IT Accessibility Review

Volume 1, Number 2

Fast Accessibility Facts

The 2003 Census Data for Persons with Disabilities

According to the 2003 American Community Survey (ACS) published by the U.S. Census Bureau:

Population 5 -20 years was 63.5 m of whom 4.1 m (6.3 %) had a disability.
Population 21-64 years 165.2 m of whom 19.9 m (12.0 %) had a disability.
Population 65 and over 33.9 m of whom 13.5 m (39.9%) had a disability.
Total population 5 and over was 262.6 m of whom 37.5m (14.3%) had a disability.

Even though the ACS will release further data that categorizes disabilities, the 2000 Census showed 3.6% of the population had a sensory disability involving sight or hearing; 8.2 % with a condition limiting basic physical activities (e.g., walking, climbing stairs, reaching, lifting or carrying); 2.6% had difficulty in dressing, bathing, or getting around inside the home; and 8.6% had difficulty going outside the home to shop or visit a doctor. To read the complete ACS, visit www.census.gov, click "American Community Survey," and then click "2003 Data Profile."

Assistive Technology´s Impact on Employment

Assistive Technology (AT) definitely has had a positive impact on employees with disabilities. Adaptive mice, head pointers, mouth sticks, infrared scanners, screen readers, teletypewriters, and even motorized wheelchairs are examples of AT devices. According to focus groups sponsored by the Community Research for AT (CR4AT), employees who use some kind of AT are more independent and healthier, gain further self-esteem, become more successful, and improve communications with colleagues. The focus groups also indicated that employers, rehabilitation departments, health insurance providers, and sometimes employees themselves purchase AT equipment. Moreover, the advent of the Internet has placed individuals with disabilities on equal ground level with the non-disabled.

More on AT Employment

Search Engines and Web Accessibility: Quite a Pair

Search engines are the main lines of the World Wide Web. Not only do they help people locate what they want on the Internet, search engines are also major marketing tools for online businesses. That´s why more and more websites optimize so they can become high ranking on Google and Yahoo, the two most popular search engines. If sites are accessible for users with disabilities, however, they are already optimized to obtain top rankings.

More on Search Engines