ITWales.com

Guidance on development of user-friendly websites launched

by Sali Earls

Further to research by the Disability Rights Commission, which revealed that some 81 percent of UK websites are inaccessible to disabled people, a guidance document has been launched to ensure businesses meet the requirements of disabled users.

PAS 78 Guide to good practice in commissioning accessible websites has been developed by the British Standards Institute (BSI) and sponsored by the Disability Rights Commission (DRC). The document is applicable to all organisations and is intended for use by those responsible for commissioning or maintaining public-facing websites and web-based services.

The document covers six key areas,

• The accessible website process - guidance on building an accessible website from commissioning and developing it, through to publishing and maintaining it. This also includes guidance on contracting web design and accessibility auditing services
  
• Accessibility policy - its importance and how to define this for the website
  
• Accessibility Initiative (WAI) guidelines - their importance in the context of accessibility issues, what they mean and which ones to follow
  
• Involvement of disabled people - in the requirements gathering, conceptual design and testing processes
  
• Conformance checking - guidance on adhering to it
  
• Additional accessibility provisions - elements additional to conformance to the WAI guidelines can be useful but should not be considered essential

The benefits of using this guidance include,

• Compliance with the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA)
  
• The creation of accessible websites
  
• Wider audience reach, improvement of search engine listings due to accessible content
• The easy transfer of this content to other media such as interactive TV or mobile phones

In addition, businesses that offer accessible websites are at an advantage as they have the potential to access the spending power of disabled people which is estimated at £80bn per annum.

Since October 1999 website owners have had a legal duty under the DDA to ensure that services provided via the web are accessible to disabled people. Despite this law, some of the 10 million people who have rights under the DDA are being affected by websites that fail to meet basic accessibility requirements.

Bert Massie, Chairman of the DRC said:"We need to ensure more websites can be used by disabled people and this document will play a key part in making that happen.

"Businesses and the web industry have a responsibility to ensure the web is barrier free to disabled people. It also makes good business sense. An accessible website is easier for both disabled and non disabled people to use and is bound to attract more customers."

Andrea Kennedy of Shaw Trust, a national charity that provides training and work opportunities for people who are disadvantaged in the labour market due to disability, ill health or other social circumstances, told itwales.com, "The Shaw Trust Web Accreditation Service welcomes the introduction of the PAS because as an organisation committed to independence for all, accessibility is a key enabler and the internet especially plays a vital and growing role in people's lives, increasing choice and supporting access to information, goods and services.

"For nearly 2 years the Shaw Trust has been offering organisations a comprehensive web accessibility audit, with disabled user testing at its heart. The testing includes a wide range of disabilities and the use of assistive technologies. The key messages of the PAS - to ensure your website is accessible and this should include user testing - are fully endorsed by Shaw Trust who in turn fully support the comprehensive service offered by the Trust to all organisations in the UK."