Accessibility

Accessibility is about providing equal access for all to websites and online content. In particular, this means considering the special needs of people with disabilities.

Some of the needs that needs to be considered are:

  1. Vision needs - from issues with screen brightness, font size, and colour-blindness to the needs of the blind.
  2. Older People
  3. Low Literacy and low bandwidth
Usability and accessibility often go hand-in-hand as much of the work that is done for one discipline improves the situation for the other.

Accessibility is becoming more than just a nice thing to do. There are both commercial and legal ramifications to be concerned with if you are not going to make reasonable efforts towards being accessible.

For more information on how to plan, build and test and accessible website, visit:
  1. The Web Accessibility Initiative - http://www.w3.org/WAI/
  2. The Royal National Institute of the Blind at:
    http://www.rnib.org.uk/xpedio/groups/public/documents/code/public_rnib008789.hcsp