Warning made over website accessibility

Category: Accessibility

July 29th 08, 08:42

Businesses could be missing out on a significant market if they do not ensure their websites are accessible for disabled users, an expert has said.

Graham Charlton, a researcher for E-consultancy, noted that there are about 8.5 million disabled people living in the UK, with 3.5 million unable to make use of a traditional keyboard.

He warned that inaccessible websites could result in some companies being unable to benefit from "a vast potential market", as well as losing out when it comes to making sites search engine-friendly.

"If your website's not accessible for disabled users, the chances are that your search engine optimisation is not that great either," Mr Charlton remarked.

Mark Jackson of Search Engine Watch recently highlighted the crossover between website usability and search engine optimisation, particularly when it comes to issues such as using keywords in important links and filling in all alt tags.

This news story was brought to you by Bluhalo, a leading UK digital agency.

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