| The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), established | | | | such thirteen guidelines are known as "Section 508". |
| in 1990, has shaped how we all do business. The act | | | | Because of Section 508, all U.S. government-related |
| states that people with physical or mental impairment | | | | Web sites are currently Web accessible. |
| may not be denied to participate and benefit from | | | | In October of 2002, Southwest Airlines was sued by |
| public accommodations. We're used to seeing | | | | Access Now, a Florida not-for-profit corporation and |
| wheelchair ramps or elevators available for multi-floor | | | | advocate for the disabled community, and by Robert |
| buildings, braille provided on bank ATMs, closed | | | | Gumson, a blind individual who had difficulty using |
| captioning capabilities on televisions, and parking lots | | | | Southwest's Web site to make travel plans. Access |
| with designated handicap spaces. | | | | Now claimed that Southwest's site was not accessible |
| The ADA's requirements ensures equal opportunity for | | | | to people with disabilities, and that the site had not |
| persons with disabilities in employment, state and local | | | | been programmed with alternative text that would |
| government services, public accommodations, | | | | work with a screen reader, thus denying Gumson full |
| commercial facilities, and transportation and requires | | | | access. Although a judge ruled in the favor of |
| the establishment of TDD/telephone relay services. All | | | | Southwest Airlines, it was not a good source of |
| businesses have to comply with the ADA. It's a | | | | positive publicity for the company. |
| Federal offense to refuse to comply. | | | | As Web designers and developers learn more about |
| So why have businesses overlooked the needs of | | | | the importance and how to implement Web |
| their Web customers? | | | | accessibility, they can help companies better in |
| Over 15% of all U.S. residents has some disability such | | | | educating and preparing their clients' Web sites. The |
| as blindness, partial eyesight, color blindness, deafness, | | | | goal to make any Web site accessible is currently a |
| and those who have limited use of extremities and | | | | self-guided initiative, until additional legislation is created |
| can only use the keyboard or use voice commands. | | | | to enforce accessibility standards across all business |
| To navigate the Web, a disabled surfer needs | | | | Web sites created in the U.S. |
| assistive technologies such as a screen reader, a | | | | The advantage for increasing accessibility on your site |
| software utility that reads Web pages audibly. But | | | | are many. Not only do you increase your reach to |
| Web pages must follow programming and design | | | | disabled users with assistive technologies, but |
| guidelines in order to be read by screen readers, and | | | | customers experience faster download times, |
| few businesses have ever followed accessibility | | | | bandwidth savings, higher search engine rankings, |
| guidelines, much less heard about them. | | | | easier Web site management and cross-browser |
| In 1997, The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), an | | | | compatibility. |
| international collective to develop technologies | | | | An accessible Web site also becomes "forward |
| (specifications, guidelines, software, and tools) to lead | | | | compatible", meaning the programming increases |
| the Web to its full potential, established the Web | | | | readership with current technologies such as PDAs, |
| Accessibility Initiative (WAI). The initiative was set up to | | | | mobile devices, Web TVs, and future versions of Web |
| develop and improve the international standard of | | | | browsers which are scheduled to follow accessible |
| design and programming guidelines to increase | | | | standards in translating code. There will be no need to |
| accessibility. | | | | reprogram your site every few years to adjust it to |
| And in 1998, Congress amended the federal | | | | new browsers. |
| Rehabilitation Act to require U.S. agencies, government | | | | The biggest benefit for increasing Web accessibility is |
| contractors and others receiving federal money to | | | | that it allows your Web site to reach everyone, not |
| make electronic and IT services accessible to people | | | | just disabled users. |
| with disabilities and to develop those services along | | | | |