On the web, "accessibility" refers to the extent to which information can be reached and used by everyone, including people with disabilities.
Governments and web standards organisations like W3C issue guidelines that explain accessibility principles, such as
- provide text alternatives for any non-text content
- make all functionality available from a keyboard
- do not create content that is known to cause seizures
Accessibility is a requirement for government sites in some countries. It may be an implied, rather than specific, obligation under equal opportunity or anti-discrimination legislation.
Organisations that own websites with accessibility issues are at risk of litigation.
The Victorian Government's eGovernment Resource Centre has information about accessibility legal cases.
Vision Australia provides comprehensive information about accessibility, and resources including the Colour Contrast Analyser and Web Accessibility Toolbar.
