Media: Userfocus gets Tough on Web Accessibility

"Web Accessibility: No More Mr Nice Guy" by David Travis of Userfocus asks what the DRC's recent report on web accessibility means for UK websites.

The tone is firm: 'Businesses dislike the burden of legislation as it reduces their flexibility and increases their costs. The managing director’s standard argument is "Why should I do this when my competition isn't?" Research findings need to be extremely compelling for an organisation to act on them and it's a sad fact that businesses often won't take action unless they are forced to. Indeed, one comment we frequently hear in our accessibility training courses is that "Disabled people represent such a small part of our market that it's not worth the cost of retrofitting our website". Although executives can ignore research findings, they cannot afford to ignore the law. Defending claims successfully is an expensive and disruptive process. Making your website accessible is a much cheaper option in the long run. As well as the risk of costly litigation, sites that are not accessible run the risk of potential loss of business by being "named and shamed" by pressure groups.'

Over the next twelve months, we predict that the report will influence redesigns of virtually every major website in the UK as organisations jockey with each other to avoid getting sued, says Travis.

Associated Link: Web Accessibility: No More Mr Nice Guy

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