WJPS's quick guide to accessibility!

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What is Accessibility?

The main goal of Web Accessibility Standards is so it is easy for everyone to access information from your site, including people with 

  • Impaired vision
  • Learning disabilities
  • Motor difficulties
  • Cognitive impairments
  • Deafness or impaired hearing

Why is Accessibility Important?

20% of people in the UK have some kind of disability. Many sites hold information that no other sites contain- especially government body sites (Town or Parish Councils for example,) so this information needs to be displayed clearly & concisely.

Access to information, including the web, is now a human right. The current expected standard of accessibility is the Website Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 AA.

As well as the sites being accessible for more users, accessible websites tend to work better for everyone.- as they are often faster, easier to navigate, better formatted, and appear higher in search engine rankings.

What are some Common Accessibility Mistakes?

Common accessibility mistakes include content not displaying correctly on a mobile phone, can not be navigated using a keyboard, poor colour contrast, not including alt text on images (What is Alt Text and Why Should I Use It?), and being poorly structured so screen readers struggle to read the content. 

Many people use Mobile Phones to access websites, so having a site that is responsive to different screen sizes is important. Many web providers will use responsive software, so this is not something that the user needs to worry about unless they are building their own site from scratch.

What are the current Accessibility Requirements? 

The current accessibility requirements came into practice in 2018, these requirements state that you must make your website more accessible by making it ‘perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust’. (These regulations build on existing obligations to people who have a disability under the Equality Act 2010.)

Who has to Adhere to the Current Accessibility Requirements?

"All UK Public Bodies, which includes parish, town, borough and city councils, must comply with the legal requirements to meet the accessible standards of their website.” This needs to be done whilst adhering to The Transparency Code, to read more about this please see National Association of Local Councils’ Website Accessibility and Publishing Guidelines

How to make your Site Compliant with Current Accessibility Regulations?

"Most public sector websites and mobile apps do not currently meet accessibility requirements. For example, a study by the Society for innovation, technology and modernisation found that 4 in 10 local council homepages failed basic tests for accessibility." (Understanding accessibility requirements for public sector bodies - GOV.UK)

Your website will meet these requirements if you:

  • Meet the international WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility standard.
  • Publish an accessibility statement that explains how accessible your website is.

The best way to make sure your site meets these requirements is to check it using the guide to making your website accessible and publishing an accessibility statement, or ask your web provider to do so.

More Accessibility Resources:

 

 

Published: 31/03/2022 Published by: WJPS

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