The online edition of the magazine Stern has it. The websites of German federal agencies have it. And if the German government has its way, soon all sites run by "commercial providers of internet pages" will have it. What is it? Accessibility. Under the 2002 Equal Opportunities for Disabled People Act (BGG), accessibility means making everyday resources available to "disabled persons in the generally accepted way without any particular difficulty and principally without any outside assistance." That includes communication channels and sources of audio and video information such as websites.

Text-only is not enough
Many self-proclaimed operators of accessible websites believe they've met disabled people's needs by providing a text-only version of the website. But that only helps those who use Braille line and screen readers. By contrast, our accessible websites satisfy all 14 top-priority requirements of the Web Accessibility Ordinance (BITV) without resorting to a text version.

Pictures with voices
reality bytes designs the website with a content management system so images can be described to the visually impaired, permitting them to "read" visual information. Other BITV requirements include zoomable, legible fonts that form a strong contrast with the background, colors with easily distinguishable bright/dark contrasts for colorblind users, a clear, hierarchical navigation system and functional graphics such as image maps with alternative access capabilities.

A lot of money for a small audience?
Apart from the legal requirements and community outreach goals, is it really worth targeting disabled people as a market? Just consider what the World Health Organization (WHO) says: At least 750 million people throughout the world are currently living with motor, sensory or cognitive disabilities. In Germany alone, 6.7 million people are severely disabled. Plus there are people with temporary physical and sensory impairments or age-related disabilities. To brand this target group a minority is unrealistic. What's more, it ignores the economic potential of the market segment.

The icing on the cake
Because accessible websites have to comply with BITV standards, they offer a number of added benefits. They are easy to maintain and can be displayed across platforms without requiring alternative versions. Also, they boost your image as a customer-centric provider.