The Relationship between Web Accessibility Errors and Technological Advancement : A Comparative Analysis of Government and Non-Government Websites in 27 Countries across 6 Continents

Abstract

Web accessibility means removing barriers so that people with disabilities can use technology. Web accessibility errors refer to issues or barriers that prevent people with disabilities from accessing and using websites effectively. This study examined the relationship between web accessibility errors and technological advancement by comparing government and non-government websites in 27 countries across six continents. Various accessibility checker tools were used to analyze 20 websites in each country. The results revealed a moderate correlation between the Global Innovation Index score and the Accessibility Score of government websites, while no such correlation was observed for non-government websites. Regional analysis also highlighted significant variations in web accessibility across continents and countries. African government websites performed poorly in terms of web accessibility errors, while North American non-government websites showed a high prevalence of errors. We believe that our research will provide valuable insights and serve as a foundation for future studies in this field.