WebAIM - Web Accessibility In Mind

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RE: Web site(s) that list general disability statistics?

for

From: Austin, Darrel
Date: Nov 14, 2005 9:40AM

Thanks everyone for the comments.

To clarify, I completely understand the arguments for accessibility
independent of statistics on specific handicaps or preferences.

In fact, that's what I always argue. There is no need for stats to
embrace accessibility. Accessibility simply means better design overall.
BUT, there are those folks that still want to argue that 'there's no
point in making my site accessible because I don't care about the 3
blind people out there' where simply showing them some numbers will help
them realize that even if they think of terms of accessibility being a
way to accommodate specific minorities, those minorities can still be
quite large...especially when added together.

The census.gov link had a nice intro paragraph:

=================
49.7 million
Number of people age 5 and over in the civilian noninstitutionalized
population with at least one disability, according to Census 2000; this
is a ratio of nearly 1-in-5 U.S. residents, or 19 percent. These
individuals fit at least one of the following descriptions: 1) they are
5 years old or older and have a sensory, physical, mental or self-care
disability; 2) they are 16 years old or older and have difficulty going
outside the home; or 3) they are 16-to-64 years old and have an
employment disability.

=================
I think that is well said. Putting it in terms of '1 in 5 customers
benefit from accessibility awareness' is a great (and valid) argument.

-Darrel