| Is your website accessible to people with disabilities? It | | | | regardless of the type of technology or equipment |
| seems like today, website owners are more | | | | they use, disabilities, age, or level of education. |
| concerned with mobile web design than they are with | | | | The following are some of the specific ways you can |
| making their sites available to the millions of people | | | | apply Universal Design principles to your website: |
| around the world with disabilities. It makes sense from | | | | 1. Provide text browser support |
| a business perspective to make your website as | | | | 2. Present documents in text format rather than in |
| accessible as possible to everyone, but it is also | | | | frames or PDF |
| becoming a legal matter and much for many | | | | 3. Avoid requiring visitors to download software to |
| businesses and organizations. | | | | view information |
| The World Wide Web is classified as a form of | | | | 4. Add "Alt" tags to your graphics so screenreaders |
| Information and Communications Technology, or ICT. | | | | can "read" images |
| Laws and policies regarding ICT accessibility that are | | | | 5. Hyperlink all photos with descriptive text |
| already in existence are being considered in terms of | | | | 6. Hyperlink video and audio clips with captioning |
| the Internet. In addition, more and more legislation | | | | 7. Provide email or voice/TTY phone number |
| addressing ICT accessibility is being enacted around | | | | alternatives for on-line forms |
| the world. | | | | 8. Avoid relying on color to convey information |
| Although the Internet is for the most part unregulated, | | | | You can obtain more complete information about |
| laws can apply to the Web as ICT. Many countries | | | | website accessibility guidelines from resources such as |
| currently have government laws, policies, regulations | | | | W3 online. |
| and recommendations in place regarding Web | | | | Depending on your skills, you may or may not need |
| accessibility. An abbreviated list of these countries | | | | assistance redesigning or developing your next |
| includes: Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Israel, | | | | website for full accessibility. Whether you make |
| Japan, Spain the United Kingdom and the United | | | | changes to your website design yourself or rely on |
| States. | | | | professional assistance, remember to evaluate the |
| The Americans with Disabilities Act and Internet | | | | results. |
| Accessibility | | | | There are many free evaluation tools available online |
| In the United States, rulings regarding the Americans | | | | that can help you test web pages on your site for |
| with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) resulted in the | | | | accessibility. For a comprehensive evaluation that |
| determination that State as well as local governments | | | | would ensure compliance with web accessibility laws, |
| and the business sector must provide "effective | | | | you will need to rely on the expertise of a |
| communication" during Internet communications. | | | | knowledgeable professional as well as evaluation tools. |
| A significant point of the ADA policy rulings is that | | | | Additional Benefits of Web Accessibility |
| communications in graphical format are almost | | | | Whether you need to bring your website to full web |
| impossible for people with visual disabilities to | | | | accessibility standards to comply with legal |
| understand. Screenreaders cannot make sense of | | | | requirements, or you're primarily interested in providing |
| graphic images: text format is absolutely essential, | | | | access to those with disabilities, you'll discover some |
| including text for navigational tools, graphs, tables and | | | | surprising additional benefits. |
| charts. | | | | A website with a flexible design is more accessible to |
| You can find out more about the ADA and rulings | | | | people browsing the Web with limited technology, such |
| regarding the Internet at the US Department of Justice | | | | as dial-up Internet connections or outdated computers. |
| (USDOJ) website. | | | | Your fully accessible website will also be available to |
| Implementing Universal Design | | | | those with temporary disabilities, such as people |
| Whether laws are governing your website today or | | | | recovering from surgery or accidents. With the right |
| not, it is in your best interest to make your site | | | | equipment, even people with limited or no literacy skills |
| accessible to all Internet users - especially if it is a | | | | will be able to browse your website. |
| business website. How can you accomplish this? By | | | | Regardless of what type of website you have, |
| implementing the elements of Universal Design on all of | | | | focusing on web accessibility will benefit your visitors |
| your web pages. Your entire website will then be | | | | as well as your business in a variety of ways. |
| available to the widest range of Internet users possible, | | | | |