Websites. Everybody has one. Whether it’s for business, for school, a blog, or as a general resource, websites have become as necessary as brushing one’s teeth. The web is a place to not only access information, but it’s a place to let the world know who you are and what you’re about. While it may seem “cool” to have some flashy graphics and a lot of fancy “bells and whistles” in your website, these elements MUST be accessible to persons with disabilities who use Assistive Technology to access information.
Why does having a website that is accessible to all matter? Well, it’s quite simple. Access to information, including the web, is a human right, as outlined by the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities. This Convention has been ratified by many countries around the world. There are many laws and regulations that outline website compliance, and enforcing them can be daunting at best.
The Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI), from the W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) is a group that is committed to ensuring web accessibility. The W3C provides standards and resources around web accessibility. The video below is provided by the W3C’s Web Accessibility Initiative and explains what it means to have an accessible web (i.e. accessible website).
The above video can be found here
It would be hypocritical of me to write a post about web accessibility and not analyze my own practices, so I took another look at the accessibility of my own website. Thanks to the resources that are available from the W3C, I used a free tool from WAVE that analyzes every element of a web page for accessibility errors, and also provides a structural analysis of a web page. The results of the analysis reveal that while this site is accessible, there are elements of the website design that can be improved upon that are in better alignment with best practices of making the web accessible for all. This is something that I will be working with my web designer on with the goal of having a website that is truly accessible for persons with disabilities.
Implementing accessibility standards into your website is best practice for all. There are over 1 billion people with disabilities in the world, which is roughly 15-20% of the world’s population. Imagine if you have a website for your business, university, or school that was not able to reach roughly 15-20% of the population. What impact would that have on your business, program, or service if you knew with confidence that your website had the potential to reach all individuals irregardless of disability? By ensuring that your website is accessible as a forethought, you are not only setting the standard for best practice(s), you are ensuring that everyone is provided with equitable access to information on your site.
