What I mean by the stair/ramps remark is that stairs weren't suddenly removed from the architect's toolkit when the wheelchair was invented. Since ramps are clearly not used in all instances they are not always appropriate or desirable.
The same goes with web design, which is as much art as is architecture. Not all sites are going to select between a limited range of colors to cater to a relative few if those colors happen to clash horribly with their intended design.
I feel I might be getting astray here. I simply think it's odd to impose on--what is as much an art form as it is a medium for communication--the restriction of only being able to use a certain color scheme. I'd be bummed out.
Luckily you don't have to sacrifice any aesthectics. SparkFun does a good job of making their stock status icons accessible by employing a combination of color and shape to help color-blind people recognize the status easier.
Here's a good example: http://www.sparkfun.com/products/10388
/pedant (sorry)
