Learning our ABCs: accessibility, bottlenecks, and control in an organized research unit's website

In this case study, I describe an open system: a public archive of work done at the Computer Writing and Research Lab at the University of Texas at Austin. The CWRL's website has long been an important resource for computers and writing scholarship, but in 2004, it faced new challenges. On one hand, the site had to conform to new accessibility guidelines, guidelines that are sometimes difficult to follow. On the other hand, the site's users ranged from expert HTML coders to neophytes, all of whom had knowledge to contribute. These two factors had caused a severe bottleneck with the previous, static website, causing delays and leading to slow site development. The CWRL's solution was to use an open-source content management system to develop a new site in which accessibility guidelines are programmed and enforced, allowing anyone with an account to contribute accessible portions to the site while retaining centralized control over the site's web standards. I conclude with thoughts about open systems and their potential to improve accessible, distributed site development in similar organizations.