| An accessible website is one that allows | | | | * Accessible websites are easier to |
| as many people as possible to access the | | | | index by search engines and therefore |
| infomation contained within it. An | | | | help drive traffic to your site. |
| inportant subset of accessibility is | | | | What does it entail? |
| allowing people with visual, aural, or | | | | Many techniques involved in making your |
| physical disabilities full access to the | | | | website accessible will have no effect |
| information and services available in | | | | whatsoever on the final look and feel of |
| the same way as able-bodied people. | | | | your site for the majority of users. It |
| Ensuring that your website is not | | | | will however allow users with |
| dependant on particular hardware or | | | | disabilities to use assitive devices |
| software is also an important | | | | such as screen readers (to read text out |
| consideration when building accessible | | | | aloud to them) and assistive input |
| websites. | | | | devices (for people with physical |
| Is it worth it? | | | | disabilities) to access and use your |
| * At least 10% of the population in most | | | | site. Some of the key concepts are: |
| countries has disabilities; visual, | | | | * To provide textual alternatives for |
| auditory, physical, speech, cognitive, | | | | all images and animations |
| and neurological disabilities can all | | | | * To ensure that textual content can be |
| affect access to the Web. | | | | resized to the users peronsal preference |
| * Average age of population in many | | | | * To ensure sufficient contrast between |
| countries is increasing; aging sometimes | | | | text colour and background colour |
| results in combinations of accessibility | | | | * To ensure that hyperlinks contain text |
| issues; vision & hearing changes, | | | | that describes their purpose. |
| changes in dexterity & memory. | | | | * To ensure that hyperlinks are large |
| * Many elderly and disabled people rely | | | | enough to make them easy to select |
| increasingly on the internet to obtain | | | | * To use a consistent and easy to |
| their goods and services. | | | | navigate layout |
| Few organizations can afford to | | | | Other benefits |
| deliberately miss this market sector. On | | | | The robots that search engines use to |
| top of this, accessible web design | | | | catalogue your website are essentially |
| contributes to advantages for | | | | 'blind' visitors to your site. |
| able-bodies users too. Accessible | | | | Accessible websites are therefore more |
| websites: | | | | search engine friendly and result in |
| * Allow access to users of mobile | | | | better search engine rankings and |
| phones, small display scress, Web-TV and | | | | ultimately more visitors to your site. |
| web-kiosks and other new web=enabled | | | | Other advantages include: |
| devices. | | | | * Better structure means easier and |
| * Increases usability in low bandwidth | | | | cheaper site maintenance |
| or slow connection situations. | | | | * Accessible sites demonstrate that your |
| * Provide access across a wider range of | | | | organiation takes its social |
| computer hardware and software. | | | | responsibilty seriously |
| Other extremely important benefits that | | | | * Increased support for |
| make accessible websites worthwhile are | | | | internationalisation |
| that: | | | | * Reduces hosting costs |
| * Many governments now require certain | | | | I believe accessibility is beneficial |
| websites to conform to accessibility | | | | for all involved and should be a |
| guidellines. | | | | consideration of every website. |