W3C, others seek accessible Web.

When D. Wakefield calls up a Web site, his experience is not enhanced by flashy video clips or gyrating animations. Wakefield, who is blind, is more impressed by the engineering behind a site. If a site is built right, he can wade through articles, search for information, and make purchases. However, if a site doesn_t consider that some visitors are hearing, visually, or physically impaired, it could be turning away scores of users like Wakefield. "If a site is accessible, it gets my dollars," said Wakefield, who happens to be the technology specialist for the U.S. Access Board, an independent agency created in 1973 that issues accessibility standards under federal law. As soon as this week, the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) standards body is expected to release final technical guidelines to help page authors make sites easier to use for those whose access is impaired. Still, public service entities that fall under the Americans with Disabilities Act, which covers more than just government agencies, are expected to make their Web sites accessible. Although the ADA and section 508 don_t directly apply to the private sector, advocates hope the W3C_s standards and the Access Board_s final rules will trickle down to the commercial online world.Firms that are vested in the Net, such as Microsoft, IBM, and Sun Microsystems, are members of the Access Board_s advisory committee and W3C, and their stance is expected to impact the broader industry