Providing disabled users with adequate access to Web sites is now actually a law. The Justice Department has ruled that the ADA applies to the Web. Section 508 of the amended Rehabilitation Act of 1998 ("Section 508") mandates that federal agencies and any company doing business with the federal government through the Web must meet specific guidelines for accessibility. The Assistive Technology Act of 1998 as well as many individual state laws mandates that the states comply with accessibility standards as well.
These guidelines were developed based on recommendations from the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), and other stakeholders. Detailed in Section 508, these are the most complete and practical accessibility guides available today. They are defined in three levels of priority -- problems that could prevent someone from using a feature, problems that have a "substantial impact" on use by a person with a disability and problems that, if fixed, would facilitate use by someone with a disability.
Section 508 demonstrates that the government is serious about equal access to information for everyone, whether it is for employment, education or day-to-day living. To accommodate the needs of more than 200,000 disabled federal workers, federal agencies are required to integrate accessibility into all Electronic Information Technology, including Web initiatives.
What''s Good for the Government...
Will this trickle down to private business? Most likely. Section 508 was intended to eventually reach into both the public and private sectors. The idea is to make vendors think about building accessibility into all their communications and products, for both government and commercial needs. As it stands right now, any vendor wishing to offer goods or services to the Federal government on-line must comply with Section 508. In the not too distant future, accessible sites will be ubiquitous. Designing and developing new applications with accessibility guidelines in mind now will prevent the costly remediation when this time comes.
As we become more and more a digital society, this may become a civil rights issue for companies. A Web site that posts job openings, but is set up in such a way that it prevents a visually impaired candidate from viewing a position, is a concern. The number of people who make up this group is surprising. One in five Americans has some disability and as the population ages, that percentage is expected to increase. Here are some statistics:
Access for the disabled is a major concern affecting many. It has gotten attention from world leaders. U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan said in New York earlier this year, "Providing access to the Internet will help people with disabilities advance economically, as well as provide them the technical skills to compete professionally in today''s digital economy."
While making Web sites accessible to all potential customers seems obvious, it has only recently become an issue in the private business sector. For some industries, a lack of access will have immediate financial impact. A case in point is the retail industry.
During the recent holidays, many people went online to ease their shopping time and effort. Just sitting down to the computer, leisurely viewing products and then pointing and clicking to complete transactions have become almost standard. But all is not well. A September 2001 survey from Retail Forward (a consulting and market research firm specializing in retail strategies) reported that only 2% of shoppers feel their online shopping experience is free of frustration. Many retailers are looking at these stats and coming to the conclusion that making the process of shopping on the Web smoother and simpler will add to their success. But many of these retailers, as well as other businesses that have an online presence, have overlooked the disabled in this process.
What has now been termed a wake-up call to take accessibility seriously, Section 508 has garnered the attention of some in private industry. In order to meet the Section 508 rules, many technology industry leaders are developing hardware and software for disabled consumers and employees. Executives of Motorola, Hewlett-Packard, Cingular Wireless LLC, Adobe Systems Inc. and Compaq Computer Corp. have initiated efforts to meet the challenges to providing information and communications to people with disabilities.
A serious point to make is that a business whose Web site doesn''t meet ADA guidelines could be sued under the act, just as a brick-and-mortar establishment can be sued for not having an entrance suitable for the handicapped. The National Federation of the Blind sued America Online, Inc. in November 1999. NFB claimed AOL''s software was not compatible with screen-access software typically used by the blind. AOL agreed to work with NFB to ensure that the site is accessible. Now that the issue has been raised, it is likely that more lawsuits are on the horizon.
What is Accessibility?Designing a site for accessibility ensures that all users can gain access to information and can experience the pages in a way that is intuitive for them. And a site doesn''t have to be complex, expensive or ugly to be accessible. In many cases, just adding a "tag" to the navigation graphics on your site to give a screen reader something to read will improve your site''s accessibility dramatically.
Assistive Technology
Special assistive technologies help to enable disabled users. The screen reader program mentioned previously reads the contents of the screen aloud in a synthetic voice, or a screen magnifier program which enlarges a selected portion of the screen for those with impaired vision are available. People with motor impairments use a special keyboard or a pointing device controlled by a joystick or by head movements.
Audit and Remediation
There are a number of methods that Web site designers can use to ensure their Web sites are accessible. The best outcome may come with using a combination of automated evaluation tools and hands-on evaluation. Auditing a Web site will produce a detailed report of areas within the site that require remediation to comply with both the W3C standard and Section 508 guidelines.
After evaluating an existing Web site, accessibility enhancements can be implemented to bring the site into compliance. Often, these enhancements are quite straightforward. Design and implementation can take place without compromising the look, feel and operation of your site.
There is also training available for designing accessible Web sites. Courses cover the mandates of Section 508 as well as strategies for designing accessibility into a Web environment. Customized courses are also available to suit specific requirements.
The Future of Accessibility
How will government-mandated accessibility on the Web affect you and how you do your job? It may mean you will have access to, and have the opportunity to hire more disabled employees. It also allows for the disabled people you already employ an easier time with all Web-based communication -- as it will for all of your users. Web sites that are simpler and more natural to navigate are good for everyone.
Users and supporters of Web accessibility are cautiously optimistic. Many who have been vigorously calling for companies to comply with accessibility standards say they are encouraged. Most agree that there will be more lawsuits and debate between users, designers and developers. They see the Web becoming more accessible, but it will take time.
With the popularity, advances and the utilization of the Internet as a whole, access for the disabled Americans and people with disabilities world wide, becomes more and more an issue. To improve the options available to this group is the ultimate goal. These individuals need to have the ability to perform the now regular activity of utilizing the Web. Maintaining an accessible online presence is a significant step towards complying with laws that may be looming ahead. But it''s also the right thing to do for your employees, your clients, and for your company.