In today's world, web design has a startling amount of control over how businesses and customers interact with each other. Web design influences how visitors obtain information about a business, it dictates how customers complete transactions and most importantly, it affects the way the public perceives a business. In short, web design regulates how accessible a business is to the public. However, what happens if the website itself isn't as accessible as it should be? A report by the Danish Center for Accessibility has found that 25% of internet users around the world have some sort of auditory, visual or mobility disability. That's a huge figure which your business might be excluding if your web design standards aren't up to scratch.

Web accessibility means your web design should aim to accommodate the widest number of people and user agents as possible. Web accessibility usually refers to making sure disabled user groups can properly access your website. In Australia all websites must comply with accessibility standards for visual and physically disabled persons, according to the Disability Discrimination Act 1992. Monash University's website features exemplary web design in line with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines - guidelines developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). It's important for all web designers to follow similar guidelines, even for countries which don't have accessibilitty requirements yet.

There are many ways which web design might inhibit the access needs of disabled persons. For example, some people use non-standard browsers, such as browsers which are specifically designed to convert text into speech, or text into brail. Other users with motor impairment might also use non-standard pointing devices and keywords. Many users need lower screen resolutions, a reduced screen size, or larger fonts. This is a fairly common one, not only for persons with degraded eyesight, but for anyone averse to reading tiny writing on a screen. Colourblind users also make up a large segment of society, so it's important not to have important elements of your web design distinguishable only by colour.

Often, a simple alteration can be enough to fix an offending web design, however there are many online tools which can simulate how a website might appear to a disabled person. There are also many websites which show you what your web design might look like to a colourblind person. Making sure your website complies with web accessibility guidelines means a more equitable internet experience for all, and also means your business doesn't inadvertently lose customers.