In this episode I talk with Emily Lewis and Lea Alcantara about website accessibility. What it is, why it's important, and how it is more than just websites for blind people.
Emily and Lea start off by providing a definition and example of what accessibility is related to websites. Accessibility is more than making websites accessibility and they also address isssues of why it's a good business case to ensure your website is accessible.
Some businesses are federally mandated to meet specific standards of accessibility. This will vary by country but Canada and the United States both require it in certain industries. Emily and Lea discuss the business case for accessibility - and it's a very compelling reason: Better SEO and increased customer base.
We also discuss remediation which is essentially retro-fitting a website to be accessible. This is not an easy process and there is no silver bullet that will make your website accessible at the push of a button.
Show Links
What is Section 508?
An Overview of Canada's Accessibility Laws
Ontario Government: How to make websites accessible
WCAG - Overview and Guidelines (international standard)
Accessibility according to actual people with disabilities
The Business Case for Accessibility
Master Chef
Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT)
Defendants Fighting Website Accessibility Cases Face An Uphill Battle
Walmart Is Sued by Blind Customers Over Its Self-Service Accessibility
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