Accessibility, what it means and why is it important when designing a website - Essay Example

In a broader sense, accessibility is the ability for a page on the Web to be seen and used by anybody who wishes to utilize it. It is the manner in which users are able to share among other users the information that the website was made for in the first place (Burks xxiii). On the other hand, Web accessibility’s focus is for a website to be made available to all kinds of users, including those with physical disabilities and diminishing mental abilities such as older users (Burks 3). Gaining access to relevant information and features on the Web should not be restricted by the limitations of man’s physical and mental state (Gibbins, “The Growing Importance”).

It is necessary to keep in mind the importance of accessibility in designing a website. As much as web designers hope to make their website as creative as possible, their main goal should be to make it serve its purpose and function. Designers’ imagination and creativity are challenged with accessibility’s limiting factor (Tarn, “Making the Digital”). While the use of Web is no longer limited to the basic operations such as entertainment and basic browsing, it already requires advanced features that make it useful for people to interact to each other on various purposes such as a mere communication, wellness, education, financial transaction, and entertainment (Burks 7).

Significant advantages are identified when accessibility is taken in consideration in website design. They are beneficial for the owners of the website as well as its designers as they would not only comply with the Web Accessibility Initiative and the Disability Discriminations Act 1995, but it also increases their credibility as owners and website designers. Apart from this, the number of users who visit the website also increases such that it caters to users with or without disability. Websites with good accessibility are also known to have increased search engine optimization (Sabasaje, “Web Design”; Gibbins, “The Growing Importance”; “The Importance of Web Accessibility”).

Keeping this in mind, web designers should understand that flexibility is necessary in such a way that it would allow different kinds of users to access the website as well as the information that they need from it (Burks 3).Works Cited:Burks, Michael R. et al. Web Accessibility: Web Standards and Regulatory Compliance. New York: Springer-Verlag. 2006. Print.Gibbins, Jon. The Growing Importance of Accessible Websites. The UK Web Design Company. 13 May 2005. Web. 4 December 2012.PSD2HTML. Importance of Web Accessibility.

PSD2HTML, 9 February 2011. Web. 4 December 2012.Sabajase, Eza. Web Design Essentials - The Importance of Accessibility. Ezine. n.d. Web. 4 December 2012.Tarn, Dominic. Making the Digital World Accessible to Everyone. Huffington Post. 19 November 2012. Web. 4 December 2012.