News and Media
Online Exclusion, are you guilty?
Friday 14 January 2005
Excellent usability, striking design, efficient functionality and just when you thought you had your company's online strategy and web presence under control, another issue is raising its substantial head - Accessibility.
It has been a legal requirement for UK websites to be accessible since 1999. Since then all websites have been expected to make "reasonable adjustments" to ensure their websites accommodate all users regardless of ability, disability. (Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 1995, Section III 19. - (1) It is unlawful for a provider of services to discriminate against a disabled person)
However the majority of private sector organisations are not aware of online accessibility issues, and few have implemented the principles within their sites.
Don't panic just yet; there is still time for redemption. No UK business or organisation has been prosecuted for having an inaccessible website. The Disability Rights Commission advise that if a customer contacts you about an access issue with your website you should try to resolve the dispute by informal or formal discussion. However...
"If the dispute is not resolved, you could be taken to court. If the customer wins the case, they could win compensation for financial loss, for injured feeling or both." (Disability Rights Commission)
What are we doing wrong?
- Visual - Do you have alternatives to the graphics and images in your site? Blindness, Colour blindness and an aging population with deteriorating sight are increasingly using the Web to get information.
- Audio - Audio files on the web are inaccessible to the deaf or hearing impaired.
- Learning or Cognitive - The inability to read text and especially the inability to "click" on a link is a problem for those with learning or cognitive barriers.
- Economic - Audiences or clients do not always have the most up-to-date computers, browsers or modems.
- Also is your site easily navigated by someone whose motion is impaired? Try navigating with your non-dominant hand; this will give you a taste of the difficulty a minor impairment would cause.
How will I know if my site is accessible?
It is generally accepted that if your site conforms to the good practice outlined in the World Wide Web Consortium's (W3C) Website Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) (www.w3.org), you have demonstrated your commitment to making your site accessible.
The W3C WCAG are a series of checkpoints designed to ensure your site will be more accessible to disabled people. The checkpoints are grouped into different levels of compliance.
Priority 1(A) You must do this, Priority 2 (AA) You should be doing, and Priority 3 (AAA) You ought to be doing. (View the guidelines: www.w3.org)
Make sure someone in your organisation is aware of these priorities and to be safe, you should aim to ensure your website meets at least Priority 2 of the World Wide Web Consortium Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. UK Government also recommend that government websites should achieve Level AA compliance.
There are commercial benefits to making your site accessible!
- You reduce the risk of excluding people from accessing your site.
- Your Website will be easier to manage.
- Your Website will be compatible with new browsing technologies.
- Your Website will appear higher in search engine rankings.
- The download time of your Website will be significantly improved.
- The usability of your Website will be enhanced.
- People in the UK with disabilities have an estimated annual spending power of £50 billion.
What do I do now?
If you have in-house website design expertise, appropriate training for the relevant staff may be the best way to help ensure your website will be accessible. Your other option is to speak to a reputable and experienced Internet Consultancy who will audit your existing systems and suggest a way forward.
Accessibility can not be ignored by any of us; doing so is discriminatory and legally very risky. It is an issue of ever increasing importance, it will cost you time and money but it will improve your online business.