Return on Investment (ROI)

Smart companies already know that one way to better bottom-line performance is to empower workers to do their best for the organization. Another key to improved performance is to make it easier for customers to buy and use their products. That is why eliminating barriers for associates and customers fits solidly into every forward-looking business plan.

Why Make Your Products or Information Accessible?

People with disabilities are the world´s largest untapped market. 54 million Americans with disabilities currently control $175 billion in discretionary income. Additionally, we are an aging population, so these numbers will continue to rise. Public organizations are not required to be Section 508 compliant; however, they can be found liable under the Americans with Disability Act (ADA). Making your website, product, software, or training Section 508 compliant could protect you from lawsuits and it promotes good business.

Debra Ruh of TecAccess Leading a Class at Virginia Dominion Power.

Photograph: Debra Ruh of TecAccess leads a class at Virginia Dominion Power about Web Accessibility. (Raymond Kenney of TecAccess and Charles Donato of Dominion are shown in the foreground.)

What Percentage of the Population has Disabilities that Affect Web Access?

The National Organization on Disability estimates that 35% of Americans have a minor disability and 25% has a severe disability. Moreover, since Americans are getting older, we face diminishing vision and hearing, arthritis, and osteoporosis. Although not all of these people are affected by Web accessibility, a great many are prevented from receiving information in a format suited to their needs.

Via the Internet, people with disabilities now have easier access to books and information and they are able to shop unassisted. They are in a position to improve the quality of their lives if the tools to do so are made accessible to them.

Why Make a Website Accessible?

Expensive Gadgets and Toys:

The people who can afford to buy the latest Internet gadgets, such as PDAs, web-enabled pagers, cell phones, and Auto PCs are also the same people who may be spending a lot of money online. Customers with money to spend on tech toys and gadgets are the types of customers that businesses cannot afford to lose!

The Buying Power of People with Disabilities:

Consumers with disabilities control more than $175 billion in discretionary income. Accessible information, stores, products, and services will help associates and customers with disabilities feel that their business is valued and appreciated.

The Work Incentives Improvement Act was designed to funnel tens of thousands of people with disabilities into the work force. Due to that fact we are an aging population, the purchasing power of this group will continue to grow.

It is estimated by the census bureau that at least one-half of all non-disabled adults have a spouse, child, parent, or friend with a disability.
One in every five houses in America has a person with a disability.
Companies marketing to people with disabilities can reach as many as four in every 10 consumers. Corporate America cannot afford to ignore or stereotype this market

Avoiding Litigation:

In some parts of the U.S. (local, state, and federal governments), website accessibility, product accessibility, and software accessibility are not just good ideas; they are the law. If a product or information is not accessible to people with disabilities, an organization could be facing an ADA complaint or other lawsuit.

America Online (AOL):

In November 1999, the National Federation of the Blind lodged a landmark lawsuit against AOL. The suit claimed AOL violated the United States´ federal Americans with Disabilities Act by failing to provide access for the disabled to its site.

In an out-of-court agreement, NFB have agreed to hold the lawsuit for 12 months, by which time AOL must:

Adopt a company-wide policy incorporating guidelines for making AOL sites accessible to the blind and others with disabilities.
Make the next version of its software accessible to the blind.
Ensure that other future AOL products are accessible to the blind.

Sydney 2000 Olympics:

A complaint was filed by a blind user to the Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunities Commission. The Sydney 2000 Olympics organizers (SOCOG) were ordered to make accessibility changes to their website:

Olympics Web Site

The Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunities Commission found that SOCOG had breached the Disability Discrimination Act and ordered it to use ALT text on all images and image map links on its site.

What Types of Disabilities are Affected by Internet Accessibility?

The types of disabilities break down into four categories: visual, physical, auditory, and cognitive/learning disabilities:

A person with a visual impairment has trouble accessing content on the Web without the aid of software to read the text aloud.
A person with a cognitive or learning disability can benefit from the use of screen readers to present the text in a more understandable way.
A person with mobility impairment may not have the motor skills necessary to operate a mouse and must rely on the keyboard to navigate the site.
A person with a hearing impairment may be unable to access any audio content, so that information needs to be available in a visual format.

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