Web-Accessibility

I have recieved a few inquiries about web accessibility and some real life scenerios. Basically if you havent had the chance to read my comprehensive overview regarding accessibility I can briefly sum it up with some examples.

Common scenerio:

Your website is built with flash or relies on images or active scripts, etc.

Things to ponder:

• What about visitors with older browser or text based browsers? (Will they see your site?)

• What about visitors with dial up or non-traditional connections to the internet? (Will your site load?)

• What if the visitor to your site disables your websites functionality features such as cookies, javascript, reloading, images, etc.? There are tons of privacy and security features for the user to install nowadays, and they use them. (Will your site work?)

• What if the visitor has a visual or physical imparement or disability? (Can they navigate your site?)

The fact that these variables are mostly ignored in favour of the status quo, build for Internet Explorer and don't worry about the rest. Hey not to really knock IE or Microsoft but they really develop their products with themself in mind first and formost. They are a business and are for profit. The fact is that even by looking at this one site of mine, the stats tell me if I designed only for IE I would miss over 30% of my visitors. My stats show that over 30% of my visitors are using: Firefox, Safari, Netscape, Opera, Mozilla, PDA/Phone, Konqueror, and Camino browsers regularly. Plus those that utilize Linux, FreeBSD and Macintosh systems. Can you afford to lose over 30% right off the top? I can't. Sure I do get more nonconforming, older browsers that you probably do and its because I have opened the door for them. Not to mention my ever growing legion of Mac users! But the internet is designed to open up information and make iot more available, accessible to more than the old traditional marketing solutions.

Shoud an intenet user be excluded due to technical limitations or financial considerations?

To sum it up, if you have a message to convey or a business to promote, how can you not plan for an alternative, not a replacement, to your current internet marketing strategy that may be excluding potential clients or customers. How many more visitors do you really want to close the door on. We know it is rather unintentional considering you most likely have never heard of web-accessibility until now. As a business owner you know how you have the responsibility for your establishment to be accessible to those with disabilities, well guess what next on the horizon. The Internet. Its being done in many countries today and is spreading to the US and Canada, under the radar. It will only take a few more lawsuits under the Americans with Disabilities Act and our own Canadians With Disabilities Provisions. Have you been to a Government of Canada site lately or have you looked into the US section 508 Guidelines? They are redeveloping all of there sites towards accessibility, for good reason. The question is do you want to get the ball rolling before it becomes mandatory?


Give me some feedback on this one.