Accessibility, Usability and SEO
Accessibility need not be considered as something of an addition to your website. Many of the changes made to improve accessibility will have benefits in terms of usability and search engine optimisation.
What is accessibility?
Accessibility is the process of making your website friendly to people with a disability. Users may be visually imparied, have poor motor control or may be hard of hearing. Web designers should take accessibility into account as part of the Disability Discrimination Act.
- 2.2 (p7): “The Disability Discrimination Act makes it unlawful for a service provider to discriminate against a disabled person by refusing to provide any service which it provides to members of the public.”
- 4.7 (p39): “From 1st October 1999 a service provider has to take reasonable steps to change a practice which makes it unreasonably difficult for disabled people to make use of its services.”
- 2.13 – 2.17 (p11-13): “What services are affected by the Disability Discrimination Act? An airline company provides a flight reservation and booking service to the public on its website. This is a provision of a service and is subject to the act.”
- 5.23 (p71): “For people with visual impairments, the range of auxiliary aids or services which it might be reasonable to provide to ensure that services are accessible might include … accessible websites.”
- 5.26 (p68): “For people with hearing disabilities, the range of auxiliary aids or services which it might be reasonable to provide to ensure that services are accessible might include … accessible websites.”
Furthermore, if you are turning away visitors because they cannot access your website then you are reducing your target audience. So what can you do to improve the accessibility of your website?
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Sir Pumpkin Longshanks
Programmer, Research and Development
