The vision to lead

Even as Target is about to enhance its online presence with a major renovation, the company’s existing site is winning praise for its accessibility from the National Federation of the Blind (NFB). The company recently received the National Federation of the Blind’s gold-level certification for offering a Web experience that is equally accessible to blind and sighted users.

“As our online business has evolved, we have worked with the National Federation of the Blind to significantly improve the experience for guests who require assistive technology, and we will continue to do so as our business grows and new technologies become available,” said Steve Eastman, president of Target.com.

The NFB Nonvisual Accessibility Web Certification Program connects Web site and application developers with leading experts on blindness and accessibility to ensure that their Internet sites or applications are fully accessible to and usable by blind people employing screen access software. Applicants go through a rigorous evaluation and testing procedure and work with a Web-accessibility consultant to address any accessibility issues discovered during the evaluation.

“The Internet has become integrated into every aspect of daily living, from working to shopping to entertainment. The blind population, which stands at 1.3 million and is growing as Americans age, must have access to Web sites and new Web applications if we are to participate fully in modern society and the information economy,” said Dr. Marc Maurer, president of the National Federation of the Blind.