10 May 2007

An expert has urged organisations to adopt accessibility standards as it will enable them to attract and maintain a wider customer base.

Usability and search engine specialist James Golden addressed the audience at Ohio's Search Engine Watch Live event to extol the various benefits of accessible design, reports WebProNews.

By 2010, some 70 million web users will have access to an organisation's site - provided that the creators ensure that disabled persons have equal access - claimed Mr Golden.

He also said that the baby boomer generation will soon require the multi-purpose content and faster load pages which are facilitated by standards-compliant design.

These factors will, in turn, help the organisation to generate improved profits, claimed the expert.

Finally, Mr Golden noted that businesses should be driven by a sense of social responsibility, not just money, boosting accessibility to enable more individuals to use the web.

Mr Golden also works to promote the Web Standards Project, a "grassroots coalition fighting for standards which ensure simple, affordable access to web technologies for all".

© Adfero Ltd

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