What is Web Accessibility?

Introduction

Simply put, Web accessibility is all about ensuring that the Web can be used with little or no impediment by users with a disability.

To elaborate: When Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the Web, launched the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI), he said, “The power of the Web is in its universality. Access by everyone regardless of disability is an essential aspect.” He is absolutely right, of course, but a startling proportion of websites are completely inaccessible to people with anything more than a minor disability.

As the Internet continues to embed itself into our daily lives, it is more important than ever to cater for all users. Excluding a section of the population from accessing your products and services online is not only socially unacceptable, it makes bad business sense too.

This includes those who use alternative software to access the Internet (such as mobile phones or text-based browsers) or who have disabilities that impair their use of computers (such as visual or motor problems). At Hiltonian Media, we strongly believe that it is important for websites to be developed in such a way that everyone can access the full functionality.

Not only does this lead to an increased audience, but it improves development time so the benefits are felt all around. In fact, the Disability Discrimination Act covers websites and if “reasonable adjustments” haven't been made to ensure that disabled people can access your services, you could be liable under the Act. Therefore, Hiltonian Media take the utmost care in ensuring that your website complies with the legislation (you should always seek the advice of a legal professional if you are unsure though).

Furthermore, many Web developers think they are catering for disabled users by providing a text-only or high-contrast version of the website, but that is entirely missing the point (and in some cases may actually make matters worse — graphics can often provide an important visual aid for partially-sighted users).