Accessibility and Usability

Let's talk about the most neglected issues surrounding web design

The related issues of accessibility and usability are often treated like some unwelcome aunt and uncle who just want to give you a big wet kiss. But it really is in your interest to embrace them.

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Accessibility

More than half the population in the United Kingdom has some sort of disability or special needs. For example, 2 million people have a sight problem (source: RNIB) and 9 million people have impaired hearing from partial hearing to profound deafness (source: The Royal National Institute for Deaf and Hard of Hearing People). The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) states that it is a legal requirement for websites to be designed to at least a WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) level Single A compliance. Read more about accessibility and the law on this page (opens in new window or tab).

It is important that websites also work for other devices that access the internet, such as mobile phones, PDAs and WebTV; this can be achieved by using Cascading Style Sheets (CSS). The advantage of this is that users can access the sites content no matter what device they use. Also by using CSS it can reduce files sizes by up to 50%, thusly saving outgoing costs for the business.

Accessibility can also place websites higher in the rankings of search engines as the coding to content ratio is reduced by using externally linked CSS. The website is also built a lot simpler by using better structured HTML and CSS, which means that it is a lot more accessible to search engines. Website management is another key area, as if you require a style change for all pages of the site without CSS one would need to update each individual page, however, with CSS one change in the main CSS file will update the whole website.

Another advantage is that disabled and special needs users have spending power. For example a person with a site problem purchasing items from an easy-to-use accessible e-commerce website would be a lot more attractive to them than having to go out to the shopping centre, which may require them to call in advance notifying them of their arrival. Using the web to purchase items makes the task a lot easier for disabled and special needs users.

Usability

Usability can be described as having good lighting in a shop; it makes everything seem a lot better. It is about designing a website in such a way that users can find what they want, when they want, quickly and efficiently. The aim is to make navigating a pleasure, not to sap their energy, enthusiasm and time.

If the website has good usability standards then the visitor will return and may even recommend the site. However, if it’s poor then they will not return and certainly will not recommend it to others. 83% of users are likely to leave a site if they feel it has too many clicks to where they need to get to (source: Arthur Andersen).

Similarly with e-commerce websites, without usability, this commonly drives away nearly half of repeat business as users find it difficult to locate the information that they require (source: Harley Manning). However, with aid of usability, the website could increase its sales to around 79% (source: Jakob Nielson). It also means that there will be fewer calls to customer service, which makes it more cost effective to the business.
Usability also improves brand value as users learn how to use the website quicker as it is easier to use. It also allows users to focus more on their goals, rather than dealing with the actual technology itself, which leads to better productivity and fewer errors.

But will it cost?

Initially, yes, it requires considerably more effort to make websites both accessible and easy to use. But in the longer term, you may very well end up creating more business for your company as a result. It's also the right thing to do.

Let's talk further

If you would like to make your website accessible and wish to consider usability issues, then why not make an appointment.

Call 01746 767319