Accessibility
Web accessibility is an important issue which many web designers dismiss - to their clients detriment - as 'too limiting to their creativity'. But a core commercial issue of accessibility is that if you make a web site that is accessible to text based browsers - the same style of browser that is used with a speech synthesizer, or braille reader, by the visually impaired to surf the internet - then you have also built a site that will be easily indexed by search engines. But the most important aspect, however, is that of social inclusion, and ensuring that those who use alternative technology to surf the web, do so without any barriers caused by poor web design.
Benefits of Accessibility
Because your web site's accessibility is improved, search engines can understand the purpose of your web site more easily if you provide alternative accessible content. The clearer your content is, the more likely your site will gain higher search engine rankings. Also your site will be accessible to a far wider audience. Web site's can be viewed in a variety of formats such as:
- Hand held devices such PDA's which have small screens (by 2008 there will be 58 million PDA's worldwide source:eTforercast).
- Web TV with no horizontal scrolling available.
- Screen readers which read the content as it appears in the HTML code.
- Lynx Browser which is a text only browser with no support for javascript, flash etc.
below are some useful accessibility resources.
- Discrimination Rights Commission: (DRC): launched an investigation into a 1000 web sites on accessibility .
- DDA Act: Part III of the DDA refers to the provision of goods, facilities and services. The Code of Practice, which specifically mentions web site's, can be downloaded in its entirety from the DRC web site.
- IBM: Excellent insight and advice on coding and testing for accessibility (for the developer).
- Bobby: An excellent online testing tool for checking accessibility.
- Web accessibility and the Law: An excellent journal on whether web service providers are responsible by Law. Written by Martin Sloan.
- WAI Guidelines: The accessibility guidelines issued by the World Wide Web consortium, headed by Sir Tim Burners-Lee, the inventor of the Web.