Web Accessibility Tools
The Tools You Need to Make Your Website Accessible
What Questions Do You Have About Web Accessibility?
Individuals with disabilities make up over 12.3% of the population in the U.S.
According to the 2012 American Community Survey, individuals with disabilities make up over 12.3% of the general population. In higher education, 10.8% of undergraduate students and 7.8% of graduate students reported that they had disabilities as of the 2007-2008 Census, a number that only continues to grow. In order to offer equal access to all students, online educational content must be accessible to individuals with all sorts of disabilities.
Though the primary purpose of web accessibility features is to ensure that individuals with disabilities have equal access to online content, these features also offer a better experience for other users. The same features that ensure that your site complies with accessibility requirements also make it easier for users who are not native English speakers, those who are elderly, and users who prefer to use the web content in a variety of different ways. Web accessibility is just the first step on a path that can continue to incorporate the principles of Universal Design to ensure that your site is welcoming to all users.
Provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 address web accessibility requirements, particularly for education institutions. Both of these laws strive to offers individuals with disabilities equal access to a wide variety of resources and services and this includes access to information and services available on the internet. While the law in this area is still not completely settled, a number of companies have been sued over inaccessible web content.
Inaccessible web content is a major barrier for students with disabilities
The law requires that many websites be accessible to individuals with disabilities
Accessibility features help many different types of users
wheelchair access by Leo Reynolds. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.