Accessibility means providing equal access to people with disabilities to information technology, most notably Web sites. As the Internet has grown, and more and more people turn to Web sites and Web technology for basic and day-to-day activities (such as managing their bank accounts, shopping for books, or finding a doctor), the topic of equal access has grown in importance.

Technology, and more specifically Web sites, are considered accessible if they can be used as effectively by people with disabilities or any other limitation (including experience level or language) as by those without. The U.S. government began enforcing accessibility in 1998 with the passage of an amendment to the Workforce Rehabilitation Act of 1973, often referred to as Section 508. While Section 508 only applies to Federal agency Web sites, accessibility should matter to every organization, public or private, large or small.

Aside from the basic argument that all users should be considering when designing a Web site, including disabled users and those with other limitations, the market justifies thinking about accessibility. Did you know that there are 55 million people with disabilities in the U.S.? In addition, there are 50 million baby boomers that will acquire some type of disability in the coming years. Add to these figures the fact that 24 million Internet users will go online for the first time this year with 21 million non-English speakers in the U.S., and you have a very significant group of people who probably can’t effectively use most of the Web sites in the U.S. (which are deisgned with experienced, English-speaking, and non-disabled users as their audience).

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