US National Institute of Standards and Technology publishes a draft report on Cloud Computing and Accessibility Considerations

In a draft publication released earlier this month, the US National Institute of Standards and Technology looks into how cloud computing can assist workers with disabilities. The report, called ‘Cloud Computing and Accessibility Considerations’, analyses areas where cloud computing offers both opportunities and jeopardies to accessibility. It also describes two examples of cloud-base accessibility: the incorporation of accessibility application programming interfaces to enable easy integration of voice recognition software and other specialized tools into operating systems; and the Global Public Inclusive Infrastructure – a framework that a consortium of US academic, industry and nongovernmental organisations and individuals is developing to improve accessibility to all information and communication technology products regardless of disability or usability issues.