websites } accessibility matters
Like any advertising tool, you want maximum reach. To do this with your website requires some consideration that upto 15% of the population will access your site in a non-visual context. This could be a person with a visual impairment using a screen reader or a busy executive buyer accessing your site on a smart phone. Neither are going to experience your site with the full Flash graphics on a 22-inch monitor, so you had better be certain they can access the information they need, or you've just lost two potential customers!
This is web site accessibility in a nutshell. Ensuring your information is usable and obtainable by everyone regardless of lifestyle, disabilities or technological choices. You will appreciate that it is in your best interest to implement the highest level of accessiblity possible to maximize your online potential.
Falcon Innovation Group created websites include high accessibility as part of their standard service offering and do not charge thousands of dollars extra to ensure your site meets moral, logical and legal standards.
accessibility and the law
In many areas of North America laws either exist or are about to come into effect that will require website content to be accessible. For example, The American Disability Act, Section 508, has been enforce for several years now while in a Canadian context, The Ontario Disabiliteis Act (ODA) came into effect in 2005.
As part of the ODA impementation, the Ontario government released the initial proposed Accessible Information and Communications Standard for a public review in late 2008. A standards development committee, composed of representatives from the disability and business communities, developed the proposed standard.
The proposed standard outlines how businesses and organizations may be required to provide accessible public information in various formats including print media and websites. Shortly, the committee will submit a final proposed standard to the government for consideration as law.
Ontario is the first jurisdiction in Canada to develop province-wide, enforceable accessibility standards. The information and communications standard is the third standard to be released for public review and tentatively would come into force in 2013. The Accessibility Standards for Customer Service, Ontario Regulation 429/07 is the first standard to become law. It came into force on January 1, 2008.
accessibility compliance just makes sense
Web accessibility goes far beyond the crude stereotype of “building websites for the blind”!
Taking the role of developing and designing your web site so that it can mold to the needs of any visitor is a smart decision. It's that simple. On average 15.5% of the population has some type of disability and everyone has different preferences and needs which can be strongly influenced by changing situations. Having your site open for business (i.e. accessible) is a huge benefit.
As a bonus, meeting accessibility criteria and standards autimatically opens your site to search engines to rank your site at a deeper level. Something that many end up paying SEO firms to do anyway! Accessible design is considerate to the following groups of people who:
- have a visual impairment and low vision
- use mobile technology (smart phones) to "surf the net"
- are stuck with slower (dialup) Internet connections
- have a temporarily altered ability (like a broken arm)
- have long-term altered states such as stroke survivors (motor control)
- live with cognetive disorders such as Dyslexia
- are ageing (in an ageing society no less!)
All of the people above do have one thing in common. They are all your potential customers - do you really want to shut them out?
making a difference
Falcon Innovation Group is devoted to continue its efforts in developing accessible and usable websites for all our clients. Along with us, the responsibility for an equal web opportunity rests with every social and economic sector, every region, every government, every organization, institution and association, and of course - you.
For more in-depth reading or to become a part of the solution, check out these links and specific articles.
