“Web accessibility means that people with disabilities can use the Web. More specifically, Web accessibility means that people with disabilities can perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with the Web, and that they can contribute to the Web. Web accessibility also benefits others, including older people with changing abilities due to aging.” a quote from W3C.org

A few of the essential pieces of this puzzle include the content and assistive technologies. You have to make sure that content including natural information such as text and images are viewable by all users. You also need to ensure that if the user is using some form of assistive technology like a screen reader, the site has been developed to work with assistive technologies.

An often overlooked close partner of accessibility that does not necessarily involve users with disabilities, but encompasses all users, is usability. Usability is a term used to describe the user friendliness of your site. Look at it like a retail store. If you walk into a retail store and there are products piled in random groups and there’s no signs telling you how to find the items you are looking for, chances are, your going to turn around and walk out. This practice is also true on the web. If you visit a site and you can’t figure out within 10 seconds how to navigate the site, your probably going to close the browser and search for another company that offers what you are looking for.

Usability and accessibility are not only vital for the user experience, but they are also vital to your marketing plan. In marketing & advertising, the goal is to reach the mass audience. If you neglect the non web savvy or disabled demographic, you have not reached your goal of mass audience. If you confuse your users and prevent them from finding what they need, you have not reached your goal. In fact, not only have you not reached your goal, you have also deterred possible clientele and revenue.

That being said, at Mass Enthusiasm, we pride ourselves on developing with Web Standards, Usability and Accessibility on the forefront of our minds in every project. Once we have developed a master marketing plan that involves web, we will then become focused on making your entity the best possible solution for their web presence.

Filed under: Geek Land by ryan
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