ACCESSIBILITY FOR ALL - THE TWO YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF SECTION 508

Few websites faired well during an accessibility study User Insight performed to mark the two year anniversary of the Federal Government Access Board's final acceptance of Section 508 Guidelines.

ATLANTA, December 21, 2002 - Today marks the two-year anniversary since the Federal Government Access Board determined the final Section 508 accessibility standards for people with disabilities.

Section 508 is a federal mandate requiring all electronic and information technology developed, procured, maintained, or used by the Federal government to be accessible by the handicap community. The United States government required compliance by June 25, 2001.

However, most companies are clueless about Section 508 guidelines, and very few know how to make their web presence and applications accessible to all.

Companies such as Bank of America, IBM and Microsoft are using the Section 508 guidelines to avoid potentially costly lawsuits. In addition, these companies want to tap into the disabled market, which is estimated to be 54 million people controlling over $175 billion in discretionary income.

Failing to provide an accessible website puts companies at risk for everything from litigation and damaged reputations to lost sales and missed opportunities for market leadership.

A recent survey by User Insight of over 100 corporate websites found that less than 5% were accessible to disabled users.

"Even companies that seem to follow some type of guidelines for website accessibility appear not to understand how to correctly implement the guidelines, John M. Morgan, Ph.D., founder and President of User Insight stated. For example, many companies have implemented ALT text for graphics, a good first step in making a website 508 compliant, but the text is either wrong or unnecessary."

Three reasons companies create accessible websites:

• To Grow Their Market: People with disabilities are more likely to use the Internet for shopping, banking and other life activities. Research suggests that visually impaired website visitors buy at twice the rate of other online consumers.

• To Reduce Their Risk: Companies with accessible websites have taken steps to protect themselves from costly litigation, unfavorable publicity and potential loss of business.

• To Enhance Their Corporate Image: Forward-thinking enterprises recognize their responsibility to provide products that are accessible to all.

About User Insight

Through state of the art testing protocols, usability best practices and proven methodologies, User Insight (www.userinsight.com) gets to the core of what makes or breaks a product in the marketplace - The User. Companies avoid costly mistakes by testing with intended users early and often. Additionally, User Insight consults with companies in the area of accessibility.