Why Web Accessibility is Important

Once upon a time the web consisted of a whole bunch of static pages that were basically just hyperlinked together. Bandwidth was very limited, and pages contained mostly text with a few low resolution images. Still being a young technology, most of the information found on the web was also readily available in other printed formats, including ones that could be accessed by people with disabilities. But as the web evolved into a whole new set of complex applications with a variety of user interfaces, people with disabilities increasingly found themselves having difficulty using these new websites. With the passage of the American Disabilities Act, it has become mandatory to make public facing websites as accessible as possible to people with various disabilities, including those with low vision, difficulty with motor control, hearing challenges, and other traits that make interacting with a basic website problematic.