Accessibility: The Web for Everyone!
A Web site that is accessible is one that allows all individuals equal access to its content and services, “whatever their hardware, software, network infrastructure, native language, culture, geographical location, or physical or mental ability.” #1
Contrary to a widespread belief, digital accessibility does not concern only individuals with different abilities. The issue goes beyond compliance with legislation and ethical concerns, and provides an excellent opportunity to improve a site’s ergonomics by providing better-structured content and a more intuitive, less constraining browsing interface.
There are many benefits to having a Web site that’s accessible, and your site should take advantage of them:
interoperability of content and services is improved – access to your site is guaranteed, regardless of users’ operating system or the multimedia capabilities of their browsing device (personal computer, handheld or mobile phone, etc.);
cutting down the size of your pages by separating form and content means quicker loading of the pages for the user and a reduction in the costs of bandwidth, hosting, and storage for you;
adaptability to different local cultural and linguistic contexts is managed better, facilitating internationalization;
since no user is unable to access your site, the number of potential users and customers naturally increases!
