Websites and Accessibility
Most businesses are open to everyone and would make it clear in their shop window (if they had one). Online is no different. Your website should be welcoming, responsive, efficient and accessible to all potential clients. In fact for some sectors this is now the law.
Accessible websites consider visitors who may be visually impaired, deaf or have impaired hearing or have difficulties with motor skills for example. Before we talk about the regulations we would urge everyone to be mindful of these points, as it really is straightforward to make your website available to as many people as possible.
Review your content and streamline if you can. If it doesn't add value, then why is it there? Use other content as well as text to bring the page to life.
Text that is not too small or in a complicated font is beneficial. Websites that keep things simple offer a great user experience.
Keep forms simple.
Populate your alt text people! This provides a description to those who cannot see an image.
Consider colours and patterns carefully and try not to over complicate things.
When people are using a public sector website or app it must be accessible. These platforms are displaying public information, so everyone needs to be able to access it. Typically websites that are not responsive, so do not adjust to the screen size that they are being viewed on fail accessibility tests. Other reasons include text or documents that are difficult to read and sites that cannot be navigated easily. Issues such as these made the government issue regulatory guidelines in 2018 and the deadline for implementation, September 2020 has now passed. By complying with the international WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility standard and publishing a statement explaining how accessible your website is, organisations can meet the new legal requirements. If this task feels like too much to take on then it is important not to bury your head in the sand. You are responsible for your website. If you have employed a web designer, then check that they have met the requirements. If you are managing your website then work page by page in manageable chunks and consult a legal adviser to understand your position.
At Leading Motion, we work with lots of different organisations including charities and councils. We provide hassle free web design and take the technical stuff out of your hands. We are local to Colchester and work with clients to ensure that they feel supported and that they have the tools that they need to run their website effectively and efficiently. Please get in touch if you need help or advice.
Tagged as: Responsive Web Design Colchester, WCAG Website
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