Is Web Accessibility a Social Responsibility?

Submitted by Brett on Wed, 07/28/2010 - 6:48am.
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Cindy Leonard, Bayer Center for Nonprofit Management at Robert Morris University

“Web accessibility” means creating websites that can be fully used by people with disabilities. Wikipedia provides a good formal definition:

“Web accessibility refers to the practice of making websites usable by people of all abilities and disabilities. When sites are correctly designed, developed and edited, all users can have equal access to information and functionality…When sites are correctly built and maintained, all of these users can be accommodated while not impacting on the usability of the site for non-disabled users.” 

Why should a nonprofit care about having an accessible website? I’m glad you asked.

For a nonprofit organization, perhaps the most important reason for implementing Web accessibility is social responsibility. By their very nature, nonprofits exist to make the world a better place and to create positive social change. They should, therefore, be concerned with creating equal access to their programs, opportunities, and services. 

Furthermore, equal access and opportunity is a basic human right recognized by the United Nations in its “Universal Declaration of Human Rights”, including activities such as work, leisure, and education. With an ever-increasing amount of work, leisurely pursuits, and educational opportunities moving to an online format, the need for accessible Websites increases.

There are many additional advantages to implementing Web accessibility. After all, an accessible site is more user-friendly for everyone who visits the site. Some of the additional benefits include:

  • Web content can be handled by any browser software
  • Greater visibility in search engines (which are more easily able to access and evaluate content on the site)
  • Ease of conversion to other formats, such as plain text, Word, or PDF documents
  • Ability for low-bandwidth users to access content more easily
  • Better and faster access for people using mobile devices (such as PDAs or cell phones)

An organization’s website might be the first experience a potential client or funder has with its agency. That experience should be positive and pleasant, inspiring trust rather than generating frustration.

You can learn more about web accessibility, including guidelines for implementation, at http://www.w3.org/WAI/