Web Accessibility For Disabled Users With Disability, User Satisfaction And Online Marketing

The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) assists Ontarians by “developing, implementing and enforcing accessibility standards in order to achieve accessibility for Ontarians with disabilities…”. This act creates a standard that must be met through all facets of society. Whether it be in an in-store customer experience, in the workplace or online, AODA lays a framework that will assist in the day-to-day lives of Ontarians with disabilities. This act greatly impacts the IT field, in that it changes the way IT professionals utilize technology, in order to assist and accommodate disabled citizens. Disabled Ontarians occupy a significant population within all of Ontario, “15.5% of Ontario’s population has a disability and this

The researched proposal by Manasi Deshpande entitled “A Call to Improve Campus Accessibility for the Mobility Impaired,” is a reasonable argument, by this student, to improve campus accessibility at the University of Texas. I believe this student supports her argument very well by using interviews and campus observations. The proposal emphasizes the challenges students with mobility impairments encounter while attending classes on campus. Ms. Deshpande includes her personal experiences, as well as the experiences of fellow students as supporting evidence. Frankly, it was a bit shocking to learn this student changed her major due to accessibility issues. This fact alone should be a strong argument for change. The proposal details the benefits for improving campus accessibility not only for students, but also faculty. Moreover, Ms. Deshpande adds to her argument by including statistics regarding the

It is however not an easy feat. For accessibility to the fullest capacity to be to be established, organizational systems require funds to be pumped in. these funds will go towards making infrastructural and operational modifications to the system so that it caters to all needs. Also, application/recruitment and selection processes will need to be brought up to standard as well. These cannot only be planned; it has to be implemented to be function. Afterwards which the organization will have to regulate, monitor and make improvements to the system as required by the results they get. For example, for an organization to high a qualified blind candidate to join their team, the must first ensure accessibility by providing funding for a Braille machine, afford the candidate the opportunity of receiving correspondence or documents in Braille, ensure all other members of staff pass documents to him/her in Braille, maintain or improve on the process of communication

Even with the legislative measures taken to assist those who are blind, those with significant visual impairments still face oppression. According to Iris Marion Young, oppression “designates the disadvantage and injustice some people suffer not because a tyrannical power coerces them, but because of the everyday practices of a well-intentioned liberal society” (Adams, p 36). People who are blind face oppression when navigating the internet. There are many programs that aid those with vision issues- Braille keyboards and audio and text converters. However, these programs do not always work with websites. At the moment, no government standards exist in the United States (Williams). This is a problem because the internet is a very large part of society. The internet holds the keys to financial needs, educational advancement, and social interactions. Therefore, legislation needs to be passed to make the digital world as

The former US President Bill Clinton said, “New information and communications technologies can improve the quality of life for people with disabilities, but only if such technologies are designed from the beginning, so that everyone can use them.” Discussing disabilities in general will take longer than one day. I am going to talk about physical disabilities .As the Longman dictionary defines physical disability is a limitation of a person 's physical functioning, mobility, dexterity and stamina. The issue of disability is not just a matter that concerns disabled people. It has been the problem for ages in the American history and if it is not controlled it can cause big fight. When someone is disabled, it does not mean that he or she cannot be educated. According to the Washington Post, education is the breath of life, without it man cannot survive. Education is free in America, which means everyone can obtain an equal education. One would ask if colleges have gone too far to accommodate students with disabilities. Colleges have not gone far enough to support the disabled.

Usability is a critical portion of web design that one must be ever mindful of when constructing websites. Whether creating a personal web space or building multiple pages for a large corporation, it is the burden of the designer to guarantee people can access that content. According to the United Nations, disabled people compose roughly 10 percent of the world’s population (United Nations, 2010). Many regulations and standards have been set forth to provide disabled people with the same opportunities to access content available on the World Wide Web, as it is most of the World’s population.

To ensure, users do not experience any issues particularly with users with disabilities when accessing the website, the guidelines set by W3C's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), the most broadly adopted Web accessibility standard. They are set a set of guidelines that specify how to make content accessible, including devices. The guideline covers many areas, including alternatives for auditory and visual content, navigation mechanisms, ensure that documents are clear and simple, design for device independence, and many

With new technology comes new ways to let disabilied people use more items. An example is, voice recognition screen readers can help peole who are blind. For instance, eye-tracking programs can make using computers simple for people who can´t move their hands.

This may be harder than it looks. For many people the internet may be their only way of communicating, working, and everything else they may not be able to do like the rest of the world. I would even say that peoples with disabilities may depend on the internet more than people without disabilities. On top of that, many government agencies have switched to a paperless, virtual environment. This saves both money and time. With that said, that can make it even harder for peoples with disabilities to take care of their day to day business. Joseph J. Lynett and John A. Snyder for the American Bar Association (2013) write, "As it appears the DOJ is preparing to issue standards governing web accessibility under the ADA, covered entities should assess with their IT professionals and attorneys whether their websites are accessible to individuals with disabilities and whether doing so would as a legal matter pose an undue hardship or fundamentally alter the nature of the goods or services provided. Based on the assessment and any accessibility barrier discovered, covered entities should map out a plan to make their websites accessible even in advance of the looming regulatory action from the DOJ. Covered entities whose websites are inaccessible to individuals with disabilities may be the targets of lawsuits filed; therefore, it behooves employers to review the accessibility features of their websites and Internet-based services consistent with the accessibility issues outlined above." (para

To accommodate and attract travelers with disabilities, how can companies provide better training to all levels of personnel and invest, without causing financial hardship, in accessibility projects?

The use of technology in educating children with special needs has widely grown in the past few decades, and has since has changed the way people with disabilities live, work, and learn” (Winzer, 2002, p. 98). Individuals with special needs are unique and all have different areas in which they need assistance. Due to the advancements in assistive technology, computer programs, software, and other technology tools, have helped people to find useful and easier ways to become educated.

Following the amendment and reauthorization of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Microsoft Corporation began an initiative to research, develop, and market software, hardware, systems, and services that would assist and appeal to people with disabilities. The corporation also turned its attention to attracting, hiring, and retaining people with disabilities who have the qualifications to work at Microsoft a division for accessibility and disabilities was formed by the company. The goal going forward was to make valuing diversity and accessibility an article of faith at Microsoft.

The use of technology in educating children with special needs has widely grown in the past few decades. Individuals with special needs are unique and all have different areas in which they need assistance. Due to the advancements in assistive technology, computer programs, software, and other technology tools, it has become much easier for people to find useful and easier ways to become educated. Because of this, “technology has changed the way people with disabilities live, work, and learn.” (Winzer,98)

Microsoft considers its mission statement a promise to its customers. Microsoft delivers on that promise by striving to create technology that is accessible to everyone—regardless of age or ability. Microsoft leads the industry in accessibility innovation and in building products that are safer and easier to use. Accessible technology is particularly helpful for individuals who experience visual difficulties, pain in the hands or arms, hearing loss, or cognitive challenges. In USA, among adult computer users; one in four users has a vision difficulty, one in four has a dexterity difficulty and one in five has a hearing difficulty.

If the website is accessible that means that people with disabilities can use it. A blind person using a screen reader or a talking browser can navigate the information and interact with it. A deaf person will not have