Web 2.0: Economics of Web Accessibility

A large part of the World Wide Web is not accessible to a large section of the disabled population (about 18-20% of the global population suffers from some form or disability). About 97% of websites fail to meet the most basic requirements for accessibility. These are rather shocking numbers given the fact that the Web plays an important role and offers significant benefits for people with disabilities. The below statistics highlights the economics behind making the World Wide Web Accessible to the physically challenged population:

Global Statistics:
•          Worldwide, between 600 - 750 million people have a disability
•          Three out of every 10 families are touched by a disability
•          In 2001, 180 million people worldwide were blind or visually impaired

European Union Statistics:
•          Across Europe approximately 37 million people have a disability and by 2015, over         20% of the EU will be over 65 years of age.UK Government estimates that:
•          The combined spending power of the disabled population is over £200 bn, with 8.5 million disabled people with a combined spending power of £40 bn and 20 million people over the age of 50 with a combined spending power of £160 bn

United States Statistics:
•          In the United States, one in five people have some kind of disability and one in 10 has a severe disability
•          According to the President’s Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities, the discretionary income of people with disabilities is $175 billion
•          In 2001, 7.7 million people in the United States were blind or visually impaired

In the next post we will discuss more on how the above statistics provide an economic impetus to Web Accessibility