Web Sites Failing the Disabled

By Michael Becker | Published: December 9, 2006
  • 93% failed to provide adequate text descriptions for graphics
  • 73% relied on JavaScript for important functionality
  • 78% used colours with poor contrast, causing issues for those with colour blindness
  • 98% did not follow industry web standards for the programming code
  • 97% did not allow people to alter or resize pages
  • 89% offered poor page navigation
  • 87% used pop-ups causing problems for those using screen magnification software

A survey by monitoring agency Nomensa has found that 97 percent of major Web sites are not accessible to people with disabilities. The survey was commissioned by the United Nations as part of its International Day of Disabled Persons.

The BBC reported that the report will make "depressing reading for anyone committed to the idea of equal Web access for all."

We think often about the democratizing potential of the Web. It will bring a voice to the masses that were previously oppressed, the optimists say. Yet with an estimated 600,000 disabled people living around the world, a healthy portion of the world cannot work with what's out there.

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