Should you post an accessibility policy on your website?

The footer navigation on a website tends to be quite standard: copyright, company name, terms and conditions, privacy policy. Occasionally another links sneaks in there: accessibility.

Why post an accessibility policy?

The inclusion of such a link is first and foremost an indication of good intent. The simple fact that accessibility is being considered can help with the public image of the organization. In some cases, it is the link itself and not necessarily the contents of the policy that can help with overall perception.

In the United States, Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act “require[s] Federal agencies to make their electronic and information technology accessible to people with disabilities“. Any services or products to be used by Federal agencies are expected to be Section 508 compliant. Organizations may fill out a VPAT (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template) to show to what extent they are compliant with Section 508 law. Mozilla has their VPAT for Firefox 3 posted at http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/vpat-3.html. By filling out a VPAT, a company may list their products or services on BuyAccesible.gov, a directory intended to help agencies identify accessible solutions.

An organization may also want to provide guidance on how best to use their site by users of assistive technologies. Many website now offer keyboard shortcuts, and a section on accessibility is a reasonable place to provide such information.

So why doesn’t everyone post an accessibility policy?

Unfortunately, not every site can claim a commitment to accessibility. If a policy is to be published, it is essential that the site reflect the policy. In some cases, an organization may fear legal action if they state something and do not follow through. To avoid this, the wording of the policy should be crafted carefully.

I will admit, as I looked for the screen captures to include in this post, I had some trouble. The majority of American sites do not appear to have an accessibility policy posted. And there is a single good reason for it: there is currently no compelling reason to have one. How often have you looked for an accessibility link on a website? While those of us who are passionate about accessibility see the merits in providing this information, there is still no true benefit for the majority of American organizations online. This is not the case in other countries, where accessibility law may be more stringent.

So, should you?

The decision whether or not to post an accessibility policy is one each organization must make on their own. Because it is not necessary, any organization who decides to publicize such a policy stands to benefit from positive perception in certain segments of the population. However, this must be weighed against the costs associated with providing an accessible experience.

• Subscribe to the RSS feed
• Get Email updates
• Reading: Should you post an accessibility policy on your website? (by @afhill)Tweet This
• Stumble It
• Add to del.icio.us
• Share on Facebook
• Email to a friend