There are over a billion people across the globe who are living with disabilities. This segment of the population’s online shopping habits adds up to a significant chunk of the total ecommerce happening via the Internet every single day. One issue though, is that many websites are still inaccessible and do not comply with the guidelines established by Section 508, enacted to eliminate barriers in information technology.
Not only is making the Web accessible for everyone the judicious thing to do, it is also profitable, gives a company good publicity and cuts down on potential lawsuits. More and more companies worldwide are recognizing these positive impacts and taking the time and effort to ensure their online presence is accessible for all.
Rob Sinclair, Chief Accessibility Officer at Microsoft said, “In addition to considering the impact on their customers, businesses need to pay attention to increasing legislation, regulation and procurement requirements that can punish or reward businesses for their decisions in this area.”
While there have been significant improvements in the area of IT accessibility, there is still a lot of work left to be done.