What is Web Accessibility?
It is important to remember two things:
- Your site exists for your visitors' benefit. If your visitors can't use the site, then it doesn't serve much purpose, does it?
- Search engines are blind and deaf, plus they do not support many optional web features, such as JavaScript.
An accessible web site is designed to ensure that everyone in your target audience, including search engines, gets the most out of your site, regardless of how they browse the web or what physical challenges they may have. See also some examples of inaccessible web sites.
Does your target audience include at least one of the following groups?
Dial-up users: with slow connections
They want fast-loading pages just as much as broadband users do and may turn off image loading to speed things up. This means that, under normal circumstances, the site must still be usable with images, Flash and other frills disabled. For fastest loading, all graphics must be optimized specifically for web use.
Busy executives: who may browse the web on mobile devices (cell phones, PDA's) or from their office
The user may be browsing behind a corporate firewall that filters out scripts or other potentially harmful stuff for security reasons. The site should still be usable when scripting isn't allowed. Also, mobile devices have tiny screens. A page can be designed to adapt gracefully to these small screen sizes.
Physically impaired: whether temporarily or permanently
Things to consider:
- If the visitor can't or has difficulty using a mouse, they should still be able to navigate the site and have access to important information.
- If they are blind, their talking or braille browser will “read” the page to them, so a page should still make sense when read out loud.
- If they have a color deficiency, some color combinations can make text invisible.
- Fast animations can create a severe distraction for someone with dyslexia; they can even bring on a seizure in some cases.
Elderly: perhaps with failing eyesight
They may need extra-large text for readability. A web page should gracefully adapt to the visitor's preferred text size.
Techno “geeks”: who use the latest computer toys
There are many browsers besides Internet Explorer and technically-savvy users are more likely to use an alternative. They are also more likely to have large-screen monitors. A web page should not cater to any particular browser. It should also gracefully adapt to different screen sizes.
Technically “challenged”: who may use antique computer equipment
Those who don't or can't upgrade should still be able to use your site, but there is no reason why the site has to look the same to be usable. Browsers have much greater capabilities now than they did just a few years ago. A page should take advantage of modern technologies, but can still work well in antiquated browser versions.
All things to all people?
Does every web site have to accommodate every possible user on the planet, and does this mean bells and whistles are out?
No, but determining what you must accommodate and what you can do without is dependent on your business goals and your target audience.
Understanding these two things is basic to developing the right web site for you.