Media: Sitepoint interviews RNIB's Howell on Accessibility

Accessibility zealot Julie Howell of the RNIB is interviewed on Sitepoint. High spot of the chat is her 10 point guide to selling accessibility corporately:

'If you worked for a large corporate company, how would you sell accessibility to your boss?

1. Accessibility extends the reach of our service.

2. Accessibility makes our site inter-operable.

3. Accessibility is a demonstration of our corporate social responsibility.

4. If our competitors are accessible and we aren't, we may be viewed in a bad light and lose custom.

5. There are over 8m people in the UK with a combined spending power estimated at £45 billion per annum.

6. Accessible design enhances the user experience for everyone (e.g. the site downloads more quickly, more technologies are supported).

7. Inaccessible sites may be in breach of the 1995 Disability Discrimination Act.

8. RNIB works with companies to highlight best practice through positive press stories and events.

9. If our Website is inaccessible, we may be excluding potential future employees with disabilities, which is also unlawful.

10. Accessibility is not about limiting creativity. The very act of working to standards and guidelines that include the maximum audience is a very creative process.'

Yes, another interview that was probably an email exchange... but a good succinct one.

Interviewer Nigel Peck of MIS Web Design is also worth a mention. He recently launched Accessify Forum, which now has about 300 members and discusses accessibility issues.

Associated Link: SitePoint: Interview - Julie Howell, Royal National Institute of the Blind

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