There is the fact that the Disability Discrimination Act requires that all companies take reasonable steps to make all their services accessible for disabled users. However the process of making a site more accessible will usually have the side benefit of making your site easier to use for all visitors.
The goal of making your site accessible is to allow people to be able to access the content of your site through whatever method they use to browse the web. Many people with limited vision will use screen readers that convert the text content of a site to speech, these users will not be able to see the images. Therefore all images should have a description, without a which a user would have no idea where a button that was an image went to, making navigation little more than guesswork. It isn’t just images that are affected, videos and Flash animations all need descriptions.
It’s also important to consider how people with limited visibility can see your site even if it is displayed in a normal browser. For example it is important to ensure that the contrast between text and the background is sufficient for people to read, and to avoid colour combinations that could prevent colour blind users from seeing all of your content.
It’s also important to consider how the site navigation works, using descriptive text for links and carefully placing links within the content will make your site a lot easier to use for all users. It is also essential that your site does not rely on JavaScript (e.g. drop down menus, text that appears only when a button is clicked, etc) for navigation and access to the content. Users may not be able to use a mouse or their browser may not support JavaScript so thoughtful implementation of JavaScript is essential to ensure complete access to your site.
The bottom line is that it is in your interest to ensure as many users as possible can access your site, and by doing this you will find that your site will be easier to use for all visitors. It’s also worth considering that a more accessible site will be easier for search engines to navigate, helping to improve your search engine rankings.
Webbed Feet UK have been making accessible websites sites for years and would be more than happy to discuss how accessibility affects your existing site, or how we could create an accessible site for you.