The main reason webmasters fail to make their websites accessible is because they don’t understand the concept of an “accessible website” in the first place.

Not adhering to web standards is like rollerskating down the freeway. You might get to where you’re going, but it’s inefficient and fraught with peril.

3 or 4 months ago I interviewed Phillip Lan the CEO of a new shopping comparison engine. After I posted the interview I was contacted by one Josh Stylman, the Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Reprise Media.

An accessible website is one that allows as many people as possible to access the infomation contained within it.

Lately I’ve been thinking about css based layouts and how everyone and their brother are jumping on the css bandwagon.

Throughout 2004 the number of web enabled portable devices boomed. By “portable devices” I mean PDAs and smart phones. What does this mean for you? Well it depends whether or not you care about your visitors’ experience – you build your website for visitors so you really should!

An accessible Web site is easily approached, easily understood, and useable for all. There are accessibility standards set forth by the World Wide Web Consortium, which all sites should adhere to as much as possible.

An additional benefit of website accessibility is an improved performance in search engines. The more accessible it is to search engines, the more accurately they can predict what the site’s about, and the higher your site will appear in the rankings.

Web accessibility has so many benefits that I really do wonder why such a large number of websites have such diabolically bad accessibility. One of the main benefits is increased usability, which according to usability guru, Jakob Nielson, can increase the sales/conversion rate of a website by 100% and traffic by 150%.

Most of us already know it’s good business to have a presence on the World Wide Web. Since millions of people from all over the world use the Web each day, having a web site is one of the best ways to increase market share and audience reach. However, even companies with a web site could be missing out on the full potential the Web offers, if the content on their site is not accessible to the widest audience possible. Unfortunately, many web site owners create barriers to their content without realizing it. When this happens, their visitors often get frustrated and go elsewhere and the company loses that potential business to a competitor.

You often read advice from industry experts along the lines of “using tags as they were meant to be used” and limiting your use of advanced programming techniques in order to make your site accessible.

What is web accessibility & why is it important?

1. Creating a text-only equivalent is sufficient

The DRC (Disability Rights Commission) recently announced the results of their year-long investigation into the accessibility of 1000 UK websites. The report concluded that most websites are highly inaccessible, with over 81% not even meeting basic standards of accessibility.

One of the things I find I’m most often fighting with my peers and competitors is the need for your website to be accessible. An Accessible website is a website that caters to the needs of handicapped individuals and people using alternative web browsing methods like third party browsers, PDA’s and the like. As a business owner, it is important to have a website that meets at least the minimum Web Accessibility Standards. If your website is accessible you stand to benefit from:

According to Usablenet.com, accessibility and usability are becoming increasingly critical to the internet experience. Is your site accessible to people with disabilities? Is it compatible with browsers other than Internet Explorer? Continue reading to discover how accessibility can benefit you, as well as your visitors.

. . . Making your Pages Friendly to People with Disabilities

Color Blindness Issues and Problems:

Colorblindness is usually a genetic condition, but it can also be caused by injury, disease, or the aging process. As people age, their corneas typically turn yellowish, making it difficult to see violet and blue colors.

Navigation Issues and problems:

Making your navigation consistent helps all users to find their way around your site. Whether you choose to put your links across the top, down the left or right side, or somewhere else is up to you, but make them easy to find and use.

This issue is not a new one, but there is still a great deal of confusion out there about what makes a Web site accessible and why it matters. If you don’t think this topic is important, consider this:

If you’re having trouble converting data to and from XML format, or if your site has accessibility issues, Dave Pawson is the fellow to ask. He’ll answer your questions, or find someone who can.