Web Accessibility
Introduction:
There is a saying “world is small”. I never believed it
until I started using internet. Now a days we can get anything from internet,
reach out to any person, watch a movie, book a ticket and order food etc. with
just few clicks. As of most recent survey around 3.5 billion people uses
internet. We even cannot imagine our life without internet.
Have you ever wondered how people with disabilities use
internet and access the content present in the websites? Have you ever thought
if it is possible for people with visual impairment to access the websites? You
will find the answer for yourself after reading my next series of blog posts.
What is Web Accessibility
Among
the 3.5 billion people who uses internet, it is believed that around 60 million
people have at least one type of disability.
Web accessibility means making the content present in the web
available and accessible for people with disabilities. Each and every user must
be able to understand, perceive and operate the content or information present
in the websites. To be short,
Web accessibility means that people with disabilities can use the web.
Currently
most of the websites have accessibility barriers and makes it difficult for
people with disabilities use the web.
Why Web Accessibility
Implementing web accessibility helps people with
disabilities to access the content present in the web without the help of other
persons. It provides equal opportunities and equal access to several aspects
like Government, education, employment, healthcare and many more for people
with disabilities.
Also there is LAW in several countries which states the
schools, universities, airways, government entities websites must be accessible
to all. The websites or companies which fails to obey the law ends up paying
billions of fine to government.
Below
are the few benefits
- Equal access and equal opportunities for people with disabilities.
- Increase in customer base as users with disability chooses the product which is more accessible
- Improves SEO ranking as implementing accessibility makes the content of the website very clear and well structured.
- Abide to law
Web accessibility not only benefits people with
disabilities but also benefits people without disabilities. For example user
working on computer which does not have a mouse or the user has temporary motor
disability due to broken hand.
Disability categories for Web
All though 60 million people who uses internet have at
least one type of disability, all types of disability users won’t face trouble
in accessing the content present in internet. But few types of disability users
as listed below find it difficult to access the content present in web.
The
major types of disabilities for web are
- Visual Impairment
- Hearing Impairment
- Mobility disability
- Cognitive disability
