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Accessible Web Sites Creates New Freedom

© Glenda Watson Hyatt

Recently I spent a week with my husband in his hometown of Nelson, a small town nestled in the mountains of southeastern British Columbia. This was a particularly special trip home for my husband.

Although he had spent his teen years in Nelson, this was his first time home with his electric wheelchair. This was the first time he was mobile on his own outside, without needing an able-bodied person to assist him. He was able to show his wife around downtown without needing a third person with us. (I'm also in an electric scooter.)

Despite this, we still had our challenges. We often had to cruise down the side of the road because many sidewalk curb cuts were either nonexistent on the other side or they dropped down too far to be safely navigable.

Wishing for his wife to have a momentum from his hometown, Darrell suggested I buy a souvenir. However, because most of the stores had a step or two up to the door, this was not as simple as it is sounded. I decided to forgo such a purchase. Besides, Darrell is the best souvenir I could have from Nelson.

The lack of accessibility is unfortunate for Nelson, in terms of missed revenue. Although one purchase would not translate into many dollars, an aging population means more and more people will be using wheelchairs and scooters. For a town that is attempting to increase its tourism industry, this could potentially result in a substantial loss of revenue.

You may be thinking, "This is all very interesting, but how does this relate to accessible web design?"

Well, just as potential customers may enter your store by various means -- wheelchair, electric scooter, crutches, guide dog, and baby strollers, they may also enter your website using various methods - text-to-speech screen readers, refreshable Braille displays, non-graphical browsers, and now even cell phones!

The Internet is providing new opportunities to individuals with disabilities, similar to the way my husband 's electric wheelchair gave him newfound freedom. A recent Harris poll found that "the Internet is having a very positive impact on the lives of adults with disabilities who are online, and this impact is much greater than it is among adults without disabilities. As the number of adults with disabilities online continues to increase, the Internet is helping to greatly improve the quality of their lives. Adults with disabilities spend, on average, twice as much time online as adults without disabilities who are not - 20 hours per week compared to 10 hours per week."