Accessibility

It is often forgotten that many internet users have some form of disability, be it a visual impairment, a problem with hearing or reduced motor skills. As a result, many websites are inaccessible to at least one area of society. With new legislation introduced by the Disability Rights Commission, it is now a requirement for websites to be available to all.

If your website provides a service to the general public, including the provision of information about your company and its products and services, that service must be available to everyone who visits your website. If this service can not be utilised by someone with a visual impairment for example, you could be breaking the law.

W3C (The World Wide Web Consortium) has developed a three stage accessibility program known as the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative – WCAG 1.0. Level A is the entry level and all sites should conform to this as a minimum standard. Level AA and Level AAA apply in certain circumstances.

Your developer should be knowledgeable about the standards, which types of companies are required to meet which WCAG 1.0 level and how to achieve this.

>> Interaction