Why it Matters
Accessibility is about making sure that the broadest range of people, with the broadest range of abilities and disabilities can use your website or e-service. There are four important reasons why accessibility matters:
Inclusion
Everyone is entitled to have access to the same information, products, services and social activities. Unfortunately, many people suffer form exclusion because of their disabilities. The Internet has opened up many avenues for inclusion - making shopping, banking, and socialising easier for many users. It is important that all websites and e-services are designed and programmed with accessibility in mind. An accessible website is one way to demonstrate social responsibility.
Economic
Making your website accessible will provide the potential for an increased market share by making it usable to a wider variety of users. . Users are likely to find it quicker and easier to locate your website though a search engine, and an accessible site can even improve your search engine ranking. Redevelopment costs are likely to be lower if web standards are used properly (an important component of accessibility), and the risk of legal action and time dealing with complaints is reduced. Also, an accessible website is likely to be much more compatible with mobile devices - a huge growth market at the moment.
Legislation
Many countries have laws that mean your website must be accessible to disabled people. If your site is not accessible, you could be breaking the law. The Organizing Committee for the Sydney Olympic Games was successfully taken to court in 2000 as their website was not accessible to blind people - they were fined 20,000 Australian dollars (about 12,600 euros). More recently, the Committee for the London 2012 Olympics hit the news in 2007 when an online video promoting their logo caused some viewers to have epileptic fits.
More information:
Usability Bonus
Making websites accessible can increase the usability for all users. A study by the Disability Right Commission in 2004, 'The Web: Access and Inclusion for Disabled People' showed that websites that are accessible for disabled people are also 35% faster for non-disabled people to use.
