How Accessible are the 50 Most Visited Web Sites?

摘要

"One in five Americans have some disability; as the country ages, that percentage is expected to increase" (Heim, p. 182). This figure is shocking. Many of the sites that previously possessed satisfactory levels of accessibility worsened by 2002. Sites may need incentives in order to remain or become web accessible. The more publicity drawn to the issue of web accessibility and listings pertaining to 'accessible friendly' sites may curb this problem by generating some form of acknowledgment by web sites. Many web sites appear to be improving accessibility. However, this improvement has not been significant. Communication via the Internet has expanded rapidly over the past few years. Therefore it would be safe to assume that the web's popularity has grown significantly, and one is expected to utilize various virtual mediums such as email. Barriers to access limit disabled individuals. This ultimately places these individuals in an overall disadvantageous position. Just as with buildings, all citizens should have access to the World Wide Web.