Accessibility
Quite simply the goal of web accessibility is to ‘Design for All’. ‘Design for All’ ensures that all information and services delivered through your website are available to and usable by the widest audience possible. It is to both Arekibo’s and our client’s advantage to ensure that websites are built to comply with international web standards and to meet the required levels of Accessibility.
Accessible websites...
- Reach a much wider audience – Your target audience is very diverse! Studies show that up to 15-20% of the population has some form of disability including minor afflictions such as: Temporary disabilities like a broken arm, impaired motor function caused by arthritis, dyslexia and mild vision impairments. Other considerations include people with low literacy levels or who are not fluent in English, people new to technology, low bandwidth connections or people using older technology.
- Are optimised for better search engine results - creating accessible content is vital for optimising your website for improved search engine ranking.
- Have improved technical advantages – such as smaller file size, reduced server load and reduced development and maintenance time.
- Are platform independent – can be delivered more easily to a variety of platforms, for example: web browsers, PDAs and mobile phones.
- Are socially responsible – we are all responsible for creating websites that can reach as many people as possible regardless of ability, location, age or technology.
- Are required for government sector – Irish government websites must conform to at least an Accessibility ranking of AA.
Arekibo's Approach to Meeting the Required Level of Accessibility
Meeting the guidelines outlined in the WAI (Web Accessibility Initiative) and the NDA (National Disability Authority of Ireland) is a complex and skilled process. It cannot be achieved by using an automated accessibility parser application at the tail end of a development. The Arekibo approach to Accessibility is to work with the client to consider and action Accessibility targets at all phases of the project.
Arekibo will:
- Work with you to agree on the level of accessibility required for your website.
- Work with you to define the visible Accessibility Statement that will appear on your website .
- Create a design for your website that not only looks great but conforms to the agreed level of accessibility.
- Audit the completed website following the WAI guidelines as mapped out by the NDA (National Disability Authority of Ireland) - http://accessit.nda.ie/it-accessibility-guidelines/web/checklist-web-accessibility
- Welcome working in partnership with an external auditor if necessary.
- Recommend a bi-annual audit of the website to ensure that the website is being maintained at the desired level of Accessibility.
If you have any questions about accessibility considerations in a future project or how we could help you make your current website complaint with Accessibility regulations then please contact us and we will be very happy to help you.