The DDA (Disability Discrimination Act) states that service providers must not discriminate against disabled people. A website is regarded as a service and therefore falls under this law, and as such must be made accessible to everyone.
Some organisations are making accessibility improvements to their websites, but many are seemingly not making the accessibility adjustments. Disabled people don't access their website, they say, so why should they care?
There are, however, two very good reasons as to why businesses should start taking these issues seriously:
1. An accessible website will make you more money
2. An accessible website will save you money
There are seven explanations for this:
1. Your website will be easier to manage
An accessible website separates the content (the words and images that we see on the screen) and presentation (the way that these words and images are laid out) of each page. Each web page has an HTML document that contains the words and images for that page (the content), and calls up a CSS document that includes the presentation information - this CSS document is shared by all the pages on the website.
To adjust the layout of your website, you only have to make changes in the CSS file, saving considerable time (and therefore money).
2. Your website will be compatible with new browsing technologies
In the near future, the use of PDAs, mobile phones and in-car browsers will all regularly be used to access the Internet. The people making use of these new technologies are generally high-income individuals. In order to reach this lucrative target, you'll need a website that is accessible to these machines. To test your website, try using it with the Wapalizer (http://www.gelon.net), which shows how your site will look on a mobile phone.
3. Your website will appear higher in the search engines
By making your website more accessible to web users, you're also making it more accessible to search engines. Search engines cannot usually understand images, JavaScript, Flash, audio and video content. By providing alternative content to each of these, all areas of your website will be accessible to search engines, who'll then be able to have a better understanding of its purpose.
The more confident a search engine is of your website's purpose, all other things being equal, the higher it'll place your website in the search rankings.
4. You won't have to incur legal fees
The RNIB (Royal National Institute for the Blind) and the DRC (Disability Rights Commission) have been exerting pressure on companies and the government to make their websites accessible. Indeed, the DRC has now published their findings from their accessibility investigation of 1000 websites. They've warned firms that they'll face legal action and the threat of unlimited compensation payments if they fail to make their websites accessible to people with disabilities.
5. The download time of your website will be significantly improved
Accessible websites generally download quicker than websites with poor accessibility. Just 25% of web users in the UK are connected to the Internet via broadband (source: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/intc0504.pdf). You can be sure that if your website takes much longer than ten seconds to download then many of your site visitors will be clicking away and you'll lose their custom.
6. The usability of your website will be enhanced
There is a certain amount of overlap between web accessibility and web usability. It's been shown that a usability redesign increases the sales/conversion rate of a website by 100% (source: http://www.useit.com/alertbox/20030107.html).
7. You'll gain good publicity
Make your website accessible to everyone and you can tell the world about it.
This article was written by Trenton Moss. He's crazy about web usability and accessibility - so crazy that he went and started his own web usability and accessibility consultancy ( Webcredible - http://www.webcredible.co.uk ) to help make the Internet a better place for everyone. They offer fantastic accessibility & CSS support packages, which you can read all about at http://www.webcredible.co.uk .
executive chauffeured services Bradford .. Madison to Airport carThousands of people are now making a living online and... Read More
In the time that I have been using the Internet,... Read More
In this day and age most businesses consider having their... Read More
Failure, just like success, is measured differently by each and... Read More
Every online entrepreneur I talk to is asking the same... Read More
If you were asked to put a value on your... Read More
Today it seems everyone is jumping on the entrepreneur bandwagon,... Read More
The first step in setting up an online business...Starting an... Read More
Making a web site is easy. Making a good web... Read More
What to put your the website if you are an... Read More
Psychology is a long word which everyone thinks, "no, that's... Read More
I'm one of those people that always wanted a website,... Read More
Most interactive websites nowadays require data to be presented dynamically... Read More
The Internet has opened a whole New World of opportunity... Read More
You have permission to publish this article electronically, in print,... Read More
Right after the thought, "I need a website," people usually... Read More
A common dilemma most small and medium businesses face when... Read More
Huge Mistake #1: Creating a Website with Flash -- Did... Read More
Although designing a great web site is an important part... Read More
It never ceases to amaze me how many people set-up... Read More
The needs of screen magnifier users are overlooked when implementing... Read More
Functions and Subroutines in ASP If you read... Read More
Optimize your time. How much time each day must you... Read More
Starting and maintaining a business is challenging enough without the... Read More
Many small companies choose not to invest in a professionally... Read More
O'Hare Chicago prom limo ..What to put your the website if you are an... Read More
Design and layout can make your communication come alive and... Read More
There are many elements that are key to successful web... Read More
Yahoo has long offered email, an online calendar, notes, bookmarks,... Read More
The big thing these days is your ability to capture... Read More
There was a time not long ago when setting up... Read More
80% of your Web site is Maintenance!Once your Web site... Read More
It may seem like the publishing industry's equivalent of Beanie... Read More
With search engines putting a damper on direct reciprocal links,... Read More
We are clearly well past the innocent "golden age" of... Read More
An accessible Web site is easily approached, easily understood, and... Read More
One of the things that many people overlook when building... Read More
Globalize Your WebsiteThe Internet has unlocked a wide array of... Read More
Many executives and investors are skeptical that software products can... Read More
Rosalind wants to share her inspirational poetry with a wider... Read More
If you've been developing websites on Mars for the past... Read More
Your website conversion rate should concern you. This simply refers... Read More
Starting an internet business can be confusing to non-veterans. The... Read More
"How do I improve web site sales figures?" The CEO... Read More
The following is a list of patterns that many visitors... Read More
Server Side Includes (SSI) with ASP People often... Read More
It never ceases to amaze me how many people set-up... Read More
If you were asked to put a value on your... Read More
The internet is a sea of knowledge. Getting your information... Read More
What is the point of having a website, you may... Read More
Web Development |