In the United Kingdom it is your responsibility to ensure that your website is accessible to disabled visitors.
So far there have been no cases in the UK where a lawsuit has been brought against a company's website because of inaccessibility. That is not the case in Australia where the Sydney Olympics Committee was sued because of website inaccessibility.
Another high profile offender was Target in the United States of America. Target settled a website accessibility lawsuit and agreed to pay $6 million after a two year legal battle.
Small business benefits of accessibility
You may think being a small business that your website won't get sued. But if your website is not accessible then you are missing out on these business benefits:
- Increased market share and audience reach
- Improved usability
- Reduced your website maintenance costs
- Greater compatibility and future proofing
Here are some facts and figures regarding disabilities (from the RNIB):
- There are 8.5 million people in the UK with a disability (source: ONS).
- 2 million people have sight problems (source: RNIB).
- £40-50 billion - The combined estimated spending power of disabled people (source: Employers Forum on Disability)
So with a spending power of £40-50 billion why would you not want your website to take advantage of that?
I can improve your website to meet accessibility standards. Contact me now to increase your website profitability with an accessible website.
Accessibility
accessibility, websites