25 October 2006

Creating websites with high levels of accessibility will not only benefit blind users, but those with physical impairments, an expert at Computer Weekly has noted.

Gary Eastwood, an author at the publication, remarked that accessible websites are vital to Internet users with a variety of sight impairments, such as chromatic sight problems and age-related myopia.

Furthermore, people with motor impairments could find conventional websites "virtually impossible" to navigate, while those with dyslexia, or other cognitive impairments, often require speech output functions.

Additionally, the expert asserts that users with hearing impairments could also face problems when using "unsympathetic" websites.

"Web accessibility appears daunting at first, but once organisations understand the issues faced by disabled users, it ultimately boils down to the secret of all successful websites – good design," Mr Eastwood wrote.

Judy Colbert, a usability consultant, recently told Inc. magazine that accessibility is "good for business", in addition to being an obligation for organisations.

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