Why are accessible websites higher quality? If someone spends a good portion of their time making their site more usable for non-blind users, wouldn’t it be more likely that the less accessible site would be higher quality?
Because they can work better for users on small screens, low bandwidth connections, who just want to find some information they need, etc.
I was at a conference that had a theme of accessibility about a year ago and one of the repeated points was that accessibility (not just visual) tends to improve access for people under lots of circumstances. (Think closed captioning in a noisy environment or for viewers who aren't fully fluent or have trouble with strong accents.)
I’d go a step further and say confidently that there are strong and mutually beneficial interrelationships between Accessibility, Technical SEO, Site Performance, and General Front-End Best Practices.
Yes, that's a great example. It turns out having ramps widely available is really handy even if someone is just temporarily incapacitated--or is pushing a stroller or a shopping basket. Captions is another.
W3.org has a good article on the business case for accessibility:
> Businesses that integrate accessibility are more likely to be innovative, inclusive enterprises that reach more people with positive brand messaging that meets emerging global legal requirements.
