Web Accessibility: A Growing Consumer Niche, Part I

Many people are surprised to learn just how much of the world’s population is affected by a disability, and how valuable accessible web design is to private industry, government, and educational institutions.

To understand the impact, one has to look no further than the World Health Organization (WHO) (2003) which indicates that people with disabilities are one of the largest and fastest growing minority groups. It is becoming clear that public and private entities who make their technology (both web and non-web) accessible can reach a largely untapped and underserved market, a demographic that represents both spending and voting power.

Industry analysts expect that the buying power of people with disabilities will quickly exceed the $1 trillion mark in the years ahead, much of this spent on technology and/or using the online environment to make purchases. The compelling evidence of the purchasing power of this market segment makes it clear that organizations need to conduct operations, including web design, in ways that will attract citizens with disabilities to their services.

For a quick assessment of your website’s accessibility, consider the following basic questions:

1. Roll your mouse over all graphics (pictures, logos, graphs, maps and any other visual items)--are they alt tagged (does a text description of the graphic appear)?
   


2. Do images, movies, sounds, and applets have alt tags?



3. Do all video clips have captions and transcriptions?



4. Unplug the mouse--can the application be managed by only using the keyboard? Without using a mouse, tab through the links and form controls making sure you can access them and that the links clearly indicate where they lead.



5. Turn off the sound – does it impact the application?
   a. Are all videos captioned for deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers?
   b. Do all videos carry an audio component that describes visual images for blind and low-vision users?



6. Tab through the website (without using the mouse)--does it tab in a logical order or jump all over the page?



7. Has color been used as an indicator? If important information is being conveyed using only color, for instance using RED text, then it will be inaccessible to people with vision impairments or color blindness.



8. Have table attributes been used? (i.e. column and row headers) If not, tables cannot be read properly by Assistive Technology.
   


9. Does anything on the webpage flicker, blink or flash? It must have a frequency greater than 2Hz and lower than 55 Hz. The frequency can be timed using a watch.



10. Are there timed instructional events? Are they adjustable? If not, they may not allow enough time for a person with a disability to complete the task.

Currently, the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) estimates that the number of people with disabilities is dramatic, impacting an estimated 1 in 5 households or roughly 60 million Americans.

Adding to this population is the 76 million strong “Baby Boom” generation. With the leading edge of this demographic having turned 60 in 2006, the Administration on Aging projects that we will continue to see a dramatic leap in the number of people developing disabilities for the first time in their lives — disabilities such as, but not limited to: vision, hearing, mobility, and cognitive impairments. In fact, the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Disability Employment Policy indicates that as the population ages, approximately 40% of those over 65 will likely acquire a disability.

An inclusive and universal design approach to technology is critical to both federal agencies and private industry wishing to anticipate future needs of this growing population, an untapped market that is fast becoming a prized consumer niche.

Be sure to stay tuned to the e-Gov Gateway blog for "Web Accessibility: A Growing Consumer Niche, Part II".

Also, join Debra Ruh, CEO and Founder of TecAccess , for her presentation at the 2009 WMC Online Series.

About Debra Ruh
Debra is a keynote speaker and has authored numerous articles appearing in consumer publications and trade journals such as Learning Solutions eMagazine. She has also been featured in Washington Technology and Entrepreneur Magazine. She has spoken before the European Union, Executive Offices of the President, USDA Conference on Disabilities, IDEAS, CSUN, GSA Usability Universes, Fed Web Conference, USPTO Panel on Accessible E-Learning, and the Leadership Institution on Design of Accessible Online Education at Georgia Tech Global Learning Center.