Searchbox is here: Alt plus 4
Accessibility information page
|
Navigation begins here
Home (1)|Tutorial|
1. Introduction|
2. Definitions|
5. Structure|
6. Navigation|
7. Appearance|
8. Content|
9. Data|
10. Multimedia|
11. Evaluation|
Introduction
It is critical that websites and web based software be accessible, but the process doesn't have to be difficult or laborious so long as you plan ahead and pay attention to user needs.
Why bother?
Websites have to be accessible so that persons with visual, hearing, physical or cognitive disabilities are able to take advantage of the information, product, or service you are offering.
Large Number of People with Disabilities
This group is much larger and more diverse than most people realize. About 54 million Americans, or one in five, have a disability, which includes:
- Over 20 million (8.2 percent) with some hearing loss,
- 10 million (about 4 percent) visually impaired or blind,
- 4 million (nearly 2 percent) with cognitive disabilities,
- 5.3 million (another 2 percent) that have a Traumatic Brain Injuries-related disability,
- 2 million with seizure disorder,
- 500,000 with Multiple Sclerosis,
- 500,000 to 700,000 have Cerebral Palsy, and
- 150,000 have spinal cord injuries (source: webAIM.org, 2002).
Number of People over 65 is Growing
A higher proportion of older people have disabilities than the general population. For example, about half of people over 65 have a disability and ten percent have Alzheimers. By the time they reach 85, about half will have Alzheimers. As a consequence, the number of persons with disabilities will continue to grow as the adult population ages, as shown in the below chart.
Accessibility Applies to Websites
Moreover, recent court decisions under the Americans with Disabilities Act have recognized the rights of persons with disabilities to access materials online, and the responsibility of organizations to accomodate them. In addition, a growing number of educational institutions have decided that accessibility applies to websites and software, and that Section 508 is an acceptable standard. In 1999 428,000 students in higher education had disabilities.
Is it difficult to make accessible websites?
No! The key to making sites accessible is to plan ahead, be aware of the issues persons with disabilities face, and understand how assistive technology works. Building in accessibility is much easier than going back to a site and retrofitting it. This tutorial will help you get started.
