Web Accessibility For The Disabled

The Internet is now such a huge part of life that it is widely thought of as something everyone should be able to use, regardless of age, sex or race, and whilst it may initially seem overwhelming to a person using the web for the first time, a majority will agree it is one of the most useful tools available in modern life.

However a campaign has recently been launched to bring to light an often ignored issue, the issue of website accessibility for the disabled. Many simply think of the internet of being something you learn to use, but forget about those who may physically be unable to use it in one way or another.

A new website called ‘Fix The Web’ has been unveiled as part of the campaign to get more of the web accessible for those with disabilities. On the website, people who have encountered problems with a website can report the website, and the problem, and a group of volunteers at Fix The Web will then contact the website owners to inform them of the issue and push for it to be resolved.

Some of the most common web accessibility issues include:

• Sites incompatible to screen readers
• Small or difficult to read text
• Websites which cannot be used without a mouse
• Busy and distracting layouts

A shocking statistic released by the ‘World Wide Web Consortium’ is that only 19% of websites meet the minimum standard for web accessibility.

Whilst no one is completely innocent when it comes to web accessibility for the disabled,  at Dijitul we take steps to ensure that our websites can be accessed and used by all as easily as possible.

As part of every build and SEO we do, we ensure that we adhere to the Web Accessibility Initiative and implement several accessibility measures, including:

• Alt text on pictures so that screen readers can read them
• We use only plain text, not flash, so that whole websites are screen reader compatible
• We HATE busy and distracting backgrounds, so we simple do not make them!

For more information and help regarding easily accessible web design, give us a call on 01623 650333, or visit our web design website.