Accessibility of Websites for People with Disabilities (PWD) in Malaysia: An Empirical Investigation

According to a report by Department of Social Welfare Malaysia (http://www.jkm.gov.my), there are approximately 277, 509 registered disabled people in Malaysia since November 2009. The growing number of people with disabilities in Malaysia indicates the importance of safeguarding the interest by this special underserved group in Malaysia. Thus, this study aims to investigate the accessibility of website for disabled user in Malaysia. A total of 100 websites were chosen from four Malaysia portals; (i) Malaysian Information Network on Disabilities (MIND), (ii) Malaysian Christian Association for Relief (Malaysian CARE), (iii) Kiwanis Disability Information and Support Centre (KDISC) and (iv) Hati. The study revealed several issues pertaining to website accessibility for people with disabilities in Malaysia. We end our study with few recommendations for to improve few of the accessibility criteria that may be overlooked by website developers.