Presenting the Case for Web Accessibility

Disabled is not less able

• Video: Blind person using screen reader and Braille output
  • Filling out tax return form
• Phone rings mid way through
  • Answers and continues with the task
• Extreme multi-tasking!
  • Right hand - entering data and navigating
  • Left hand - Feeling output (checking input)
  • Left ear - listening to output
  • Right ear - listening to the phone (and talking too)
• In this situation this guy is not 'disabled' because the site is accessible

People just do stuff differently

• Video: Screen reader user listening to output from an information site
• 180 + words per minute - too fast for the uninitiated!
• He is comfortable scanning information in this way
• Similar to the way visual users scan
• Accessibility permits him to use appropriate strategies to get equivalent information

Accessibility and usability without the teccie stuff - Library analogy

• 3 components necessary to make a good library:
  
• Shelves
  • must be ordered and indexed correctly otherwise no one can get a book (the goal)
• Librarian
  • happy and helpful - helps new people, welcomes old users
  • makes a good experience
• Access ramp
  • Required under disability discrimination laws
  • Ensures people are not excluded from entry (e.g. those in wheelchairs)
  • Has other benefits: e.g. people pushing prams, deliveries

Libraries and Web pages?

• Ramp = technical accessibility (coding and stuff)
• Shelves = information architecture (good labelling, categorisation, things where they should be)
• Librarian (a happy one) = interface (appropriate features, look feel, branding, etc)
  

• A good site must have the RAMP
• needs also to have good shelves and librarian - (usability)

Accessibility compliance in library terms

• Bumpy ramp - priority 1 - WCAG-A
• Smoothed ramp - priority 2 - WCAG-AA
• Traction ramp - priority 3 - WCAG-AAA

Prime motivators for getting to grips with Accessibility

• In my experience = threat of legal action (the stick)
• No one wants to be the first to be hauled through the courts
  
• Problem:
  • This leads to performing the bare minimum (rubber stamping) - bumpy ramps
  • very often below that = broken ramps

But its not just about the law (the Stick)

• If you do it right (good accessibility) you get other benefits (3 carrots too)

3 carrots and a stick

• Stick:
  • protection from legal liability
• Carrot 1
  • Increase market reach + retain customers
• Carrot 2
  • Increase efficiency - reduce cost of maintenance and support
• Carrot 3
  • Display social responsibility - great value in todays market - the right thing to do

Carrot 1: Increased market reach and retention

• People with disabilities - UK stats (likely to be similar across europe):
  • Over 10% of people are 'disabled' (8.5 million), e.g.
    • 2.0 million with visual impairments
    • 6.0 million with dyslexia
  • £40 Billion per annum spending power
  • Their network of friends and family make their sphere of influuence approx 20 million people
    • spending power ??? - enormous influence on economy and spending
      
• Everyone else too
  • cannot predict what equipment (pda, phone etc.)
  • cannot predict where they use it (bright day, whilst driving)
    
• Plus
  • better search engine placing
  • enhanced usability for all (better accessibility = better usability)
  • Enhanced reputation (good for business)

Carrot 2 - increased efficiency

• Decrease support costs
  • increase self service = lower phone support etc.
  • decrease volume of alternative formats (Braille, large print etc.)
    
• Easier to maintain site
  • Accessible sites are essentially self documenting
  • CSS = easy to update - 1 change affects whole site
  • Easy to upgrade - repurpose for mobile platforms etc.

Carrot 3 - Display corporate social responsibility (CSR)

• Enhanced reputation = good business
  • Companies spend billions on social activities
  • Accessible site is overt signal of good CSR
  • Sqares with other social activities
  • Currently (unfortunately) lots of room for PR

How to go about it - very brief!

• Need to understand the technical stuff (ramp)
• Need to address usabiltiy (librarian and shelves)
  
• Should be considered eary in the process
  • easier to install a ramp in a new build than a listed building
    
    

Conclusion

• We need to do more than tick the boxes to achieve minimal compliance
• Doing so gives many more benefits than just protection from legal issues