Web site accessibility

Is it really that surprising that the vast majority of commercial Web sites are not accessible for disabled users?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6210068.stm

For many businesses having a Web site is often seen as necessary evil and they want to spend as little as possible on it. Many even do their own Web sites. By going down this route they are choosing to not use industry standards and comply with accessibility guidleines wether they know it or not.

At Saratoga Technologies (UK) part of our operation is designing commercial Web sites. We are constantly in competitive situations where the client is offered a lower price. The problem for clients is that, unless they have a focus on accessibility, the examples of sites we can show them and the examples others can show them can appear equally good and it often then comes down to a preference for design style as well as price. How can we expect a non-IT person to understand and explore the technical differences?
What we always try to reinforce is our commitment to using the latest, industry standard technology. We also commit to making the sites as accessible as possible.

There are many 'amateur' Web designers offering their services at a low price. They can provide a low price because their training was inexpensive, they make no commitment to ongoing training, they often use free tools that do not comply with the industry guidelines and particularly accessibility guidelines and are not interested in providing an angoing relationship with the customer to ensure they get the most from their site.
I know this probably sounds very snooty and superior, but would you use someone to do your business accounts that had only had a 2-day course entitled 'Using Excel for Home Accounts'? Commercial Web design needs to be viewed as a professional service. It takes providers with specialist skills, experience and an awareness of the legal requirements to get it right for businesses. We are workin with many clients that have a failing Web site currently because they made the mistake the first time around of using an amateur - now they want to invest in a professional service that will deliver real, measurable results.

The other side of the coin is the vast business benefits available through using industry standard technology and having a focus on accessibility. By doing this you not only open a new potential market for your products/services (i.e. disabled users) you also make it far easier for the Search Engines to index the content. I have lost count of the number of business people i have spoken to that complain about a lack of search engine traffic only for me to discover that their site has been completely created using Flash!!! No business should rely on organic search engine traffic to support their business, but the holy grail seems to be to appear on page 1 of Google when people search for your product/service. You have a better chance of doing this if you use a professional design service and adhere to accessibility guidelines.

If you are considering a new/upgraded Web site for your business make sure you include accessibility and industry standards within your selection criteria. You may not get the cheapest solution, but you are more likely to get a Web site that will actually be of benefit to your business. It also means you are not as likely to face legal action for being in breach of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA).

I can run tests on exisitng sites to check accessibility if you are concerned.
Would you like a report or some general advice? Drop me a line.

Wayne