So you're finally ready to launch your website. It's been carefully designed and the content is thoughtfully worded. There's one step, though, that many overlook, and after a recent court ruling, you can't afford to miss.
In September of 2006 a student named Bruce Sexton Jr. sued the retail giant Target because its website was inaccessible to the blind. The lawsuit, filed in conjunction with the National Federation of the Blind (NFB), has drawn attention to the fact that many large corporate sites are not compatible with screen reading technology, which helps blind users navigate websites.
At issue with Target's website in particular was its lack of ALT tags on its website. ALT tags are crucial to screen reading software, which cannot decipher information that is coded differently. Initially, Target claimed that only its stores were covered by the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act, a civil rights law passed in 1990), and not its website. Eventually though, Target settled with the NFB, which in part required Target to pay $6 million to a damages fund. In addition, Target was ordered to make its website more accessible to blind readers, and to pay up to $15,000 of the NFB's costs to train Target's web designers to learn the techniques for accessibility design.
The lawsuit was an eye opener to web designers everywhere. If a huge retailer like Target can be sued over this issue, it can happen to anyone. Ironically--and fortunately--making your website handicapped accessible is not as difficult as it sounds. There are some simple steps you can take to ensure that your website can be read by screen reading software and also accessible to other handicapped groups:
Add ALT tags to HTML coding : When read by screen reading software, ALT tags provide alternative descriptive information for graphical elements of your website. The alternate descriptions help people who cannot view your graphics understand what is on the page.
Don't use excessive tables and columns : Tables, columns, and PDF formatted documents cannot be read by screen reading software, so make sure you don't overload your website with these.
If you're hiring a web designer, be sure to find one who is familiar with Section 508 compliance : Section 508 is a law that was originally passed in 1973 (but amended in 1998) which requires all Federal agencies that use electronic or information technology to make their information accessible to citizens with disabilities. Whether or not you are a Federal agency, it's a good idea to comply with section 508 guidelines when designing your website.
Make sure that people with multiple disabilities can access your site : Don't forget that other disabilities can also affect web users, including people who are deaf and dyslexic. Be sure you cover all your bases.
Visit the World Wide Web Consortium Accessibility Initiative site : The World Wide Web Consortium is an organization founded in 1994 that develops the standards of the World Wide Web. Their Accessibility Initiative website contains all the information you need to make your site handicapped accessible. Visit them at http://www.w3.org/WAI/
One final point: there are side benefits to making your website handicapped accessible. For one, it opens the door for new customers who previously would not do business with you. Also, sites with screen reader coding are more text-oriented, which raises that site's rankings on popular search engines. Higher rankings mean more visibility on the internet, which, as all business people know, is always a good thing.
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