Why is the accessibility of websites and mobile applications considered important? How is it that all the designers of these applications insist on complying with the principles of accessibility and appear wary of the importance of this issue, yet, fewer applications comply with these principles? Every company and association designs applications for the services they provide, but how is it that "persons with disabilities," as a large and significant part of the target community, are neglected in these designs? According to global statistics, roughly eleven percent of the world’s population consists of individuals who have some form of physical, sensory, or mental disability. This is why the world’s largest operating system developers (Microsoft, Google, Apple, etc.) have been trying for years to enable this nearly one billion population to use their products.  

Each of the popular operating systems on the market, when releasing a new version, dedicates a specific section to the added accessibility features and extensively highlights these features in media presentations.  

According to statistics, the number of people with visual impairments in Iran is close to 800,000.  

Based on this data, it is clear that creating equal opportunities for all users to access public services is one of the primary social responsibilities of any organization or institution. Of course, the addition of a significant number of users with disabilities to the user base of an application is undoubtedly appealing in today's competitive market for business owners, professionals, and providers of public services.  

Since, to date, no practical standards have been developed in Iran for ensuring accessibility in websites and mobile applications across different platforms—such as Android, Windows Phone, or iOS—for blind and visually impaired users, the simplest and most reliable way to ensure the quality of accessibility for websites and apps is undoubtedly to consult with groups that specialize in this field and are directly connected to the target community.  

 Pactos Knowledge-Based Company’s Initiatives in the Field of Website and Android App Accessibility 

Pactos, a knowledge-based company and one of the oldest firms active in the field of assistive technologies for the blind and visually impaired, with nearly thirty years of experience, has in recent years taken steps toward making various services accessible for people with visual impairments.