How Do Blind Visitors See Your Website?

I am currently working on an accessibility project at work which I find very exciting. Accessibility on the web is sadly almost entirely overlooked by many developers yet it is such an important addition to your site.  Currently I am focusing on accessibility enhancements for blind users which can be summed up to screen readers and key strokes. According to the American Foundation for the Blind:

“…findings from the 2008 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) Provisional Report established that an estimated 25.2 million adult Americans reported they either “have trouble” seeing, even when wearing glasses or contact lenses, or that they are blind or unable to see at all.”

Curious how your site would fare? It’s pretty easy to find out, simply install the free 40 minute trial of JAWS on windows, or open ORCA on a Linux system, then turn off your monitor and see how far you get.

Need some tips for improving and understanding more about blind accessibility? Here are some helpful links to get you started: