Accessibility

Introductions

Matt Goddard, Director

• Information architecture

• Usability

• Accessibility

• Digital business analysis

UX Media

We are a ‘user experience’ agency. All our design, development and marketing efforts are focused on creating the perfect environment to enable your customers to interact successfully with your business.

Client portfolio

What is accessibility?

Accessibility is…

“a subset of usability which concentrates on making a product

or services available to everyone regardless of the physical or

mental capability”

Why bother?

• It’s the law

• Part III of 1999 Disability Discrimination act

• Improved customer loyalty

• Improved organic search engine ranking

But the biggest reason is….

Access to a community with a combined

spending power in excess of £225 Billion

Accessibility on the web

• Measuring accessibility

• Improving your existing website

• Commissioning a new website

Measuring accessibility – automated testing

The WCAG is the official measure of "accessibility" created by the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) working group.

• Check list of Priorities• Priority 1: Must satisfy this checkpoint.• Priority 2: Should satisfy this checkpoint.• Priority 3: May address this checkpoint.

• Conformance • Level "A": all Priority 1 checkpoints are satisfied; • Level "Double-A": all Priority 1 and 2 checkpoints are satisfied; • Level "Triple-A": all Priority 1, 2, and 3 checkpoints are satisfied;

Improving your existing website

• Do it yourself

• Validate your site’s:

• HTML

• CSS

• WAI

• Work through issues

• Switch off style sheets

• Check content for readability

• Ensure all images have alt text

Improving your existing website

• Commission an agency

• Who have they worked for?

• Government clients good sign

• What service do they offer

• Expert review

• User testing

• Ask for sample report

Commissioning a new website

Finding the correct agency

• Who have they worked for?

• What web standard do they adhere to?

• Validate their case study websites

• CynthiaSays http://www.cynthiasays.com/

• Adherence to web standards a condition of engagement

• Ask to see validation report prior to sign off.

• Create compelling readable content.

Accessibility Myths

• Accessibility is expensive

• Not when designed in.

• Accessible sites are boring

• Progressive enhancement is used to degrade for

accessibility.

Any question?