Web Site accessibility (for the blind and deaf)

Target was sued (and lost) for offering items on its web site that it didn't offer in its store AND not making the web site accessible to the blind.

Target is a huge company and I'm just a one-woman business but I figured out a long time ago that the blind and /or deaf also shop, read and connect. Why would any business close their doors to that group of consumers?

I think the answer is most web site owners have webmasters who wouldn't know where to start to make a site accessible. Accessibility was a big reason for me to start designing in XHTML and CSS. Now I know my designs aren't perfect, but I'm TRYING!

The other reason to be concerned about accessibility is that I'm in my forties (not a twenty-something with perfect 20/20 vision!), I have bad eyes and work at a computer screen up to 14 hours a day. Every time I see my eye doctor I ask if I should order that seeing-eye dog yet.

I will want to be able to shop, read and interact online 20 years from now just like I do now. So, yeah, I'm going to be screaming accessibility more each year.

Another thing is that I'm a big believer in the Internet being for everyone: rich, poor, young, old, blind, sighted, deaf and hearing. I promote Net Neutrality and I support accessibility. Let's keep the 'Net open and free to ALL!

Here's a forum discussion on the Target lawsuit and accessibility issues.