Why should I care about accessible information technology?
UW-Extension's reasons
- Accessible design supports our mission
- Accessible design is the law
- Accessible design aids all users
- Accessible design increases ranking with search engines
- Accessible design saves time
Others' reasons
- UW-Madison DoIT explanation
- Section 508 Web accessibility requirements
- Web Accessibility Initiative's Introduction to Web Accessibility
Accessible design supports our mission
The Wisconsin Idea advocates bringing the expertise of the University to the general public and all of its citizens, regardless of location, education or other potentially limiting factors. Approximately 20 percent of Wisconsin citizens have a disability, and the number of people with functional limitations such as diminished mobility, sight or hearing continues to increase as the baby boomer generation ages. To achieve the Wisconsin Idea, it is essential that the 20 percent of the population with a disability have access to the same information and resources as everyone else. We cannot share our vital information if our documents and Web sites are not accessible to all.
Accessible design is the law
UW-Colleges and UW-Extension are covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act. These laws require that people with disabilities have equal access to our programs and services. Electronic communication is a primary delivery method for programs and information, and we cannot provide an equal opportunity to people with disabilities if our electronic communication is inaccessible.
Accessible design aids all users
Many of the techniques used to ensure Web accessibility can also benefit non-disabled users. People connecting to the Internet with a dial-up modem, PDA or cell phone often disable graphics to speed up download times. These users will also avoid or leave sites that are difficult to navigate or slow to load. Web sites using Flash or Javascript are generally inaccessible to people using screen readers and are also avoided by those using dial-up, PDAs or cell phones.
Other accessibility standards, such as those concerning fonts or formatting, are also appreciated by non-disabled users. Everyone prefers a font size that is easy to see and page layouts that are simple to understand and navigate. Providing transcripts or captioning for audio and video material also helps users in noisy environments such as coffee shops and buses in addition to those with hearing impairments.
Accessible design increases ranking with search engines
The higher your ranking in a search engine, the more likely people are to see your site. Search engines work by evaluating your site for keywords, but an inaccessible design can limit the ability of search engines to identify these keywords. For example, search engines cannot identify words that are embedded in Flash or Javascript. When you use these tools, you're not only keeping out people with disabilities, you're also limiting the effectiveness of search engines and reducing the number of potential visitors to your site.
Accessible design saves time
Many of the features required for accessible design can also aid in organizing and revising a document. For example, Microsoft Word can automatically create a table of contents and insert chapter hyperlinks when a document is created using the formatting feature. This feature also aids in Web publishing by creating documents that can be published online without reformatting or editing. Appropriate formatting is also essential for blind users because it contains important information about a document's organization and structure.
