Benefits Of An Accessible Website Part 1 - Increase In Reach
Below is a MRR and PLR article in category Internet Business -> subcategory Web Design.
Benefits of an Accessible Website: Part 1 ?" Expanding Your Reach
Creating an accessible website is not just a legal requirement under the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) but also a strategic advantage for businesses. Websites must accommodate all users, including those with disabilities, as they are considered a service under this law.
Why Accessibility Matters
Organizations often neglect web accessibility, claiming that disabled users don’t visit their sites. However, ignoring this can alienate a significant portion of potential visitors. Consider these statistics:
- 8.6 million people in the UK are registered as disabled, making up 14% of the population (source: DRC).
- 9% of the UK population experiences some form of color blindness (source: Institution of Electrical Engineers).
- 2 million individuals have visual impairments, accounting for 4% of the population (source: RNIB).
- 12 million people are aged 60 or over, making up 21% of the population (source: UK government).
These figures highlight that up to 48% of the UK population could face accessibility challenges on your website.
Accessibility for Everyone
Web accessibility isn’t just about catering to those with disabilities. Many non-disabled users may also struggle with inaccessible websites for various reasons:
- Limited Resources: Not everyone uses the latest browser or has all necessary plug-ins.
- Image and Media Dependency: Websites relying heavily on images, Flash, or JavaScript without alternatives are often inaccessible. Users on slow connections may disable images to improve speed, and browsers like Lynx do not display images at all.
- Flash Requirements: Only 25% of UK users are on broadband (source: National Statistics). Long loading times can deter those without the latest Flash player.
- JavaScript Limitations: Approximately 5% of users disable JavaScript due to pop-up ads or unsupported browsers (source: The Counter). Any content reliant on JavaScript won’t be accessible to them.
Embracing Mobile and Emerging Technologies
The rise of mobile and alternative browsing devices also necessitates accessible design:
- Mobile Devices: With 58 million PDAs projected for sale in 2008 (source: eTForecast) and one-third of the global population owning wireless devices (source: ClickZ), mobile compatibility is crucial.
- Test your site using tools like the WebTV viewer or Wapalizer to ensure visibility on these platforms.
Accessible design ensures a broader audience can engage with your content, offering substantial business benefits, from increased reach to enhanced reputation. Focusing on accessibility is not only about compliance but also about inclusivity and expanding your potential audience.
You can find the original non-AI version of this article here: Benefits Of An Accessible Website Part 1 - Increase In Reach.
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