How significant is the problem of inadequately accessible websites ?

The Disability Rights Commission launched an investigation into 1,000 websites of which over 80% were next to impossible for disabled people to use. They warned firms they could face legal action under the Act.

In 2004 the Disability Rights Commission prepared a report based on their investigation of websites. The report is not law but it is a useful guide to the kind of problems faced by disabled or impaired people as regards websites. At this time there are no reported legal cases on breach of accessibility.

What are the main findings of the DRC report?

The impairment groups represented in the user testing for the report were;

• Blind people who use screen readers with synthetic speech or Braille output
• Partially sighted people who may use screen magnification
• People who are profoundly deaf and hard of hearing
• People with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia
• Physically impaired people whose use of the web may be affected by their lack of control of arms and hands, by tremor and by lack of dexterity in hands and fingers

The report makes a number of recommendations to improve the position and these include:

• Websites commissioners should formulate written policies for meeting the needs of disabled people. These might include ensuring that disabled people with a range of sensory, cognitive and mobility impairments are involved from early on in the process of website design and development.
• Those who provide and oversee education and training of web developers, including those who sell web-authoring tools, should promote an understanding that good practice entails attending and responding to the needs of disabled people. This might include ensuring that modules form an integral part of any continuing professional development or product support.
• Web designers themselves should accept that good practice entails attending and responding to the needs of disabled people. This would involve taking steps to familiarise themselves with how disabled people use the web and with their needs in web accessibility.
• The Government should raise awareness, for example, by publicity campaigns aimed at web designers and commissioners.
• Website designers involving disabled people in the design and testing of websites at an early stage.
• Web designers should not rely exclusively on automated accessibility training.
• Developers of automated accessibility checking tools should enhance their functionality to make them more useful to website commissioners and website developers.
• The designers and providers of assistive technology should enable and encourage users to keep their products up to date.

What were the key problems experienced by impairment groups according to the report findings?

Blind users

• Incompatibility between screen reading software and web pages, eg the assistive technology not detecting some links or it proving impossible to highlight text using text-to-speech software.
• Incorrect or non-existent labelling of links, form elements and frames
• Cluttered and complex page structures
• ALT tags on images non existent or unhelpful
• Confusing and disorienting navigation mechanisms

Partially sighted users

• Inappropriate use of colours and poor contrast between content and background
• Incompatibility between accessibility software, eg for magnification, and web pages
• Unclear and confusing layout of pages
• Graphics and text too small
• Confusing and disorienting navigation mechanisms

• Confusing and disorienting navigation mechanisms
• Unclear and confusing layout of pages
• Graphics and text size too small
• Inappropriate use of colours and poor contrast between content and background
  

Hearing impaired users

• Lack of alternative media for audio based information and complex terms/language

Dyslexic users

• Unclear and confusing layout of pages
• Confusing and disorienting navigation mechanisms
• Inappropriate use of colours and poor contrast between content and background
• Graphics and text too small
• Complicated language and terminology