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?
Why you should care about disabled Internet users
The statistics on the number of users who may face difficulties due to your website's accessibility are quite startling:
* There are 8.6 million registered disabled people in the UK - 14% of the population (source: DRC)
* One in 12 men and one in 200 women have some form of colour blindness - 9% of the UK population (source: Institution of Electrical Engineers)
* Two million UK residents have a sight problem - 4% of the population (source: RNIB)
* There are 12 million people aged 60 or over - 21% of the UK population (source: UK government)
Although there is inevitably some overlap between the aforementioned groups, adding up these numbers provides a total of 48% of the UK population that could potentially face problems with your website's accessibility. That's an extraordinarily high number.
It's not just disabled users who can't access your website
Non-disabled people may also experience difficulties with your website's accessibility. Not everyone is viewing your website on the latest version of Internet Explorer, with all the plug-ins and programs that you may require them to have for optimal access.
If your website relies on images, Flash or JavaScript, and fails to provide alternatives, then your website won't be accessible to a number of web users. The following examples are a common occurrence:
* Users on slow connections regularly turn images off to enable a quicker download time. Some browsers, such as the text-only Lynx browser do not display images at all.
* Not every user has downloaded the latest Flash program that's needed to access your site. Additionally, the download time on Flash websites often takes so long that users lose patience and don't even wait to see the content. Just 25% of web users in the UK are connected to the Internet via broadband (source: National Statistics).
* JavaScript is a scripting language that can cause changes to a page, often through mouse functions, buttons, or other actions from the user. For example, pop-ups are opened using JavaScript. JavaScript is unsupported by about 5% of web users, either because they have turned it off to prevent pop-up adverts or because their browser doesn't support it (source: The Counter). Any JavaScript-driven content provided on your website won't be accessible to these users.
* PDAs, mobile phones and WebTV have limited support for large images, Flash and JavaScript. You can test your website by downloading the free WebTV viewer. You can also check how your website looks on a mobile phone with the Wapalizer. Don't underestimate the importance of this: in 2008 alone an estimated 58 million PDAs will be sold (source: eTForecast) and one third of the world's population will own a wireless device (source: ClickZ)
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/support .
I am just a learner who likes to delve in... Read More
Many small companies choose not to invest in a professionally... Read More
Let's begin by setting some limits. If you're like me,... Read More
Even with the steady growth of the World Wide Web,... Read More
Most people know they need a website in order to... Read More
The internet is a sea of knowledge. Getting your information... Read More
1. Many people are not getting good or complete advice.... Read More
First, an eye opener. Making your fortune through affiliate programs... Read More
Here's something you may never have thought of before:If I... Read More
The DDA (Disability Discrimination Act) states that service providers must... Read More
Functions and Subroutines in ASP If you read... Read More
You work hard to build traffic to your web page.... Read More
Are you, like many other website owners, frustrated at the... Read More
Dan Kennedy once said that if you can't make money... Read More
Q1.Why would I need a web site? A1.- Improve my... Read More
Like any area of business your website needs some effort... Read More
Never has competition been so difficult in the Internet world.... Read More
If you are living in a country that its native... Read More
While studying online for IT investment opportunities, I found that... Read More
Cost Effective Advertising. Online selling. Increased geopgraphic range. Wider... Read More
Many millions of dollars are being wasted on promoting and... Read More
So you've decided to start an online work at home... Read More
Analyzing traffic to a site is a key factor in... Read More
"Don't Sell the Steak, Sell the Sizzle."Have you heard of... Read More
1) Word of Mouth The single most powerful form of... Read More
Revenues are often lost because many business owners don't see... Read More
Customer service questionnaires can help your clients better understand their... Read More
Huge Mistake #1: Creating a Website with Flash -- Did... Read More
Conceptualize, Build and Publish a Web site - What's required... Read More
Losing website sales and traffic is sometimes simply a case... Read More
The first thing my business consultant (read brother-in-law) asked me,... Read More
Making money with your web site is the dream and... Read More
As a business you can't afford to ignore the Internet... Read More
A website is like an information flow, with you as... Read More
Does My Web Site Require A Web Database?If your web... Read More
The first thing you will have to deal building your... Read More
Often time I've browsed sites and seen the same thing... Read More
The following is a list of patterns that many visitors... Read More
Analyzing traffic to a site is a key factor in... Read More
When you purchase a new item from a Yahoo! Store,... Read More
What you should do and know if you are an... Read More
Let's begin by setting some limits. If you're like me,... Read More
Conceptualize, Build and Publish a Web site - What's required... Read More
D.zigns dzignerwebs The Basics Before starting on... Read More
Installment 1Developing State-enabled Applications With PHPWhen a user is browsing... Read More
An automated accessibility tool is a piece of software which... Read More
So you have a good idea for a business and... Read More
Selecting the Perfect Domain NameThe first issue I have with... Read More
In 1995 a new era of accessibility for disabled people... Read More
What happened on your website yesterday? What about last week... Read More
Go to any internet marketing forum you want these days... Read More
Losing website sales and traffic is sometimes simply a case... Read More
More and more businesses are recognizing the importance of content... Read More
Are bloated images slowing down your web site and causing... Read More
1. Splash pagesMost of the time splash pages are uncalled... Read More
If you're an up and coming graphic/web designer just out... Read More
Did you know that hosting companies overcrowd their servers despite... Read More
After deciding what kind of internet business you want to... Read More
So you've decided to start an online work at home... Read More
Thousands of people are now making a living online and... Read More
August 8 2005, Macromedia announced a release of Studio 8.... Read More
No matter the size of your business, having a web... Read More
One of the biggest mistakes that most online retailers make... Read More
A simple website stats counter is not enough if you... Read More
Customer service questionnaires can help your clients better understand their... Read More
One of my most salient memories from when I sold... Read More
Web Development |