Celebrating 25 Years of AccessWorld
This year marks a major milestone for AFB’s groundbreaking publication AccessWorld. For 25 years, AccessWorld has been the premier source for news, reviews, and analysis of access technology for people who are blind or have low vision.
Launched in January 2000, AccessWorld was created to fill a critical gap at a pivotal moment. As personal computers grew more sophisticated and the internet transformed daily life, the magazine provided timely insights into the rapidly evolving field of assistive technology. Since then, AccessWorld has continued to track industry trends while anticipating the future of digital accessibility.
“In the early days, most accessible technologies were built specifically for people who are blind or have low vision, and many mainstream devices we reviewed were entirely inaccessible,” said Aaron Preece, editor-in-chief of AccessWorld. “Now, although barriers remain, there are far fewer devices or apps that are completely unusable, thanks in part to those advocates and consumers who helped change the tide based on what they learned through AccessWorld.”
For a quarter century, AccessWorld has highlighted both progress and persistent challenges, ensuring accessibility remains central to technology innovation. Thousands of readers have relied on its trusted reporting to navigate an ever-changing digital landscape. Today, the publication continues to not just empower people who are blind or have low vision to fully participate in what has become a second digital renaissance, but it also informs those developers creating the next generation of software applications.
“It is heartening to see how far the industry has come,” added Preece. “And through the lens of AccessWorld, it’s inspiring to reflect on how much further we can go in advancing digital inclusion.”
To read the latest issue of AccessWorld—or explore the complete archive of back issues—visit www.afb.org/aw. Be sure to also subscribe to the AccessWorld podcast, available wherever you get your podcasts.
