When looking for information on anything relating to web standards, where would you go but the w3c schools website. The w3’s Web Accessibility Initiative’s purpose is to make the web usable by all people. Straight from the source :
“Web accessibility means that people with disabilities can use the Web. More specifically, Web accessibility means that people with disabilities can perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with the Web, and that they can contribute to the Web. Web accessibility also benefits others, including older people with changing abilities due to aging.
Web accessibility encompasses all disabilities that affect access to the Web, including visual, auditory, physical, speech, cognitive, and neurological disabilities. ”
As the internet becomes more and more important in our daily lives, it also needs to become more accessible to the general public. As web designers, it’s our job to make our sites as accessible as possible, not just for the greater good of mankind, but also just for plain practicality. If your site isn’t accessible, maybe that user won’t buy your product. They’ll go to a site that meets their needs better. From a business standpoint, accessibility it a must.
For a list of sites to test accessibility you can go to http://www.w3.org/WAI/ER/tools/.
6 comments:
W3C was the first place I visited, after Googling "Web accessibility." There is so much information on those W3C pages, it is amazing. I wonder how this accessibility is built into large sites? Do large companies hire people with these types of disabilities and study how they navigate the site? Do scientist (i.e. Web developers) study every mouse click and take continuos notes while wearing white lab coats? This is a complex issue and I am glad to be aware of it.
I did an assignment for another class and was looking at sites to see if they were accessible for colorblindness. It was strange to look at sites and see what was eliminated from the pages. But yet I have not found a site that is accessible for people that are blind or deaf. Maybe I’m just looking in the right place.
You are absolutely right about how being accessible is a must from a business standpoint. Most business owners these days wouldn't overlook things like wheelchair ramps, not only because of the laws, but because they don't want to lose those customers.
W3C has the goods! That is the first place I went to when I had to do research for this topic. I like how you mentioned the business side of web accessibility. It's got to be a must for those websites to get all users to be able to navigate and comprehend the content.
I think W3C is a great place for information. How much research do companies do with making their site accessible to people who have disabilities? I think that many websites need to do more research into making their sites accessible to people with disabilties.
It would be interesting to see if big companies spend a lot of time and money on accessibility. Or if they just leave it up to the developers who make the sites. I looked around the W3C a little bit. Its a great resource if you have time to wade around. A thought i had was i wonder what the number is of people who are blind who use the internet to do their shopping?
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