The document discusses the importance and benefits of web accessibility. It notes that 750 million people worldwide have a disability and surveys show those with disabilities spend more time online. Ensuring accessibility helps businesses reach more customers, reduces legal risks, and has other benefits. The case study of UK company Legal and General showed increases in key metrics like traffic, applications, and conversion rates after adding accessibility features. The document provides tips for different stages of development to help ensure accessibility.

1. Accessibility
- The business case for web accessibility
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2. Why is it important?
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3. By numbers
• Worldwide 750 million people
have a disability
• Surveys show that these users
spend even more time logged
on
• Example: 95 % of blind people
shop online – they share their
experiences on mailing lists
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4. Benefits
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Accessible sites are generally more usable to everyone
It helps viral marketing when all customers find it
usable
You protect your brand
Benefits from enabling people with disabilities and
older users to interact with them online instead of
more costly ways
Reducing risk of legal action, high legal expenses, and
negative image
A more robust website (works on many platforms and
with assistive technologies)
Reduce resources – using standards-based production
techniques
CSR benefits
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5. CASE: UK Legal and General Online Application Company
Added accessibility features:
•Search engine traffic: 50% increase
•Site Maintenance: £200k savings per
year
•Completed applications: 90% increase
•Conversion rate: 4% to 9%
- SSB BART GROUP
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6. Accessibility is a right
The Equality Act came into force in
October 2010
” A person ... concerned with the
provision of a service to the public or
a section of the public (for payment or
not) must not discriminate against a
person requiring the service by not
providing the person with the service”.
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7. ”Google is also blind”
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Page titles
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Alternative text for images
•
Headings
•
Link texts
– Unique and containing key words for the
web page
– Where the image conveys important
information
– Using H-tags and not just large text or
bold text
– ‘Click here’, ‘Read more’ and such should
be avoided
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8. Consider also
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Avoiding text in images
Transcripts for audio / video
Avoid JavaScript in menus
Programmatic order of content
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9. Small changes with a big effect
Label for=”Search”
c
alt=”Go”
Image: SmallCart400.jpg
alt=”Add to cart”
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10. Whom and what?
• Designers
– Accessible colours and structure
• Vendors / developers
– A CMS supporting accessible
publishing
– A technical solution comforming with
the requirements
• Web editors
– Use CMS in a way that maintains
accessibility
– Upload accessible content
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11. The good case – start at day 0
• As soon as you talk about a new
website – think accessibility
• Accessibility is a process and not
a project and it is relevant
throughout the lifetime of a
website
• Include design guides and
communications guides
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12. Make requirements
• When doing requirement
specifications include
accessibility
– State individual WCAG
requirements
– Pick from ATAG and make
requirements
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13. Remember CMS editor
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Handle alternative texts for images
The use of headings
The ability to create accessible data
tables
How to make quotes (<q> and
<blockquote>)
How to enter page titles
How the HTML code created by the
CMS complies with the W3C standards
How to tag change of language in the
text entered
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14. Design Phase
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Navigation
The use of headings
Colours and contrasts
Link texts and descriptions where
the user is to click on, fill out or
choose content on web pages
Have the design looked at with accessibility in mind
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15. Development
Most criteria are relevant
•Important that the people developing
the solution have a solid
understanding of accessibility
•Make sure you thoroughly test the
solution at various points throughout
the process
•It's especially important that the
templates for different pages are
tested as early as possible
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16. Publishing Content
• Training web editors to publish
content the 'accessible way‘
– helps improve your website's
accessibility rather than introducing
new issues
• Have policies on what and how
to publish
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17. Media Players, Forms and Old Content
Areas often being neglected are where
3rd party solutions are used
•Media players
•Forms
•Social Media links
Remember to consider old content
being migrated from the old system
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18. Accessibility Top 5
Text for everyone
Versatility
Association
Colour for everyone
Robustness
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19. Text for everyone
• Make sure all text can be
highlighted and read aloud so that
screen readers and reading tools
can access them
– Turning off style sheets
– Try it with reading tools / test with
real users
• Avoid images of text where
possible. Where not, make sure that
text alternatives are equivalent
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20. Text for everyone II
• Give alternative text for
images for those (screen
readers and search
engines) that cannot see
an image. An alternative
text must reflect the
purpose of the image.
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Decorative /
creating visual
context: no
alternative text
Having a function:
describe the
function
Linking:
Describe
destination
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21. Versatility
Create a website that can be used
by as many as possible, in as many
ways as possible according to user
needs.
•All functionality can be used with a
mouse
•All functionality can be used
without a mouse – from the
keyboard alone.
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22. Association
• Text, headings, buttons, fields
etc. that are logically connected
must also visually be connected.
• Make sure it is also connected in
the code.
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23. Colours for all
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Make sure that the colour of the
background and colour of the text is in
sufficient contrast to each other. That
way people with low vision can also
read it.
Make sure you do not give information
to the user only by use of colour (such
as saying ‘In the green box you will
find…’). Otherwise it can create
problems for both users with low vision
or no vision, or people with colour
blindness.
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Can you read this?
Can you read this?
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25. Robustness
• Have a consistent design
throughout the website
• Follow known conventions
• Follow the standard for the
format you are publishing in (for
example xhtml 4.1 syntax) – this
will optimise your website for
many different platforms and
user agents
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26. Documents
• Structure documents
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Headings
Lists
Tables
Alternative text for images
Columns
• Ensure reading order
• Save as pdf – do not print as pdf
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27. More information
• Webinars
• Blog Posts
• Whitepaper
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