31 January 2007

The Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA) recently hosted a forum to discuss the integration of accessibility in business websites.

Some of the world's largest organisations sent representatives to the event in Florida, including IBM, AOL and Adobe Systems.

Additionally, contributors from governmental and non-profit organisations were present such as the US Office of Disability Employment Policy, reports InsuranceNewsNet.

David Dikter, Executive Director of the ATIA, commented: "The 155 million people in the United States that could benefit from accessibility solutions are an enormous and largely untapped market that companies want and need to serve."

He added that by integrating accessibility technology into a web presence, companies would find that they are more competitive "over the long term".

In the UK, web analyst at Powergen Paul Turner recently warned that businesses could exclude eight million customers by not providing online accessibility options.

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