Andrew recently came across an extremely interesting case that really got me thinking: Target, an online retail store, is being sued as their website is inaccessible to blind customers. A motion to dismiss the case was rejected and the case is set to have huge implications for websites in the United States. The section 508 legislation ensures that all US government sites are accessible to disabled persons, how long until this reaches private companies? Read the full article here.
 
So who must these sites be accessible to? Adobe, makers of the Flash plugin, sum it up well:
•    a person is blind
•    a person with a mobility impairment
•    a person with low vision
•    a person who is colour blind
•    a person who is deaf
•    a person with a cognitive disability
Interestingly enough, this presentation isn't accessible.

And how do we make sites accessible? The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) sums this up well with their 10 quick tips.

Their last point, validate your site, is apparently something that is rarely used in South Africa. But it must be pointed out that these validation tests are not the be all and end all to determine whether a site is accessible or not. The Quirk site has two unavoidable validation errors relating to its cms system. But it can still act as a yardstick and it is still an important test to do for one's site (and not to mention a highly enjoyable experience when you pass both the html and css validation tests).

In South Africa, with over 4 million people being disabled, accessibility is an issue we as web designers and developers have to consider in our work. It is going to take time and training but also a change in attitude. Maybe with the continued work of organisations such as the Digital Forum, accessibility will become an integral part of web design in South Africa.