Web Design Accessibility means that a website is designed so that it is accessible to people who are either intellectually or physically challenged. Both Irish & EU legislation dictate that any website which is being funded with government monies is required to be accessible to people with disabilities.
The process is rather straight forward and can be accomplished by following guidelines set out by the W3C (World Wide Web Consortium). In Ireland, the National Disability Authority as also produced a set of guidelines which should be consulted as well.
Web Design Accessibility brings with it a number advantages. It increases the pool of possible visitors to your site. It ensures that the coding behind your website is clean, compliant and up-to-date. It improves SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) and so improves your search rankings. It helps improve user experience for all of your visitors because it focuses on keeping your design clear and consistent. By avoiding high-overhead technology like Flash videos, it helps websites load faster.
Websites designed with accessibility in mind can also bring benefits to those who are not disabled, such as those who have a slower internet connections, or those who have a ‘temporarily disability’ such as a broken limb, or to an aging populations whose abilities may be changing with time.
Another benefit is your website will likely work and view correctly on more browsers and devices and this is increasingly important today with the wide range of devices and software used to access information on the internet. It also helps offer some future protection against
If you think your business’ website might benefit from being designed following accessibility guidelines, or you are receiving government funding and must meet statutory requirements, we at iSeek.ie can help you work within these guidelines and still produce a winning website solution.