Technology and the Disabled

In preparation for tomorrow's class, I've been doing a bit of reading on the topic of disabled Americans and the technology available to them to enjoy the same access as non-disabled Americans. The statistics aren't in their favor.

According to the American Disability Association, the Internet is viewed as a "unifying technology" yet many disabled Americans don't have access to technology in a manner that's user-friendly. In fact, the National Center for the Dissemination of Disability Research has listed access as the number one issue among disabled Americans.

I admit, I've not given much thought to disabled Americans and the Internet. As we plan our online strategies, I thought I was ahead of the game by including dual language on my campaign site, let alone making it user-friendly for disabled Americans. I agree with Jakob Nielsen who states that much of the usability issues can be minimized by designing a website that takes disabilities into consideration. He states that "Usability isn't just a matter of whether or not it's possible for a user to perform a task. It's also a matter of how easy and fast it is for them to do so."

If you've not included disabled Americans in your web design, the good news is that it appears to be an easy fix that won't break your campaign budget.