The main problems with accessibility are technical and non technical:

1. It is the lack of understanding of web developers as to how to effectively make a website accessible or even the simple needs of disabled users.

2. The propensity of web developers to develop web sites and not test them properly, by merely testing running them through an automated tool such as webxact whilst not checking them physically e.g. creating css styles that look good but a disabled user is unable to enlarge the text in the browser they are using.

3. Probably the most important of all they don't test them on a variety of disabled users, on numerous occasions I have visited sites where text enlargement causes text to be unreadable.

4. Maintaining accessibility, so many organisations build a site and think that's it all done and thats their responsibility done with . They start adding content via a content management system and within 6 months have a site claiming to be AAA rated but probably not even single A, this is a serious problem.

We should also look at the economic benefits of accessibility:

1. They have less maintenance costs per year.

2. An accessible web site is faster loading and will save you money because you will use less bandwidth.

3. Because they generally have simpler navigation they are easier to use and non disabled users prefer the simplicity and spend more.

4. There is a huge potential market to be tapped in the UK alone it is estimated the disabled market is estimated to be worth £80 billion.

5. We are living longer and have an increasing population of older over 50 web savvy users with their range of age induced disabilities.

These benefits have been born out by companies such as Virgin which in the year after making their travel website more accessible their web generated profits rose by 68% to £62 million.
Tesco (supermarket) in the year following making their site more accessible their profits rose by £13m and in customer surveys a majority of all users preferred the the simplicity of an accessible design.


In the UK it is a legal requirement under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and 2005 but hardly anyone cares, and this is the biggest problem most companies choose to wait until they get threatened with legal action. We need to give them the message that it is a benefit to them not just another box they have to check.