproduced by any means without the written consent of the publisher.