Web Accessibility
Accessibility means providing flexibility to accommodate each user's needs and preferences. In an IT context, accessibility is making computer technology usefully available to more people than would otherwise be the case.
Internet Accessibility is specifically aimed at opening up Internet resources to allow for the participation of people with disabilities.
Accessibility can also include consideration for people whose primary language is not the native language currently used within any given IT environment.
For those unfamiliar with accessibility issues, consider that many users may be operating in contexts very different from those expected or assumed:
- They may not be able to see, hear, move, or may not be able to process some types of information easily or at all.
- They may have difficulty reading or comprehending text.
- They may not have or be able to use a keyboard or mouse.
- They may have a text-only screen, a small screen, or a slow Internet connection.
- They may not speak or understand fluently the language in which the document is written.
- They may have an early version of a browser, a different browser entirely, a voice browser, or a different operating system.
- They may be unable to see colors at all. Many people (about 8% of men and 0.5% of women) are unable to distinguish certain colors, such as red and green.
Reasons to Consider Accessible Web Design
There are many reasons why it is very important to consider not only how your web site operates but also how easily it can be accessed by those with a disability.
All service providers, whether in the private or public sector, have a legal responsibility embodied in the Disability Discrimination Act that increasingly requires that disabled individuals have effective access to services and information.
The DDA makes it unlawful for a disabled person to be discriminated against in the areas of:
- employment;
- access to goods, facilities and services;
- and the management, buying or renting of land or property.
Statutory codes of practice, which provide practical guidance to employers and service providers on meeting their obligations under the DDA and on good practice are undertaken by the Disability Rights Commission (DRC), an independent body set up by the Government to help secure civil rights for disabled people.
The Commercial Benefits
There are approximately 10.5 million people with disabilities in the UK at present, who have an estimated cumulative disposable income of over £80 billion. How many organisations would knowingly disregard such a considerable sector of their potential customer base?
But, most significantly, the effective implementation of good practice in the design of an IT resource or website benefits everyone - whether they have special requirements of access or not. This is because the overall design is concerned with the best implementation of a wide range of elements including colour, graphics, text, multi-media, frames, and dynamic elements. It addresses the many inconsistencies that can arise in the overall experience of each user.
The Legal and General web site was re-designed in 2005 in order to increase its overall accessibility levels.
Following the launch of the new site, the benefits noted were:
- A 30% increase in natural search-engine traffic
- A significant improvement in Google rankings for all target keywords
- 75% reduction in time for pages to load
- Cross browser-compatibility increased (not a single complaint since the redesign)
- Site now accessible to mobile devices
- Time to manage content reduced from average of five days to 0.5 days per job
- 95% increase in visitors getting a life insurance quote
- 90% increase in Life insurance sales online
- Savings of £200K annually on site maintenance
- 100% return on investment in less than 12 months.
When accessible web design principles are properly applied, the result is a resource that is easy to use for all - regardless of what technology, specialist or otherwise, is being used to access it.