Web Accessibility: Why Design for Everyone?

According to Cornell University, in 2005 in the United States “non-institutionalized, men & women, aged 21 to 64 years, [of] all races... ethnicity... [and] education levels” who reported a disability constituted 12.6 percent of the total population. In sheer numbers, this figure represents around 21,455,000 individuals (1). As the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative simply explains, “Web accessibility means that people with disabilities can use the Web”. Such accessibility “encompasses all disabilities that affect access to the Web, including visual, auditory, physical, speech, cognitive, and neurological disabilities” (2).
The web has become a source of an unfathomable amount of information. As such, it is an extremely valuable tool that can overcome obstacles that may have, at one point, prevented those with certain disabilities from accessing some types of data. Unfortunately, there are many websites that have not been made accessible. In 2006, less than a majority of state websites met the W3C disability guidelines (3). Such a figure does not address compliance with Section 508, Stanca Act, or other accessibility standards.
Section 508 of the United States Rehabilitation Act was “enacted to eliminate barriers in information technology, to make available new opportunities for people with disabilities, and to encourage development of technologies that will help achieve these goals” (4). In the amendment's technical standards for web-based information (1194.22), there are just “sixteen specific” items required, most of which are “consistent” with the W3C's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (5)(6). Some items such as 1194.22(a), which states that a “text equivalent for every non-text element shall be provided”, are – to some developers – standard practice. This practice is most likely enforced by both the drive to have compliant code and habit. Other items, including those that deal with color alternatives and interact-ability with “assistive technology” devices, are not quite so ingrained in the modern development environment. For some developers, the reason may be that there is simply no requirement to be compliant with Section 508 or related accessibility guidelines. For others, it may be that there the potential for a greater time commitment in composing accessible code, which could impact the “bottom line”. Some may not even be aware of accessibility guidelines in general. With millions of individuals and “three out of every 10 families... touched” by disability, accessibility is something that we should pay attention to (7).
In addition to reaching a broader audience, web sites that have been constructed with WCAG or other accessibility compliance in mind have the potential to see other benefits. 10 years ago, the President’s Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities reported that “the discretionary income of people with disabilities is $175 billion” (7). Individuals that accessibility compliance would aid “aren't just disabled... they're CEOs, secretaries, scientists, artists, parents, children... all consumers in a market any one of us could belong to overnight.” Additionally, “73% are the head of household, 48% are principal shoppers, 46% are married, 77% have no children in the household (boosting their disposable income and free time for travel and leisure activities), and 58% own their own homes”. Adopting the standard of accessibility compliance, and serving the “largest untapped market” of consumers in our global economy, could have significant economic implications (8).
For this designer though, probable financial benefits are not (and perhaps should not be) the primary motivator in striving for accessibility. As articulated by Tim Berners-Lee, the Director of the W3C and inventor of the World Wide Web, the “power of the Web is in its universality...[a]ccess by everyone regardless of disability is an essential aspect” (2). While there are many benefits associated with designing for accessibility, from audience to economics, harnessing the true power of the web is the impetus of designing for everyone.

1.http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/edi/disabilitystatistics/acs.cfm
2.http://www.w3.org/WAI/intro/accessibility.php
3.http://www.gcn.com/online/vol1_no1/23678-1.html?topic=daily-updates
4.http://www.norpc.org/rpc/508_compliance.html
5.http://www.jimthatcher.com/webcourse1.htm
6.http://www.access-board.gov/sec508/standards.htm#Subpart_b
7.http://www.redish.net/content/papers/interactions.html
8.http://www.diversityworld.com/Disability/customers.htm#America's%20largest%20untapped%20market:

Article Source: http://www.stf-webdesigns.com/articles

Abi is an XHTML & CSS Production Specialist at www.fusionbox.com”>Fusionbox, a Denver interactive agency that specializes in web design, web development, and search engine optimization.

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