Website Accessibility
121webconsultancy designs all new websites with accessibility in mind and carries out website accessibility audits for clients wishing to plan a path to compliance with the DDA.
Accessible web design makes it easier for all your visitors to use your website and easier for search engines to find.
Accessibility is especially important for people with disabilities such as visual impairment. Some users require special software or devices in addition to a standard web browser, or specially designed web browsers.
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
The Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) outlines the international guidelines on accessible web design. The WAI is affiliated with the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and works with organisations around the world to increase the accessibility of the web. The WAI published the first version of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) in 1999. These are accepted as the definitive set of international guidelines used for building accessible websites. All other guidelines and standards are derived from these.
There are three levels of accessibility - Priorities 1, 2 and 3. Priority 1 is the most fundamental level of accessibility. Without this level of accessibility, one or more groups of people will find it impossible to access the information on your website. If you can pass Priority 2 and 3 checkpoints you will have removed 'significant barriers to accessible web documents'.
121webconsultancy designs websites to Priority 1 level as standard.
Does my website have to be accessible?
The part of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) that states websites must be made accessible came into force on 1 October 1999 and the Code of Practice for this section of the Act was published on 27 May 2002. RNIB 2005
You do have a responsibility at some level, whether or not you are the designer or the commissioner of the website, to ensure your website design does not discriminate against disabled visitors to your site.
You now have a legal obligation - following the implementation of section 21 of the Disability Discrimination Act (1999) - to make reasonable adjustments to ensure blind and partially sighted people can access your service. RNIB 2005
The DDA does not specifically address websites design standards but it does make reference to the service provision of any service...
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
So, what happens if your website design is not accessible?
Quite simply, it is not possible to provide a definitive specification for a fully accessible website which will satisfy the requirements of the UK DDA and asking a web designer to design a website that is "DDA-compliant" or "compliant with the law" is impossible. However, you do leave yourself open to criticism, bad press and and more seriously legal action if your site is not accessible.
A disabled person can make a claim against you if your website makes it impossible or unreasonably difficult to access information and services. If you have not made reasonable adjustments and cannot show that this failure is justified, then you may be liable under the Act, and may have to pay compensation and be ordered by a court to change your site. RNIB 2005
What is meant by “reasonable adjustments” to your website design?
Steps that should be taken to make reasonable adjustments include changing:
- a practice, policy or procedure which makes it impossible or unreasonably difficult for a disabled person to use a service;
- any physical features which make it impossible or unreasonably difficult for a disabled person to use a service
Reasonable steps must also be taken to provide:
"auxiliary aids and services" (an example of which would be an accessible website) where these would enable or facilitate the use of a service. RNIB 2005
These changes have been required since October 1999. Note that "reasonable" is not defined in the Act, but the Code of Practice does give some guidance on this, and indicates that it will depend upon:
- the type of service provided
- the type of organisation you are and resources available
- the impact on the disabled person
What level of compliance should your website design meet?
No case has been brought to court in the United Kingdom to date, so there is no case law guidance. In any event, case law can only provide broad guidance - what websites have to do may vary from site to site. What is important, however, is the outcome: the DDA requires that you make what it refers to as "reasonable adjustments", to your services to ensure that a person with a disability can access that service.
Website Accessibility Audits
121webconsultancy can carry out a Website Accessibility Audit on your existing website, enabling you to plan your path to compliance with the DDA. The purpose of the audit report is to identify aspects of a website which do not meet the requirements of Part III of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995.
In using the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) guidelines, both automatic tests and manual checks are performed to assess website accessibility. The three W3C/WAI checkpoint levels of accessibility are A, AA & AAA. Under the Disability Discrimination Act attaining Level A will be the minimum requirement.
For each highlighted problem, clear recommendations are provided to remedy it and improve the site's accessibility. It also tells you which problems are critical, which are important, and which are nice-to-haves. Sample HTML and CSS code are provided where necessary, to help you repair any problem. Aside from the sample codes, the report assumes no prior technical knowledge.
To complete an Website Accessibility Audit Report 121webconsultancy will:
- Validate the style sheet (CSS file) if available, to check compliance
- Run a Watchfire WebXACT and Bobby test to check for the errors that can safely be identified automatically *
- Validate the HTML/XHTML code, for a representative sample of pages, to check compliance
- Manually check for compliance with the WAI guidelines
- Collate all results and produce a detailed report in .pdf format
* From February 1, 2008 Watchfire WebXact and Bobby became unavailable as IBM bought Watchfire, sadly choosing to remove these important applications. Read IBM's statement HERE. However, during this cross-over period 121webconsultancy continues to evaluate and utilise alternate industry standard applications for appropriate testing and website accessibility audits.
Please Note: 121webconsultancy tests and reports on websites against best practice guidelines as set down by the W3C, and via training and experience gained in this area. The tests carried out cover W3C guidelines for all special needs groups, such as blind, partially sighted, deaf, learning difficulties, the elderly, dyslexic and mobility impaired users. However, 121webconsultancy does not carry out accessibility testing with users from these groups.
For websites up to 100 pages, which includes one free re-test if necessary, pricing is as follows:
WAI Level A - £225.00
WAI Level AA - £250.00
WAI Level AAA - £275.00
After the audit, 121webconsultancy can quote you on the work required, or you can take the details of the audit to your current website developer.
Expert Accessible Website Design Information
www.accessibility101.org.uk
www.w3.org/WAI
www.accessifyforum.com
www.accessiblenet.org
www.rnib.org.uk
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