Web Accessability for Disabled Users Again an Issue
February 6th, 2009
I know I’ve talked about Web Accessibility in the past, when the Target lawsuit ended, but it is becoming a topic of conversation once again. According to an article on InternetRetailer.com, a couple of things are taking place. One is the fact that online retailers, afraid of a lawsuit are scrambling to find out what they need to do to get their sites up to speed with accessibility and usability for the disabled BEFORE someone decides to sue them. In this economy, I can see a couple things that are impacting the decision to do this:
1. No one likes to get sued. It’s expensive.
2. Nobody can afford to turn away paying customers in this climate, but updating a Web site that is not built for accessibility from the start can cost some cash.
James, our Development blogger, had some to say about this when it all started that can clarify just what the lawsuit was about, and how it is now impacting Web development.
The other thing that is happening is that folks who are blind and disabled are still encountering sites that they cannot access, and calling up attorneys for the National Federation of the Blind to complain and seek advice as to what steps should be taken to try and force retailers into making their sites more accessible.
Beyond being a best practice for Web developers and site owners to build accessible sites from the outset of the project, it is reasonable to assume that these folks are looking to spend some cash. According to the InternetRetailer.com article, there are 50 million blind and/or disabled folks with an annual income of $1 trillion and $220 billion in discretionary income. That’s a lot of dough up for grabs to the right retailers! If you take the time to think about it, the internet has been an enormous blessing and help to folks with disabilities. The ability to shop in the comfort and convenience of your own home has to be a huge weight lifted from people who might have a harder time getting around. The internet can bring nearly anything right to your door. To have basically, the world at your fingertips has to have eased the jobs of caretakers, as well as the disabled. I can only imagine how frustrating it must be to need to purchase something on a site that is inaccessible to assistive technologies such as screen readers.
As a Web development company, it is our job to think about all the potential users of a particular site while it is still in the planning stages. As a salesman, my job is helping my clients put the Web to it’s best possible use. I would be remiss if I did not point out that there is a huge segment of the population that has money to spend, and that they will spend it with my clients, if I help them make sure that their site is accessible to as many users as possible. It only makes good business sense. More importantly, it’s the right thing to do. Unfortunately, it may take a lawsuit to talk a lot of folks into it. It’s a shame that people have to be forced or even legislated into doing what is best for all involved. To me, it only makes sense to make the lives of people with disabilities and those who care for them, easier.
So, I am wondering, if you are starting a Web project, either a new site or redesign, are you considering accessibility and usability for all your potential users, or is this post making you rethink your plans to include them? Let me know.. I’d love to hear your take on this subject!
