Understand the basics of web accessibility compliance and the challenges faced by website owners, and learn the practical steps you can take to provide a better, more inclusive user experience.

1. Web Accessibility
Make your website inclusive for all

2. Hi! 👋
Charity Box is a company that works exclusively
with third sector organisations.
● Digital design and development
● Support and mentorship
● Digital training workshops.
Follow me:
www.charitybox.io
www.twitter.com/WeAreCharityBox

3. Thank you to our sponsor, Lightful...
● Social media monitoring tool for charities
● Free plan available
● Get 50% off forever on any paid plan by entering
the code CBOX at checkout
http://bit.ly/lightful-cbox

4. This session
● What is accessibility?
● Why accessibility is important
● Common complaints and objections
● Real-world example
● Practical steps toward accessibility compliance
● Going above and beyond

5. Accessibility:
a definition.

6. What do we mean by “accessible”?
The process and practice of making
sure that your website works for
everyone, regardless of their abilities,
environment or input device.
● Are they partially-sighted?
● Do they cognitive impairment?
● Do they have neurological issues?
Accessibility compliance means
addressing these concerns.

7. What do we mean by “accessible”?
Accessibility compliance comes in different shapes and sizes and depends on the
needs of the organisation’s stakeholders. Compliance could cover:
● User-controlled colour contrasts
● User-controlled font resizing
● Easy-read materials
● Keyboard navigation
● Captions, transcriptions and descriptive text.
And lots more!

8. Why accessibility
compliance is
important.

9. Why is it important?
1/5
People reporting having a disability in the England and Wales
https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/disability/articles/nearlyoneinfivepeoplehadsomeformofdis
abilityinenglandandwales/2015-07-13

10. Why is it important?
95%
Of third sector websites don’t meet standards
https://resources.lloydsbank.com/businessdigitalindex/

11. Why is it important?
£11.8bn
Estimated to be lost in “click-away” costs every year in the UK
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-50391487

12. Why is it important?
“If a website is too much of an ordeal or
time-consuming, then I've already
clicked away”
- Mike Adams, CEO at Purple
Follow their Purple Tuesday campaign:
https://twitter.com/PurpleTuesNov

13. Why is it important?
● Accessibility compliance can be a challenge that requires an investment of
time and money
● There is a perceived lack of benefit which means it often means it gets
sidelined or ignored
● But there are business benefits to accessibility compliance...

14. The benefits of accessibility compliance
● Improved brand perception
● Wider market reach
● Minimised legal risk
Accessibility,
yea!

15. Common objections.

16. When pressed, it’s easy to resist...
Accessibility compliance is often met with resistance. Here are some common
arguments:
● It costs too much
● We don’t have time
● It’ll make our website ugly
● We don’t need to bother

17. ● Understand that most concerns
come from a lack of awareness -
empathise
● Instil the business benefits of
accessibility compliance
● If appropriate emphasise a slow,
cultural change toward
compliance
● Discuss potential threats to
ignoring compliance
Overcoming objections

18. Real-world
example.

19. Megan tries to read a restaurant menu
● Megan is partially-sighted and
relies on a piece of software
called a “screen reader” to
read content aloud
● She attempts to read a
restaurant menu online
● But the menu is just a
photograph! Therefore, the
text cannot be interpreted and
read aloud.

20. Megan tries to read a restaurant menu
Some better options:
● Ideally make the menu into a
real web page
● Or have the menu as a PDF
download.
A photo containing text is not
accessible.

21. How to make your
online service
accessible.

22. Best practices
There is no one-size approach but there
are some best practices you can follow:
● Describe your images
● Enhance “read more” links
● Keyboard navigation
● Avoid carousels
● Enhance hover menus
● Don’t rely solely on colour

23. Best practices
There is no one-size approach but there
are some best practices you can follow:
● Describe your images
● Enhance “read more” links
● Keyboard navigation
● Avoid carousels
● Enhance hover menus
● Don’t rely solely on colour

24. Best practices
There is no one-size approach but there
are some best practices you can follow:
● Describe your images
● Enhance “read more” links
● Keyboard navigation
● Avoid carousels
● Enhance hover menus
● Don’t rely solely on colour

25. Best practices
There is no one-size approach but there
are some best practices you can follow:
● Describe your images
● Enhance “read more” links
● Keyboard navigation
● Avoid carousels
● Enhance hover menus
● Don’t rely solely on colour

26. Best practices
There is no one-size approach but there
are some best practices you can follow:
● Describe your images
● Enhance “read more” links
● Keyboard navigation
● Avoid carousels
● Enhance hover menus
● Don’t rely solely on colour

27. Best practices
There is no one-size approach but there
are some best practices you can follow:
● Describe your images
● Enhance “read more” links
● Keyboard navigation
● Avoid carousels
● Enhance hover menus
● Don’t rely solely on colour

28. Best practices
There is no one-size approach but there
are some best practices you can follow:
● Describe your images
● Enhance “read more” links
● Keyboard navigation
● Avoid carousels
● Enhance hover menus
● Don’t rely solely on colour

29. Going above and
beyond.

30. Going above and beyond
● Ask your users what they want to
get out of your service
● Ask them to write down your
service in their own words
● Ask users to describe key content -
do they see what you see?
● Run a survey to gather feedback
● Observe people using your website

31. Useful software
● HotJar.com enables you to anonymously record people using your website
● SurveyMonkey.com enables you to gather feedback
● UserTesting.com lets you conduct remote user testing
● Wave.WebAIM.Org checks your website code for basic code or colour
scheme errors and warnings

32. Top tips
● Try your best - but don’t stress too much!
● Adopt accessibility into your routine
● Run regular accessibility audits
● Consider your users within your wider service

33. Q&A
Your questions, answered.