Web designers and developers have an increasing obligation to design and develop sites that are accessible. Almost 1 in 5 Australian’s have a disability. It therefore makes good business and marketing sense to ensure your websites are accessible. And then there is the law! Website owners are obliged to comply with the Australian Disability Discrimination Act 1992. Large companies are currently being sued in the United States for having sites that are inaccessible. Current companies facing lawsuits include America Online, Target, Southwest airlines. In 1999, the Sydney Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (SOCOG) were sued by Bruce Maquire, a blind user.

I encourage all web designers, developers and website owners to read the World Wide Web Access: Disability Discrimination Act Advisory Notes provided by the Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission.

So with accessibility in mind, lets talk about Pop-ups!

Pop-up windows have been a big topic of conversation over the years, and it continues to this day. The consensus however among usability and accessibility experts is that pop-ups are not user friendly and they are inaccessible. I agree, for the following reasons: Read the rest of this post »