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"If your company has a public website, it needs to be accessible - and that's the law"
In the context of the World Wide Web, Accessibility addresses the issue of creating Web sites that reach the widest audience possible. Web sites can be interpreted in different ways by different browsers and on different platforms. Accessibility is not about developing sites for the disabled. The elderly, people who lack reading skills, users who are colour blind or have visual impairments, suffer greatly when faced with a Web site which doesn't follow standards. Even users with no disabilities can benefit from an accessible Web site as the methods in which people access the Internet change rapidly.
According to the RNIB there are 2 million blind and partially sighted people in the UK, can they use your Web site? It is also estimated that the UK's disabled population has a spending power of £45 billion per year - that's quite a significant "minority".
There are other sound reasons for building an accessible Web site. Legislation in UK made it a requirement that web-based services be accessible by October 1999 and now many companies are aware of the need for compliance with guidelines and testing with automated tools such as Bobby. Accessible web sites work well on a variety of technologies, they are quick to download, they are more usable and lead to a greater web experience for everyone. It makes sound business sense to have a compliant website, enhancing the image of your company and giving you an edge on your competitors. Accessible sites are an overt demonstration of your committment to openness, fairness and non-discrimination.
You may be wondering why this issue exists and why all Web sites aren't already accessible to all users. Many websites have been developed by people without any awareness or knowledge of Accessibility Guidelines. How often have you visited a website which carries a warning saying it's best viewed in Internet Explorer? The use of other technologies such as Flash or navigational systems totally reliant on javascript enabled browsers can cause huge difficulties for various users. Assistive technologies for the visually impaired such as screen readers and text only browsers are more common methods of accessing information on the Web than people realise.
There are several groups of users who are effected by inaccessible websites. Recent disability figures for the UK suggest that there are:
As mentioned above, addressing accessibility is a legal requirement. A provision is contained in Section 21 (1) of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, which covers the provision of goods and services and came into force in October 1999.
It states that where a service provider has a "practice, policy or procedure which makes it impossible or unreasonably difficult for disabled persons to make use of a service which he provides" the provider has a duty to "change that practice, policy or procedure so that it no longer has that effect."
The organisers of the last Olympics in Sydney were sued for not taking blind users into account on their Web Site. More recently the RNIB have acted on behalf of users and settled out of court with UK companies, don't let your business be a victim of a lawsuit.
For more information on the requirements in different countries see the W3C page Policies Relating to Web Accessibility.
Many companies think that by creating a text only version of their site they have met accessibility requirements, this is often not the case. Likewise, there is no automated tool on the market that will do the job for you. Many of the checkpoints not only require manual checking but also need judgement calls.
The simple answer is that a universal design needs to be put into place, a design which is accessible to all.
Acquiweb can ensure your site meets accessibility guidelines, gain accredition and more importantly, is accessible by everyone!
At this point you may be concerned that your site will require a complete redesign and that it's going to cost your company thousands of pounds. In extreme cases this may be true but in the majority of cases we can make the necessary changes with the minimum amount of fuss and cost.
Just as every site is different, every accessibility audit is different. With our audits you receive a comprehensive report up to a minimum of priority 2 guidelines which either you can choose to address yourself or we can provide you with a quote to make the necessary changes. Just complete the form on our contact page and we will get back to you within 48 hours.
We can also provide training services for your staff or supply you with relevant guidance, contact us for further information.
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