Accessibility
What is accessibility?
Accessibility for websites is really an extension of the physical accessibility guidelines we are used to - much as your shop might need a wheelchair ramp or hospitals need signs in braille, so your website should make sense to people with disabilities. These can include dyslexia, learning difficulties and visual impairment, and there are certain guidelines you can follow when developing a website that will make it easier for all users to understand. Accessibility is also a broader term for open, logical sites that allow people to navigate easily, understand content and control their experience.
Why does it matter?
We believe that all businesses have a responsibility to make their websites accessible to all users, and that it makes business sense to provide a better user experience. There are also legal implications to not having accessible websites - although the concept is fairly new, the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) has taken companies to court for refusing to adapt their sites, using the Disability Discrimination Act. On the other hand, websites that clearly demonstrate and promote accessibility give companies credence and good publicity. Accessible websites also perform better on search engines.
Who makes the rules on accessibility?
The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) promotes a universal standard for websites, and provides guidelines on making your website more accessible. Accessible websites ensure that disabled users can understand and navigate pages, and at the same time makes the site better for all users. W3C guidelines can be followed to reach A, AA or AAA compliance. The RNIB provide training and testing for accessibility. However, accessibility is also a broad approach to websites that comes down to common sense and good programming.
What makes a website accessible?
An accessible website should be easy to use and understand, work across different browsers and screen readers (these interpret web pages and provide audible or braille outputs), and allow users to make changes to aspects like text size and background colours. Some website managers create an alternative plain text copy of the site, but by applying good coding standards there is no need to create and maintain a second version of your site. Accessibility covers the following areas:
- Semantically sensible and efficient coding
- Compatibility with different browsers and screen readers
- Proper use of images, forms, etc.
- Ability to adjust contrast, background colours and text size
- Obvious menu items and clear page layout
- Simple, understandable text content
How do I know if a website is accessible?
Accessible websites should make sense in their simplest form - you can download a text-only browser like Lynx or use a browser like Firefox which allows you to turn off styles and images, and see if a website remains understandable. Also look for an accessibility page which explains the accessible features of the website and the company's approach to accessibility. It is also a matter of common sense and comes down to providing a good experience for users.
How does Bluelinemedia produce accessible websites?
Our approach to accessibility starts with a commitment to producing sites that achieve their goals and provide a simple, enjoyable experience for users. Our sites are accessible because we apply standards and accessibility guidelines throughout the development process. We also test our websites across different browsers and with no styling to make sure they still make sense.
