Accessibility and the Benefits of an Accessible Website
Website accessibility help, tips and advice.
Accessibility - What It Means and Why It Matters!
'Accessibility' effectively means just that: the ability to access! - To enable everyone to have equal access to all resources, regardless of: hearing, visual, physical, motor, cognitive or speech ability; and regardless of the type or age of any technology used.
An application of accessibility in the real World, would be to add a wheelchair ramp to a shop entrance that previously had only steps. Steps allow many people to access a shop but can make access difficult or impossible for wheelchair (and many other) users. The addition of a ramp, enables equal access to all users.
The same principle applies to the design of websites. All users should have equal access to the same resources. This does not mean the provision of 'alternative' resources for users with disabilities or older technology; it means the provision of methods to access the 'same' resources as all other users.
Why Accessibility Matters!
Accessibility is ethical, good for business and a legal requirement! Some of the many benefits of owning and running an accessible website include:
- The satisfaction of supporting users with disabilities and the organisations that represent them such as: DRC, RNIB, TNAUK, ADO, EA, SCOPE, BCODP.
- There are millions of people with disabilities, and millions of people using older technology, and they are browsing the Web every day looking for information, products and services. At least 80% of your competitors are excluding themselves from this valuable market!
- Search engines rate accessible website content more highly in search results.
- Accessible design produces more efficient pages which load faster and are therefore more accessible to dial-up users. Not everyone has broadband, and dial-up users still account for a large proportion of business, research, and leisure Internet use.
- Accessible websites reach a far wider audience, because of being more compatible with a variety of browser technologies, such as: mobile phones, PDA's, TV, screen readers, in-car entertainment systems and so on.
- Accessible design is also 'future-proof' design - in years to come, accessible websites will still be standing long after their inaccessible competition have ceased to function.
In fact, owning and running an accessible website provides so many benefits to users and owners, that it's hard to understand why 80% of all websites are still inaccessible!
What about ethics? - OK, owning an accessible website makes You feel good! It also makes your customers and clients feel good too! Running an accessible website allows you to contribute in a small but significant way, to building a fairer society and helps to eradicate discrimination. Accessibility provides more satisfaction for you, and for your website users.
To get a glimpse of what it's like for a disabled user (or a user with older technology) to browse an inaccessible website, try the following. Pretend that you would like to buy a particular book online; connect to the Internet and bring up your favourite browser. Then, only using your keyboard (no mouse or touchpad!), see how long it takes you to find the book and place it in a shopping cart. (Obviously don't complete the transaction, unless you really want the book!) Alternatively, try using your mouse with your left hand (or right, if you normally use your left) for a while. Also, try adjusting your monitor's contrast setting to its lowest level, so that there is very little contrast between text and background, then visit a few typical websites and see how difficult it can be to read the content.
Having an Accessible Website Has Been a Legal Requirement Since 1999!
Section 3 of the The Disability Discrimination Act (1995) actually came into force in 1999. Making it unlawful for a provider of services to discriminate against a disabled person:
(1a) in refusing to provide, or deliberately not providing, to the disabled person any service which he provides, or is prepared to provide, to members of the public.
Including, in the following cases, which are of particular relevance to websites:
- (a) access to and use of any place which members of the public are permitted to enter.
- (b) access to and use of means of communication.
- (c) access to and use of information services.
- (h) the services of any profession or trade, or any local or other public authority.
Also, page 39 (4.7) of the Code of Practice contains the following requirement:
From 1 October 1999, a service provider has had to take reasonable steps to: change a practice, policy or procedure which makes it impossible or unreasonably difficult for disabled people to make use of its services.
Conclusion - Accessible Websites are Cool, Ethical and Good For Business!
So what are you waiting for? If you already own or manage a website, get it checked for accessibility now, don't wait! - If you are still thinking about having your own website, make sure you choose a website designer or website company that properly understands the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines WCAG. For more information, please see our accessibility help page.
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