Accessible Websites

Accessibility is not just a buzz-word, it's integral with the future of web design.

Accessibility Overview

Accessibility is about making website content available in a format suitable for the millions of users with any number of disabilities. It is also about making a site viewable on different technologies, such as web tv, mobile phones, etc. The most widely accepted guidelines are produced by the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).

Most people take the use of a keyboard or mouse, or the difference between blue and green for granted. Being visually impaired need not be a barrier to accessing websites - there is software that can read a website's content to the visitor. Have you ever tried to use the internet with just your keyboard? It's quite a challenge!

Web design has had to come full circle. The basic pages built in the early days of the internet were arguably more accessible. As connection speeds increased they enabled images to be used for links, or even to contain text. Flash also evolved and became widely used and as a result accessibility suffered. Sites were visually stunning but fewer could reach a full audience. Today, the vast majority of websites (estimated at 80% by the Disability Rights Commission) do not meet the standards.

Accessibility - why is it a big issue now?

The short answer is legislation. It has always been an issue and professional web design ought always to addressed it. However, commercial pressures within the web design industry and a lack of support from the major authoring tools have meant the issue has not been taken as seriously as it should.

In the UK the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 lay the foundations for the right to access information on websites. Although recent amendments to the Act were widely reported, in reality the part which related to web design has been law since 1999. Perhaps it was the publicity around the final section of the DDA coming into force in 2004 that created the impression the world had changed for the net. More likely, the subject arose because of the net's huge popularity compared with in 1999.

In the US, Section 508 of the US Rehabilitation Act is the legislation that seeks the same goals.

How I make a website Accessible

One important step toward making a website accessible is to separate content from structure. This is achieved by the use of Cascading Style Sheets (CSS). Traditionally websites have been structured using HTML tables. The notion of separating content from structure has been in place since the very earliest efforts to establish standards for the net. Everything is covered in the WAI's Triple A checkpoint list.

Single, Double and Triple A Checkpoints

The WAI details 3 categories that define a website's accessibility. Level 1 must be satisfied, Level 2 ought to be satisfied (and are the EU's level or compliance) and Level 3 may be adhered to if possible. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (1.0) checklist is summarised and can be viewed here.

JeliNet's site meets the WAI Triple A standards on all but 2 pages where Double A is met.

World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)

The W3C is the organisation that seeks to standardise how the internet is built. To use their own definition:

"The World Wide Web Consortium W3C develops interoperable technologies (specifications, guidelines, software, and tools) to lead the Web to its full potential."

Visit the W3C to learn more about their role in setting web design standards.

This site meets the W3C standards for Strict XHTML 1.0.

All Cascading Style Sheets meet the W3C standards.

Ah, but not all JeliNet sites are fully Accessible?

Well spotted! Or, if you didn't then I'm being too honest. But the truth is this statement is more than the majority of web designers are willing to make. Why confess this? Click here for the reality of Accessibility and why more sites in the future will be.

The key with Accessibility is to be aware of the issues. The movement in web design is finally moving toward accountability and inclusiveness. JeliNet is aware of these issues and is happy to discuss how I can integrate as many of the standards as possible into your site.