What is accessibility? How important is it for my website?

What is accessibility?

Web accessibility refers to the practice of making websites usable by people of all abilities and disabilities. That is, making your website accessible to all.

Like buildings, websites are required to be accessible to all users.*  This means that visually impaired users, users who use screen reader software, people who only use a keyboard (not mouse) and colour blind users all need to be able to use your website.  As the web becomes more central to everyone’s lives, accessibility becomes an essential part of equal opportunities.

Give me some examples

Blind users use text-to-speech software (each page is read out to them) and/or text-to-Braille hardware.
Users with poor sight often need larger text and images.
Colour blind users may not notice links, when they change colour.
Many users cannot control a mouse with precision (if their hands are shaky for example).  Some cannot use a mouse at all.
Deaf and hard of hearing users may not understand video.
Users prone to seizures may be affected by flashing effects.

What should I do?

Talk to your web designer about accessibility.  The underlying principles of accessibility are clarity and flexibility.  If your site is clear and easy to use, with clean code and flexible settings, it is likely to be accessible to many.

Simple things can make a big difference and needn’t impair the website for non-disabled users.  Here’s our starter for ten:

1. Giving the option to change the size of the text helps users with poor sight.
2. Using underlines as well as colour change for links helps colour blind users.
3. Design using Cascading Style Sheets means the text to voice software has less reading to do on each page.
4. Large clickable links and areas help users who cannot control a mouse with precision.
5. Pages coded so users can navigate by keyboard alone helps those who cannot use a mouse.
6. Giving a sign language version of videos (or closed captions) helps the deaf.
7. Writing content in plain language helps users with dyslexia and learning difficulties.
8. If using flashing effects, making these optional helps users prone to seizures.
9. Labelling all images and icons enables screen readers to recognise them.
10. Avoiding opening links in new windows helps blind users, who can’t see which window they are in. 

More details and recommendations are included in the accessibility document which Webb Strategy provides with every Webb Site Review.

Benefits for your website.

1. A large audience. In the UK, tens of thousands of people with some form of disability use the internet on a daily basis.   Many silver surfers (older and often affluent web users) have some mild form of disability which makes using the web harder - they may find controlling the mouse hard due to arthritis or they may it hard to read certain text sizes and colours as they age.
2. Search engine optimisation (SEO). Many of the changes you make to help disabled users (and the software they use), also make it easier for search engine spiders to crawl your site - which helps your rankings in search engines such as Google.
3. Different platforms (eg. mobile technology).  Generally speaking, good accessibility will make your website easier to view on mobile devices - a fast growing area of new media.

* In the UK, the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 makes it illegal to discriminate against people with disabilities.  The code of practice published to accompany the Act refers specifically to websites as one of the "services to the public" covered by the Act.