Web Content Accessibility
Some sites on the internet are accessed by, or devoted to disabled and/or elderly persons. If this sounds like your web site you are encouraged to read the following information on potentially making your web site more “web accessible” to your end users.
Though it is not required of individuals and small businesses, it is important to take in consideration the issues that arise for some users accessing your site. The following excerpt comes from the Section508.gov web site regarding “web accessibility”:
“Section 508, effective June 21, 2001, requires Federal departments and agencies that develop, procure, maintain, or use electronic and information technology to assure that these technologies provide accessibility to information and data for people with disabilities…”
Unfamiliar with accessibility issues pertaining to web page design? Consider these factors when editing or designing your site:
Users may be unable to see, hear, move, or process information
Users may be experiencing difficulty reading or comprehending text
Users may be unable to use a keyboard or mouse
Users may have text-only screens, small screens, or slow internet connections
Users may not speak or understand the language in which the document is written in fluently
Users may be using an earlier version of a browser, a different browser, or a different operating system
Content developers and web site owners should consider these situations during the design stages of their web development. Making wise accessibility choices in design can benefit “several disability groups at once and the web community as a whole.”
NetSenses takes “web content accessibility” into consideration when designing and maintaining client web sites. Understanding the different accessibility issues above and providing alternatives offers the entire web community easy accessibility options and optimized content on their web site.
Considering making your current or new web site “web accessible?”
We would be more than happy to discuss this task with you.
Section 508: The Road to Accessibility