Web Accessibility for People with Disabilities: An Introduction for Web Developers

There are four main categories of disabilities that affect a person's ability to use the web: mobility, including inability to operate a keyboard/mouse; deaf including diminished hearing; blind, including partial vision; and disability associated with cognition and learning. This chapter overviews the major aspects of the web-accessibility issue for web developers. First, it explains the benefits of making sites accessible: increased readership and the ability to take advantage of new technologies as they are introduced. Next, it explains some of the major reasons web developers offer for not making their sites accessible. Then, the chapter reviews the relevant laws regarding web access, focusing on the Americans with Disabilities Act, and discusses efforts being made by Microsoft and the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and others, to encourage accessibility. Finally, it describes major resources that web developers might consult to assist them in making their sites accessible to people with disabilities.