People with disabilities represent a significant portion of the US population, and accessible technology (AT) helps make their lives easier. Further development of AT is an important objective in today's world.

To learn about the fundamental concepts of AT and browse related reports, the National Assistive Technology Research Institute at the University of Kentucky (1) is an excellent place to start. It explains the six types of AT and considers legal mandates, with plenty of other features, too. Information about how to integrate AT into grade schools is given at the Alliance for Technology Access Web site (2). After a general introduction, the organization suggests some proven strategies to accomplish this goal. The Assistive Technology Training Online Project (3) is similar, but also offers tutorials on how to properly set up and use certain types of AT products. Its section on AT basics is presented nicely and has a lot of interesting content. The Microsoft Accessibility site (4) discusses many options available to people with disabilities, providing information specific to different kinds of impairments. Tutorials for a number of Microsoft products are given, but there is no blatant advertising. We Media (5) maintains this page with a number of news stories related to AT. A recent article describes how a man was able to escape from the World Trade Center with a computer controlled leg. The Assistive Technology Journal (6) is a free, bimonthly publication of the AT Network and California Assistive Technology Systems. It keeps readers current on important developments, research, and legislation. Shortly after he took office, President Bush enacted the New Freedom Initiative that benefits the disabled. This progress report (7), released in May, 2002, touches on some of the program's accomplishments regarding accessibility to AT and further research. In a Wired News story from July 22, 2002 (8), the Archimedes Project at Stanford University is explored in detail. The project's goal is to study ways to make information universally accessible. Some of the team's developments are so impressive that even "non-disabled people will want it."