We here at SXSW were saddened to hear about the passing of Dr. John Slatin, accessibility advocate, former panelist, and friend. John was in demand locally and internationally as an expert on accessibility issues and was an active participant in the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), culminating with his work as co-chair of the W3C’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines Working Group.

John’s legacy is long and varied. He founded the Accesibility Institute at the University of Texas at Austin, and guided development of the University’s Web Accessibility Guidelines. With Sharron Rush of Knowbility, John co-authored Maximum Accessibility: Making Your Web Site More Usable for Everyone. He also served on the advisory board for Knowbility’s Accessibility Internet Rally (AIR) and was a member of the board of directors for Access Arts Austin, working to make cultural events and facilities more accessible to people with disabilities.

On a personal note, many SXSW attendees may remember John from the panels he presented, including “Can Stevie Wonder Read Your Website” and “Accessibility is for Everyone.” He may be remembered most for the time spent in the conference halls with his dog Dillon, meeting new people, chatting up old friends or recommending all the best places to eat in Austin. Whatever the subject, John brought such enthusiasm and insight to every discussion. Although we will no longer see him at the conference, John will be remembered as one of the amazing people that brought so much to SXSW.