Accessibility on the Web
A White Paper by JKD
August 2003
The Internet provides the opportunity for people, whatever their
circumstances, to find information, purchase products and services and contact
people. The Internet was created with the intention of providing a level playing
field – allowing individuals around the world to access information and services
with equal ease, regardless of circumstance. The drive for accessible
development puts this goal back at the forefront of Web development.
Just as in the physical world, where accessibility aids assist a
variety of people, it is all users that can benefit from an accessible website.
And, as in the physical world, the virtual kingdom of the
Internet is about to come under the scrutiny of the statute books. In the UK,
from October 2004, offering services on the Web without addressing access
concerns will leave the offending organisation liable for prosecution under the
Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA).
With the number of disabled people in the UK estimated to be in
the region of 15 per cent – approximately 9 million individuals – and an annual
spending power that equates to £40 billion, organisations are beginning to see a
different benefit that comes from tapping into this market.
The business cases for accessibility benefit all site visitors.
Some of these include:
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Improved site usability
-
Support for low literacy levels and overseas users
-
Improved search engine listings and site search
capabilities
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Ability to repurpose content
-
Improved site efficiency
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Reduced legal liability
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Positive PR
There are many guidelines to be followed for accessibility,
depending on the level of compliance applied to a website. A few of these are
listed below, but they do not constitute a strategy for creating an accessible
website:
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Provide text equivalents for any non-text element
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Do not rely on colour
-
Ensure page layout is consistent
-
Avoid the use of ‘click here’ and ‘more’
-
Use style sheets for presentational effects
-
Validate mark-up
-
Test using all browser types and, if possible, a focus
group of disabled users
Remember: not every user operates in the same context as a
designer or developer of a website.
By understanding this principle, many organisations will find
the transition to an accessible site much easier than those that choose to
ignore it.
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The Internet is a medium that offers a chance for anyone to find
information, buy products and services, and contact people, whether they are
using assistive technology, an older browser version, or the most up-to-date
piece of software. There can be few people left that the Internet has not
touched in some way over the past five years. However, most of those people that
have yet to experience the potential of the Internet are those that are
disabled.
Moreover, the efficiency of retrieving information on the World
Wide Web has decreased for all users and this is often due to the “since we can
do it, we should” mentality1, which leads to the situation where only those
people with the latest and greatest equipment, software and high-speed
connection can obtain the information that they require.
This is where Web accessibility can help to overcome the
barriers created over time by overzealous design departments and developers. Web
accessibility and the principles that form its foundation – commonly advocated
as a method of opening up the Internet to a disabled audience – can also benefit
every user of the Internet, whether disabled or not.
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Web accessibility is best described as the “ability for
individuals with disabilities to have access to and use of information and data
that is comparable to individuals without disabilities”2. This has been
enshrined in legislation around the globe, including the Disability
Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA), which came into force in October 1999, which is
becoming the primary pressure driving businesses to develop accessible websites.
With the advent of legislative updates for the Disability
Discrimination Act 1995 on the horizon, providing information and services to as
wide an audience as possible makes accessibility an option that must be
considered. From October 2004, offering services on the Web without addressing
accessibility concerns and opening up these services to a disabled audience
could lead to a successful prosecution. At the time of writing, successful
action had been brought against organisations in the US and Australia, and the
Disabled Rights Commission (DRC) has announced in the UK that, with the support
of the RNIB, it will be bringing the first test cases against offending site
owners later in 2003. Not every user operates in the same context as the
designer and developer of a website, a point that many organisations should do
their best to remember.
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Accessibility represents an important step towards independence
for users with disabilities, as it can provide quick, easy, low-cost access to
services and information3. Providing this added means of communication could
broaden the scope of employment, entertainment and education opportunities, in
addition to offering the chance to take part in day-to-day activities that many
of us take for granted – such as banking and grocery shopping.
Just as in the physical world, where accessibility aids assist a variety of
people with and without disabilities, it is all users that can benefit from an
accessible website. Web pages that are created with a disabled audience in mind
will be pleasing to the eye, fast loading, easy to maintain, present information
in a direct and simple way, navigate with consistency, and will function across
a range of browsers and rendering devices4.
With continual improvements in the usability of websites –
understanding the way people use sites, identifying key tasks and information,
finding support information – website operators are finding a reduction in
support costs and the amount of customers that are abandoning shopping baskets
before the checkout. Accessibility builds on this, firstly by helping to bring
more customers to a site, and secondly by creating an environment that offers a
simple, intuitive method for purchasing goods and services. Any analytics can
therefore be tied to the shopping process, allowing key stakeholders to
understand points of failure and difficulty.
Many disabled people literally live
on their computers3.
Often, a computer is a link to the outside world where a disabled person can
perform as an equal to a non-disabled person. Catering for the disabled market
will encourage users to spend money with your company. A conservative estimate
places the number of disabled people in the UK at 15 per cent5
– approximately nine million individuals – but it is likely to be a much higher
figure3.
The annual spending power in the UK equates to a minimum of £40 billion and this
amount is being virtually ignored by commercial organisations.
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Initial benefits of accessible development include increasing
discovery, access and usability of a website for all visitors are major benefits
experienced from applying many accessibility elements.
However, there are many other business benefits that can be
garnered from creating an accessible site. The following are business cases to
consider for any future Web project6:
Improve usability for non-disabled and disabled visitors
The usability of websites is becoming a very important topic as
organisations struggle to reach a wider audience. Since implementation of
accessibility guidelines has the additional benefit of increasing the usability
of websites, these guidelines can help improve client retention.
Support for low literacy levels
Low literacy includes those users with reading difficulties or
whose first language is not that of the site. It is worth remembering that there
are 5 million dyslexic people in the UK alone. With this statistic in mind,
clear and plain language is of paramount importance for a website. Following
accessible guidelines can support these users.
Improve search engine listings and resource discovery
Simply stated, content that is not text-based is not available
to search engines or other automatic data-mining applications. Much important
content on the site may be "locked-up" in non-searchable formats. The chances of
finding specific information can be significantly increased by exposing this
content, particularly by those searching for particular content via text
alternatives, such as a combination of text-string searches and drop down boxes.
So, from a strategic point of view, anything that can be done to increase the
likelihood of a user finding the site will have a positive benefit.
With the recent advent of natural language search capabilities
and the industry indulgence in knowledge management packages, the correct mark
up of pages is integral to users finding information on a page or services
available on the Internet. Natural language search facilities provide the bridge
between navigation and accessibility on complex, dynamic sites.
Those search engines that go beyond basic text-string matching,
utilising probability techniques, offers site owners the ability to offer
results in a variety of ways, and can be displayed to the user in a way that
they can access and understand the vast quantity of information that is
available on the Internet.
Support for the semantic Web
The Semantic Web is a mesh of information linked together in
such a way as to be easily processable by machines, on a global scale. It can be
thought of as a globally linked database. The Semantic Web will enable data on
the Internet to be defined and linked in such a way that it can be used by
machines, not just for display purposes, but also for automation, integration
and reuse of data across various applications. Organisations adopting elements
of the Semantic Web will be positioned to increase their audiences as this new
technology is developed.
Repurpose content for multiple formats or devices
Master style sheets allow quick and comprehensive changes to the
overall look and feel of the site. A style sheet file can contain display
instructions for numerous display technologies. This means that instead of
having to re-edit every content page of the site to meet the needs of a new
technology, only the master style sheet files need to be changed. Style sheets
also allow different devices or end purposes (such as screen and printer or
report and lecture presentation) to present the content in the most appropriate
fashion for that device.
° Increase support for internationalisation
In an increasingly global marketplace, the use of internationally recognised
symbols and language can prevent the alienation of a global audience. For future
accessibility, the feature of selecting the required language is likely to be
added to the Web Accessibility Initiative’s recommendations. For those
organisations that perform commerce in other countries, the development of
alternative language versions of the site should be considered. Simple, clear
language free from jargon will translate easily into a foreign language.
Assist access for low bandwidth users
Providing alternative content that is appropriate for
low-bandwidth connection is a market-increasing strategy. While affordable,
available high-bandwidth technology is becoming a reality for some Web users, by
far the majority of the world's users are limited to low bandwidth connections
because of geographical isolation, or an underdeveloped communications
infrastructure. Text alternatives aid users who turn off graphics in their
browser in order to facilitate a faster connection speed, as well as those using
text-only browsers.
Improve efficiency
Reduce site maintenance – Website development and maintenance
costs are an ongoing concern for businesses. Applying design techniques that can
reduce these costs is a strategic move. Clearer content and the inclusion of
alt-text with images and other non-text elements will assist all visitors to a
site in utilising the search facilities if they cannot locate the information or
services they seek through normal navigation means. With increasing traffic on
the Internet, many organisations are discovering that server performance has not
kept up with client demand. The use of Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) and clear,
consistent navigation will prevent the user asking for more pages than they need
to because they cannot find the information they require, thus reducing the load
on the server and preserving bandwidth.
Demonstrate social responsibility
Increasing the accessibility of your website and online services
to a wide range of people with disabilities will reinforce your organisation's
socially responsible attitude. All countries have significant numbers of people
with disabilities - they comprise an influential proportion of the population.
The population in many countries is also ageing, and with older age, the
incidence of disabilities increases. Raising awareness of the requirements of
people with disabilities through the creation and promotion of an accessible
website and associated online services can help to influence internal operations
and attitudes. This in turn creates a workplace that is more attractive to all
and accessible to people with disabilities.
Reduce legal liability
In many countries around the world, including the United
Kingdom, the United States of America, and Australia, discrimination laws
require governments, educational institutes, corporations and businesses to
provide equal opportunities for people with disabilities.
This may include equal access to electronic information and
services in the same way that physical access to facilities is required.
PR
Following accessibility guidelines closely and providing
informed decisions throughout the organisation will enable a business to provide
positive press feedback about its corporate responsibility and, in turn, help
bring your organisation’s services to a wider audience.
Equal opportunities
Implementing accessible services and information delivery
systems is not merely an external problem. To avoid accusations of
discrimination and running the risk of additional prosecutions, internal systems
such as the corporate intranet should be adapted to comply with the DDA. Again,
this should be looked on as an opportunity to improve the delivery of key
services, tools and information to all users, and utilise the feedback from
current users to improve take up and levels of use.
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Although creating an accessible website is more than just added
alternate text elements for page imagery, this is one of the simple rules that,
if followed throughout the development cycle of a project, can greatly enhance
the site’s usability for all visitors to the site7. The guidelines outlined by
the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)2 can enable any website to be
created in an accessible fashion and should be used as a benchmark for
accessible design and development.
A few quick tips from these guidelines are included here, but
should not be considered as comprehensive instructions for creating an
accessible website.
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Provide a text equivalent for every non-text element using
the ‘alt attribute’. This should be used for images and animations as a minimum
requirement.
-
If colour is used to convey information, ensure that it
can be seen without the use of colour – 54% of the world’s male population has
some degree of colour blindness5.
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Use text on hyperlinks that makes sense when read out of
context – avoid the use of ‘click here’.
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Provide alternative content for scripts, applets and
plug-ins in case active features are not supported or inaccessible.
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Use Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) to control font size,
colour and other presentational and style effects. If possible, use CSS to
position items on the page.
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Validate mark-up, use tools, checklists and guidelines.
-
Test using all browser types, and if possible with a focus
group made up of people who have a range of disabilities.
-
Ensure a consistent structure of page layout and
presentation.
To show how a fully accessible site can work, JKD, the only
communications technology agency on the UK Government’s list of approved
suppliers, has created the Access Hub as its contribution to the International
Year of the Disabled.
The site provides a free listing of all accessible sites and
services in the UK in a completely accessible format. The Access Hub complies
with all of the WAI’s accessible requirements (Triple-A compliance), and also
provides the user with the opportunity to personalise the site specifically to
their requirements – the first site in the world to take this approach. Testing
of the beta version of the site has received overwhelmingly positive feedback
from disabled groups throughout the UK and the world. It is intended that this
site will be upheld as the benchmark for accessibility for all websites, big and
small.
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As with any new set of guidelines, testing is affected by the
changes that an accessible Web strategy can bring to a workflow system. Of the
most important testing areas, validation of code is first and foremost, because
without performing this integral task many other accessibility initiatives that
have been created will not work correctly if the code that underlies it all is
invalid. Testing will also be required to check that any workarounds provided
sit well with internal brand guidelines.
It is recommended that an online tool be used to measure the
accessibility of any sites developed – both on a local environment and in the
live, published environment of the Web. Tools such as Bobby offer cost effective
solutions for this type of work, but they do require training and man-hours to
implement and cannot be used automatically on a scheduled basis. Although this
could present itself as a problem, there are automated tools available that can
be optimised for the guidelines set out in any effective online strategy once
they have been organised and agreed upon by all parties. Some of these products
can be developed in line with existing content management systems and other
technology whereby the integrity of ongoing accessibility is checked at the
server by an automated tool and alerts sent to key stakeholders.
This is only part of the story. Usability studies make use of
external user groups and testing for accessibility should also make use of such
groups, as these provide useful feedback not only on proposed website
development but on future strategies.
Web content should only be published in the live after rigorous
testing using the methods described above. If content is to be published without
following these guidelines, businesses could find that other areas of the site
become inaccessible very quickly and without intervention from key stakeholders
the site could soon lose the accessible audience that has increased through the
integration of accessibility.
Any content that has already been published on the Web, such as
sites developed prior to internal guidelines being formulated, should be tested
against the guidelines.
However, if many of the guidelines for accessibility are
followed, any changes that may require to be done as part of a monthly
maintenance schedule should only apply to one document (content) or the other
(structure) rather than both, if the separation of content and structure is
implemented. Coupled with the validation of code, this process will make
identifying areas of concern quicker and easier.
Companies should review this area of Web maintenance to ensure
that compliance is still valid and adjust any maintenance programme that affects
accessibility to ensure its continuing integrity.
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Many organisations deem the creation of a text-only alternative
to be enough for disabled users. However, JKD has proved that it is possible to
create an accessible website that does not compromise the visual design of a
site. With the increased use of content management software, the ability to
create a visually appealing and accessible site has become easier than ever
before.
Inclusive websites benefit every user, whereas a website that
differentiates between its visitors is essentially saying that disabled users
are not welcome.
Although retrofitting a website can be an expensive exercise,
particularly if it is a large concern, putting accessibility at the forefront of
the development process will ultimately aid in the long-term costs of the site8,
as maintenance and server overheads are reduced. Websites that are simple to
navigate will also bring repeat visitors to the site, creating an environment
that will bring more users in contact with services and products.
The first stage to integrating accessibility is to evaluate any
existing websites to identify whether any of the basic attributes of an
accessible site are already in place. It is then important to determine which
pages are non-compliant and decide how to retrofit these areas to meet the level
of accessibility required. Perhaps the best way to achieve an objective result
for this is to employ the services of an outside agency with the necessary
skills to audit existing sites or to help plan new Web ventures in an accessible
manner.
The key measure of success on a service-led site is being able
to reduce or remove human intervention from the customer support process. The
creation of a well-designed site will reduce costs and maintenance, offering
significant savings from reduced call centres and the like.
If your organisation is to realise the business and ethical
benefits of being compliant, you must implement an accessible web strategy today
and remove the barriers to full usability. The time and money invested in paving
the way towards an accessible site will reap its own rewards, and may well help
avoid financial or other penalties in the near future.
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1. Making your website accessible; Owen, J. 2003.
http://www.cilip.org.uk/update/issues/jan03/article2jan.html
2. Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI); World Wide Web Consortium
(W3C). 1997-2003
http://www.w3.org/WAI/
3. The State of Web Accessibility; Fish, J.C. 2002
http://www.extremetech.com/print_article/0,3428,a=22871,00.asp
4. Web Authoring Pages; Pickering, J. 1999-2003
http://www.jp29.org/waca.htm
5. Web Accessibility for people with Disabilities; Paciello, M.
2000
6. Building Accessible Websites; Clark, J. 2002
http://www.joeclark.org/book/sashay/serialization/
7. Constructing Accessible Websites; Thatcher, J, et al. 2002
8. Guidelines for UK Government Websites; Office of the e-Envoy.
2002.
http://www.e-envoy.gov.uk/webguidelines.htm
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Mark Gristock
JKD
Westminster Business Square
1-45 Durham Street
London
SE11 5JH
UK
Email: mark.gristock@jkd.co.uk
Tel: 020 7793 9399
Fax: 020 7793 9299
http://www.jkd.co.uk
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