Web accessibility, what is it and why is it important?
Web accessibility is the ability of people to perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with the Web, and contribute to the Web. This definition is broad and as such captures all disabilities that affect access to the Web, including visual, auditory, physical, speech, cognitive, and neurological disabilities. There are many ways web can be accessed by both the “able” and the disabled people.
We are focusing on people with disabilities. There are two sides of the coin when it comes to people with disabilities getting access to the web: ensuring that people with disabilities have access to technologies that can help them use the web, and that web pages work with those technologies.
There are few but increasing number of websites and software for people with disabilities to use and contribute to the Web more effectively.
Is web accessibility important to everyone?
The answer will come from you after considering the following facts.
Knowledge is power and no one has monopoly of it; web is indispensible resource in many aspects of life: education, employment, government, commerce, health care, recreation, and more. That makes it so necessary that the Web be accessible in order to provide equal access and equal opportunity to people with disabilities. Access to web gives them opportunity to more actively participate in society.
Getting web closer to the disabled
The Tech community (web and software developers) has been saddled with the responsible but it is always open for everybody to make an impact. More disabled friendly software has to be created which will assist developers produce and evaluate accessible websites, and be usable by people with disabilities.
Web accessibility laws should be strictly adhered to and promoted. Also the web accessibility guidelines and techniques have to be frequently reviewed to address existing and perceived web accessibility needs of the disabled.
