What is accessibility?

Why make your site accessible?

• It is a legal requirement in almost all countries
• It’s a moral obligation to be accessible to all, especially for public service organizations
• It’s a civic obligation for everyone
• 10 to 15% of the population have one or more disabilities that prevent them from accessing your site’s content
• More and more older people are surfing the web, but they aren’t trained to do so
• A significant portion of the population has low literacy levels and could miss out on important information
• Your company’s brand image is at stake
• It’s a powerful communication tool
• It’s a very important plus for your website’s search engine optimization (SEO)

A civic-minded approach

Accessibility is becoming a real marketing and sales challenge in the rapidly expanding Internet marketplace, and increasingly an asset for image-conscious companies.

Web site accessibility improves access for people with disabilities, of course, but also for all users by increasing site visibility and improving the logical and functional organization of information.

Making your site accessible contributes to the social, cultural and professional integration of people with disabilities. It’s a moral and civic benefit.

Budget?

If accessibility is not considered when the site is created, the cost is relatively high. If it’s planned from the start, or included as part of a redesign, the cost is reduced.

As it turns out, making your site accessible to all means increasing your customer potential, and the return on investment is immediate.