Week 12 Why accessibility is important to you

What is accessibility

It is a term that is more associated with architectural thought, rather than Web Site Design. There is a legislation, which determines the minimum standards for new buildings.

According to the World Wide Web Accessibility Initiative, providers have the following benefits:
1. Increase Market Share and Audience Reach
2. Improve Efficiency
3. Demonstrate Social Responsibility
4. Reduce Legal Liability

Accessibility is critical for a web site's success

For example, in the UK alone, there are 8.5 million people who are classified as having some sort of disability. That's a big percentage to exclude from the web; from a moral viewpoint, it is surely wrong, but from a commercial viewpoint, it is disastrous.

When designing web pages, try putting them through a text reader, like the ones used by those with visual impairment.

You will soon realize how difficult it can be for a user who cannot see that a new window has opened - hence the need to overtly tell users that a new window has indeed opened.

http://www.webnauts.net/accessibility.html