What is Web accessibility?
Web accessibility is the understanding that anyone, regardless of ability or background should be able to access the online services and information they want.
Part of the problem with the old brochure design methodology is that the ways in which those pages are put together inhibit programs like screen readers which the blind often rely on.
A lot of sites require that you have a mouse or another pointer device. Old style designs only cater for a mouse (they only react to a “click” event) and so won’t work if you try to navigate with a keyboard.
Some sites use video in place of text, which can look and sound great, but unless alternative content is provided for those videos, deaf people will be unable to use them.
How do you become accessible?
There are lots of rules and guidelines published by bodies with their own concerns in mind, however they’re all pulling towards the same end and there are in fact a few simple rules that you can follow, that will get you on the right track. Here’s a few:
- Make sure all of your images have descriptions
- Find out how to disable JavaScript in your browser then see if your site works without it (not everyone can use JavaScript)
- Download a screen reader (or Fangs) and see how your site “sounds” when it’s read aloud to a blind person
