PerreLink Web Solutions - Wollongong Web Design Company

Accessibility and why it is important

Anyone who provides goods and services over the Internet needs to consider how they can make their website accessible to everyone. In the most general sense, accessible web design refers to the philosophy and practice of creating web pages that can be navigated and read by everyone, regardless of location, experience or the type of computer technology used. But the most common usage relates to making web pages accessible to people with disabilities. Failure to follow the principles of accessible web design can make it difficult or impossible for people with disabilities to access web pages.

There’s a legal side also. In Australia, the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA) makes it unlawful to discriminate against disabled people. The Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has published access guidelines to assist in making accessible web pages. Australian governments and companies have adopted the WAI Guidelines to assist with implementing the DDA.

Why is accessibility important?

Consider that many users may be operating in contexts very different from your own.

They may not be able to see, hear, move or be unable to process some types of information easily or at all

They may have difficulty reading or comprehending text

They may not have or be able to use a keyboard or mouse

They may not speak or understand fluently the language in which the website is written. They may have a text-only screen, a small screen or a slow Internet connection

They may be in a situation where their eyes, ears or hands are busy or interfered with (e.g., driving to work, working in a loud environment, etc.)

They may have an early version of a browser, a different browser entirely, a voice browser, or a different operating system

We build accessbile websites

Web accessibility guidelines have been developed to assist designers in making websites that are available to the greatest range of users.

At PerreLink Web Solutions we follow these guidelines, building websites that comply with the W3C Web Standards and CSS specifications. Our designs also meet the accessibility check points provided by section 508 and the WAI specifications.

Don't let anyone tell you that standards and accessibility are not important. They most certainly are. By creating websites that conform to these standards we ensure that your site will be available to the widest possible audience. This includes cross-browser compatibility and accessibility.

References:

World Wide Web Access: Disability Discrimination Act: http://www.hreoc.gov.au/disability_rights/standards/www_3/www_3.html

Macromedia Accessibility Solutions for Australia:
http://www.tomw.net.au/as/as.html