Nonprofits get an accessible web site, volunteers get training in accessible web site design

Just want to give an update: Knowbility has 27 nonprofits and artists that have signed up to participate in OpenAIR2018 and get new web sites via this acclaimed hackathon, which takes place in February and March. There is room for a few more - but now, Knowbility is turning its attention to recruiting web design teams. 

OpenAIR web design teams are volunteers that receive training and mentoring from some of the nation's most prominent web design accessibility experts as they design new web sites for participating client organizations and artists. Design teams have about five weeks after the start date on February 8, 2018 to create these web sites that  comply with ADA and Section 508 standards. The training and mentoring that design teams receive is valued at over $4,000 - participating teams pay just $150.

Sites will be judged by Knowbility’s judging panel over an six week period (the nonprofits and artists get access to the designs to use on their own sites as soon as the design period is over, but the site a team designs is preserved for judging). Awards will be announced in May during Knowbility's AccessU accessibility conference.

Teams can be professional web designers, university faculty, university students - anyone who has designed web sites but wants to take their skills to the next level. 

This is a great opportunity not only to get top-notch training in web design accessibility; it's also a fantastic opportunity to

• enhance your virtual team skills
• be a part of an internationally-recognized event
• help nonprofits that are addressing a variety of causes - fair housing, help for seniors, children's education and more 
• gain recognition for your individual or your company's corporate social responsibility focus / philanthropy
• compete with other web designers

After the competition, Knowbility also asks design teams to guide their client organization's through the process of replacing their current web site with the one the design team has developed, and to provide some initial guidance to the nonprofit in case they have any difficulties with their new site. This is not a requirement, but the guidance is greatly appreciated by the nonprofit clients (otherwise, the guidance will be provided by Knowbility). 

• If you are an individual web designer, you can register as an individual, and will be matched with a team that has room for you or with other individuals who want to participate and join a team.
• Teams must have at least 4 members and no more than 6.
• A fee of $150 per team is due at registration.
• Teams may register with a nonprofit or artist they already have a relationship with (however, there is also a $100 nonprofit registration fee - and if the nonprofit client or artist has to register ASAP, because the window for those registrations is FAST closing!).

The Accessibility Internet Rally (AIR) has been happening since the 1990s. It used to be an onsite hackathon, mostly in Austin, Texas, and the designs happened in ONE DAY - back then, the nonprofits didn't have web sites at all. 

As frequently happens, some nonprofits are only now trying to sign up for OpenAIR. Registration closed January 1, 2018! So Knowbility has developed a page of recommendations for those nonprofits that want to make their web sites accessible but cannot wait until the next OpenAIR and also have very limited resources. 

However, there is a need of one more team - one that knows how to design in Drupal. Visit the OpenAIR web site for more info and to register. The match day is Thursday, so please don't delay!