Let us begin with understanding what "Web Accessibility” really is. Well, it simply means making a website more convenient to use for people with different types of disabilities and impairments. It is principally intended to assist people with disabilities in perceiving, navigating and interacting with the web. The best thing is that not only people with disabilities get benefits out of a website being more accessible, but it contributes significantly to boost overall web interaction, also adding SEOSearch Engine Optimisation worth to the website itself.
Currently, millions of users all across the world are suffering from one type of disability/impairment or the other, getting hindered in their web interaction. According to some estimates, United Kingdom has about 3.5 million disabled people using internet, while the U.S.A has approximately 10% of the population whose disabilities can hinder their web accessibility. Experts categorize impairments that can affect one’s web experience into 4 main categories:
Absolute loss of vision, color blindness and diminished vision.
Complete or partial hearing loss, inability to hear audiable alerts/notifications.
Physical inability or difficulty using limbs, hand or arms, impaired motor skills, etc
Disabilities in learning and mental activities, short term memory loss and attention deficit issues.
It is worth praise seeing an increasing number of countries around the world focusing more on legislations that specifically address the web accessibility concerns of disabled and impaired people. So, it is becoming more of a legal compulsion nowadays to go for adequately accessible websites for all types of users; for example, the Equality law 2010 UK (replaced the Disability Discrimination Act DDA) that explicitly prohibits any type of discrimination in providing any service to a disabled person, which are being provided to other persons.
The W3CWorld Wide Web Consortium (World Wide Web Consortium) Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) is putting great efforts by collaborating with disability organizations, industry, governments, and research concerns from around the world to help improve the web interaction for disabled and impaired people. This results in emergence of enhanced coding practices and web development norms.
Convenient access to information is considered as one of the basic rights that everyone needs to have irrespective of any limitations or barriers, because free and fair access to information enables all of us to lead informed and independent lives.
Statistics suggest that online businesses are on a constant losing streak, which equals to approximately £80 - 100 billion per year, just due to accessibility issues in their web presence. Improving on web accessibility aspects can help online businesses capitalize on such great opportunities.
To surmise, there are just immense benefits of adhering to improved web accessibility, also making businesses future ready along the way, so you should give it a serious consideration.
Founded in 1999, Metadas Media is a web development company which provides targeted web solutions in order to take the online exposure of your business to the next level.
With more than 50 years of combined experience within this highly competitive industry, we also appreciate the fact that any web development company needs to adapt its services to the times.
Search
01722 412678
info@metadas.com
