When a subject like Web Accessibility is discussed, it's very important to understand what this term means. Put simply, when we talk about Web Accessibility we mean the variety of ways an end user may be interacting with a website, the different technologies they use-the different technologies we use-and how it affects us all. It also refers to the practice of making websites usable and accessible by people of all abilities and disabilities. When websites are correctly designed, developed and edited, all users should have equal access to information and functionality.
People who may experience difficulties
Those who frequently experiences problems with modern websites are not always necessarily disabled, though they are the majority. Some of the people who may find using and navigating common websites difficult or impossible include:
- Blind or partially sighted persons using screen reading software or Braille hardware,
- People who are wholly or partially colour blind,
- People who find it difficult to use a mouse and rely on their keyboard,
- Deaf and those hard of hearing,
- Those suffering from Dyslexia or other learning difficulties,
- People using old computers, outdated software or an obscure web browser, an unsupported operating system...
In short, there are an endless number of scenarios where a user may have difficulty accessing a website. Below, I am going to cover several of the most common issues which are frequently overlooked when designing and developing a website.
Common issues and problems
There are generally three parts in the process of creating a website. These are the design, development and programming phases. Below are some common oversights during these stages.
1. Fonts are rarely chosen with support and display in mind.
A very common dilemma. When a designer creates a page, they will choose the font they think is most suitable visually. But fonts can only be displayed as text when the user has that particular font installed on their machine. With some fonts, this number may be very small indeed.To get around this there are several techniques used to display the intended font, but most are arcane and complicated - causing more problems than they solve.
2. Templates are almost never designed to be scaled.
Almost all browsers give the user the ability to increase or decrease the text size on a page. Unfortunately, websites are rarely designed with this in mind and the carefully crafted template will break or cause unsightly display issues, sometimes rendering the page completely unreadable.
3. Colours chosen may be difficult to distinguish.
Sometimes a designer will create a design using a combination of colours that will cause problems for people with some degree of colour blindness. There may not be enough contrast between foreground and background or the colours may be too similar and undistinguishable when anyone without good vision looks at them.
4. Forms are frequently re-designed.
It is common for fields and buttons on forms to be designed, but this is can cause the user a problem. When left alone, these will default to the style of the operating system, keeping everything uniform and familiar, easy to understand. When re-designed, the user has yet another visual style they will need to grow accustomed to.
5. Website templates are rarely built to be scaled.
Even if a website has been designed with scalability in mind, the developer may not always build it so that this is possible. A website should always be styled with relative measurements to ensure it can be scaled.
6. Mouse-only controls are fairly common.
Almost all fancy effects and animations on websites are mouse input only. Keyboard input is rarely considered and will often not work well even when it is. To be accessible, a website must truly be device independent.
7. Forms are almost never marked up properly.
There is a wide use of improper form markup, which more often than not becomes a hindrance when a user with special needs attempts to use it.
8. Web accessibility is never considered in the first place.
Probably the most overlooked issue is accessibility itself. Often, companies simply do not know enough-if anything-about web accessibility and so their website will suffer. They often do not know their responsibilities or their requirements in terms of what needs to be done.
There are many groups-such as the RNIB (Royal National Institute for the Blind), WaSP (Web Standards Project), WAI (Web Accessibility Initiative) among many others-who have done a great deal to further the cause of web accessibility in governments and software vendors. But it is only by educating and spreading awareness among businesses and agencies that we can create an accessible web.
What does this mean for your business?
A common question for a business to ask is, "How does this affect me? Why should I care?"
Firstly, it is important to realise that having an inaccessible website is against the law. The Disability Discrimination Act came into effect on the 1st October 1999 and states:
"For the purposes of section 19, a provider of services also discriminates against a disabled person if he fails to comply with a section 21 duty imposed on him in relation to the disabled person; and he cannot show that his failure to comply with that duty is justified." DDA, 1999
An additional Code of Practice was published on the 27th May 2002 and specifically states a website as it's example:
"What services are affected by the Act? An airline company provides a flight reservation and booking service to the public on its website. This is a provision of a service and is subject to the act." Code of Practice, 2.13-2.17 (p11-13)
Secondly, a company is frequently left wide open for criticism, bad press and even legal action if they are found to have a seriously inaccessible website. At least two companies in the UK have been sued on accessibility grounds with assistance from the RNIB, both having been settled out of court.
"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
In a future article, I will explore the myriad of legal requirements, guidelines and documentation that makes up UK Law regarding website accessibility with solutions and best practices to ensure all requirements are met...
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