Design for machines first, people second!
No web page has yet been created that can be transmitted directly to a persons brain, without first being mediated through some type of hardware and software (e.g. a computer and a web browser). The best chance you have of your web page being accessible to this 'intermediate layer' is to create your pages using standards based markup.
Your users will not be able to access your web pages if they fail to work on the particular 'client' they are using - be it a refreshable braille reader, a WebTV, or the latest PC running Internet Explorer 6. This weeks tip therefore is, 'code to standards'.
If you code to standards (e.g. HTML 4.01 or XHTML 1) you have the best chance of your web page working on the 'dumb' machines that know nothing other than 'how to follow the rules' to render the structure of a page to an output device. If you also follow the rules, you are already well down the road towards an accessible website.
You have permission to reprint this and other accessible web design tips on your own website - see http://www.mcu.org.uk/weeklytips/ for terms and conditions.