Tenshi Web Solutions How To Sell Web Accessibility
Most people who work in the web industry know what web accessibility is by now. Many organisations are attempting to make the transition and their sites more accessible, and over the past few years the general level of accessibility on the web has clearly risen.
There is still a long way to go though, and clients and managers do sometimes need persuasion. The following is a very simple guide that will help you prove that accessibility is something that everyone should look into and take seriously:
1. Increase in reach
In the UK the number of people potentially facing difficulties on the web is startling: 14% of the population are registered disabled, 4% are registered with some form of sight problem and 21% are aged 60 or over. Populations of countries across the developed world undoubtedly have a similar number of people with special needs.
2. Increased Search Engine ranking
There's a massive overlap between accessibility and search engine ranking. Both screen readers and search engines access web pages through the HTML code - pages that are easier to access for one are equally easier to access for the other.
3. Enhanced Usability
There's also a large overlap between accessibility and usability. Using headings and descriptive link text and front-loading content, for example, are great for both accessibility and usability. Essentially, a lot of accessibility is usability: a site that's more usable for non-disabled web users is exponentially more usable for users with special needs.
4. Access to new technology
The use of mobile phones and PDAs to access the web is increasing at a dramatic rate - block this group of users from your website at your peril!
