Study: Top 30 Business Websites Exclude Millions
By Dave
Reynolds, Inclusion Daily Express
September 21, 2006
BRISTOL,
ENGLAND--Imagine owning one of the largest retail businesses in your
country.
Now imagine telling millions of shoppers that they -- and their money --
are not welcome at your stores because you failed to make the shopping
experience accessible to them.
That's what business consultant firm Nomensa says all of the United
Kingdom's top 30 retailers have essentially done.
In a report released Thursday, Nomensa said that it reviewed those
websites for accessibility and found that none met even the most basic
standards to help Internet users with disabilities navigate webpages or buy
on-line.
The primary problems included pop-up windows that interfered with the
browsing experience; pictures and graphics that were missing "alt" tags, which
are words describing the image that can be read out loud by computer
screen-readers; and text on the screen that proved difficult for many people to
read.
Nomensa said the problems keep the 10 million people with disabilities
in the UK from shopping on-line like everyone else. More than that, having
inaccessible websites is socially irresponsible in today's market.
"These research findings show that anyone with serious physical
impairments, the visually impaired or even just people wearing glasses to read
would encounter difficulties and in many cases would give up trying," said
Nomensa managing director Simon Norris in a press release.
"Many of the corporations audited invest millions each year in their
Corporate Social Responsibility programs. Today I am calling on the boardrooms
of these retailers to really start to take their online responsibility just as
seriously," Norris added.
Related:
Press release: Top
30 Online Retailers Research" (Nomensa)
Report: Top 30
Online Retailers Research" (Nomensa)
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Reproduced here under special arrangement
with Inclusion Daily Express international disability rights news service.
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