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   Azeem Says...

There is nothing worse than a website that doesn't work or looks different in another browser. Internet Explorer is the most popular browser in the world (by default), but other perhaps superior browsers are gaining popularity. Personally I prefer Firefox and tell everyone I know to switch to it. It's free; why not give it a try?

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What exactly is accessibility?

Accessibility Image Accessibility is about making your site available to the widest possible audience (and not only for people with physical or cognitive disabilities) no matter what their browser, device, connection speed or disability.

Accessibility makes sense from a business perspective as well as a moral and legal one. Why turn away visitors to your site just because they are using a dial up connection, do not have the latest browser technology or have poor vision?

The Disability Discrimination Act

quote Accessibility is about making your site available to the widest possible audience.quote

In October 2004 an addition to the DDA (Disability Discrimination Act) came into force. This act basically states that a commercial website "has to take reasonable steps to change a practice which makes it unreasonably difficult for disabled people to make use of its services".
Although about 80% of all sites currently fail to meet basic accessibility standards this isn't an excuse for your website to be one of them because eventually you will need to consider accessibility - Government and institutional sites have been obliged to comply since 2002.

In theory, if your website doesn't meet the basic requirements for accessibility, you can be sued but it's fairly unlikely that the Disability Rights Commission are targeting your website right now.
Anyway, ensuring that your website is accessible has many advantages and isnt just a headache for both you and me:

  • Websites that adhere to accessibility standards and are build with CSS are much more Search Engine friendly.
  • Webpages are a lot smaller thus the site load quicker, this is because the files which control the structure and appearance of your site are completely separate from the content, and need only be downloaded once, rather than as part of every page.
  • Websites are more usable by viewers with PDAs, mobile phones, etc. Previously it was often necessary to build a different version of a website for these users, but now as the content of your page is separate from everything else, these devices have a much easier time displaying information in a structured and meaningful manner.

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