DETERMINING COSTS AND BENEFITS OF WEBSITE ACCESSIBILITY IN IRELAND: RESULTS FROM AN EMPIRICAL APPROACH

Abstract

This study explores the market potential for the ICT sector to expand its reach when websites are accessible to people with disabilities. Twelve Dublin-based organisations were surveyed and interviewed over four months to analyse organisations’ benefits in having accessible websites and to explore returns of investment. The questionnaire used in this study was treated as a litmus test to see the status of web accessibility implementation in Ireland.  Although the respondents were unable to answer the hard-hitting questions illuminating the ratio of costs vs. benefits, the results from the questionnaire examine how these organisations incorporate accessibility into their websites and gauge the tangible and non-tangible benefits of implementing web accessibility.  The study supplies suggestions of the areas that need to be brought to light when putting into practice web accessible solutions.