How important is accessibility on the web? Until now, it seems most web developers (and designers) have ignored the accessibility issue and dove into fashion over function. Now, with the use of screen readers, magnifiers, and various other tools that help users search the web, accessibility is a huge issue. Unfortunately, technology has also stifled this process.

For instance, WebAIM’s Creating Accessible Macromedia Flash Content section gives an overview of the flaws of flash and also gives alternative solutions. So, what’s the problem? There are ways to get around accessibility and get the certifications and compliance stamps of approval. The problem is time and effort, but also education.

Unfortunately people get lazy, myself included when creating a website or other web paraphernalia. The last thing (literally) I think of is accessibility. And of course, by thinking about it last, it is more difficult to go back through and change all that has been done to be compliant.

Deadlines are also a large part of the problem. Most people in the biz also think of accessibility last and lack the manpower or incentive to make whatever site dot come compliant.

And the solution? Theoretically the solution should be an easy one — plan for accessibility. In a perfect, bland, boring, 1995 world of text only based web pages with an animated GIF thrown here or there, this would not really be an issue. Now, however, with the advent of Flash, PDF, bad OCR, pretty pictures, music and whatnot on the web, things can get a little difficult.

So, people are lazy…the real issue is lack of education. The first time I had even thought about accessibility was not too long ago, and now it seems to be a priority to figure out how to work that into everything I design. I don’t think the majority of designers out there think too deeply about it, or even know what it is and the ones that do, are the ones that must for their specific company. I do admit with the research I have conducted recently there seems to be a bigger buzz about it now more than ever, and it looks like things are moving in the right direction.

There are a plethora of websites out there with information regarding standards and compliance. I’m not going to name them all, but here are the big ones:
W3C Web Accessibility Initiative
WebAIM Web Accessibility in Mind
Section 508
Adobe Accessibility Resource Center

There are just as many examples of accessible web sites currently in existence. (and again, I’m not going to list them all, but this one is a great example):  J.K. Rowling Official Website