11 October 2006

Providers who create web content with poor levels of accessibility are no longer the "norm", an expert at Bloor Research has claimed.

This is because the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines have created a higher level of browser compatibility, asserted Peter Abrahams, the company's practice leader.

Those providers who do offer inaccessible content "tend to require some forethought or malice or plain stupidity", remarked the analyst, IT-Director reports .

By ensuring high levels of testing, web content providers should be able to create sites with high levels of accessibility, usability and quality.

"Resolving accessibility issues also brought wider usability issues into to focus and resolving all of these creates a better user experience for all," he said.

Mr Abrahams is an expert in accessibility and usability, having worked for IBM for many years, before beginning research into IT accessibility for disabled persons after experiences with some of his friends who were affected by inaccessible sites.

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