What is the cost of developing accessible websites?
There has been increasing focus on the cost associated with making web sites accessible. The cost is generally minimal if accessibility principles are incorporated into the development stage. Retrofitting, on the other hand, is far more expensive. Hence, it is critical that campuses find ways to integrate accessible design and conformance testing into the development process. Most of the initial costs will be on training and acquiring the appropriate tools to assist with authoring accessible sites and with conformance testing. Over a period of time, a well designed, accessible web site is more cost effective because it takes less time to maintain and update. It is more adaptable to emerging technologies and attracts a larger audience. As more web developers are trained to create accessible site, the costs will diminish.
The cost is generally minimal if accessibility principles are incorporated into the development stage. Retrofitting, on the other hand, is far more expensive. Hence, it is critical that webdesigners find ways to integrate accessible design and conformance testing into the development process. Most of the initial costs will be on training and acquiring the appropriate tools to assist with authoring accessible sites and with conformance testing. Over a period of time, a well designed, accessible website is more cost effective because it takes less time to maintain and update. It is more adaptable to emerging technologies and attracts a larger audience. As more web developers are trained to create accessible site, the costs will diminish.
