A Global Village
If the Internet is this global village, then it is needless to say that web accessibility are the electronic curb cuts that enable all of us to have equal access to it's information. And just like curb cuts, web accessibility isn't some random feature that can be tacked on later. No, web accessibility is both a requirement and simply the right thing to do. We as graphic designers are in a unique position where we have control over how content is presented, and we owe it to our users to identify, remove, and prevent any barriers to access.
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
—Martin Luther King Jr.
Equal is good, but equitable is better
As a matter of fact, achieving equality in access does not—and in fact can not—mean treating every user like they are the exact same. This is why, while treating everyone equally is certainly a noble cause, treating your users equitably by designing to accomodate the many possible contexts of a user’s content access is much better overall.
The data speaks so you don't have to
Did you know that today in the UK 1 in 5 people have a disability and globally it is approximately 1 in 7. Thats an awful lot of people.
In the UK in real terms that might be 14 million people that you are not connecting too. So it isn’t just ethically questionable, it’s also just really bad for business. Besides, building accessible websites also makes it easier for smartphone users and users with a slow internet connection to access your website.