Help for the disabled is an important topic right now. People seem keener to see everyone have equal rights than ever before. We see awareness being raised by many organisations and individuals to push for equal rights for everybody. An area that has sometimes been missed in the past is the rights of the disabled but all that is now changing. People are marching for change. Disability awareness month has been created. Laws have been passed to protect the disabled. And people are beginning to take notice. But an area that is still often not thought about is making things accessible for those with a disability online. Now again, laws have been created regarding this and companies like accessiBe can help businesses comply with these laws but unfortunately not everyone is aware of them.
Why is online accessibility not always considered necessary? Unfortunately, some people still think of disability as only health conditions you can see, or as conditions that affect people being able to get around. For those with this mindset, they will assume that having an online presence is surely perfect for a disabled person and will open up many opportunities to them. While this is certainly the case for some disabilities, this is far from the full story.
The fact is, even to sit at home on a device, we are using a lot of parts of our body. We’re using our brain to process information and recall what to do to use a device. We’re using our hands to type or manoeuvre a mouse. We’re using our eyes to see the screen and our ears to listen. For many, herein lies a problem. Take for example, our hands. If someone has limited or no use of their hands, they will struggle to access any websites online without specific help designed just for their circumstances.
This, as you can imagine, has led to a lot of frustration for many over the years. And this is unacceptable. No one should feel left out or left behind because of a disability. Fortunately, there is help out there. And as already mentioned, laws are now in place to try and ensure this doesn’t happen. So, for those websites that aren’t fully accessible for anyone with a disability, they could be breaking the law. The fact that there are now more legal cases than ever before on this very subject, shows that it is being taken more seriously and it is something that needs action taking now. If you have a website that is not fully accessible, don’t despair. As we’ve said, there is help available. It probably sounds like a mammoth job to get a website fully accessible, given all the different types of disabilities and needs of individuals. But there are companies that have created software to do a lot of the work for you. Yes, by using their software, you could have your website fully accessible quickly and cheaply.