Accessibility
Disability
The Disability Rights Commission says that one in seven people in the UK suffer some form of disability and many people experience some loss of sight and manual dexterity as they get older. By law The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) requires service providers to ensure that disabled users are not disadvantaged by designs which fail to take account of their needs.
If a business provides goods, facilities and services to the general public and has not taken steps to make sure they are accessible to everybody, it may be discriminating against people with a disability under the terms of Part III of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA).
Testing
W3Design and Hosting has been producing Accessible web sites since 2002, long before most other designers were aware of the possibilities of using tableless CSS design. With a range of testing software and years of experience using the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) standards, most web sites can achieve the highest elusive “triple A” standard for 99% of pages.
Disadvantages
There are few disadvantages to producing Accessible web sites, production times and the initial design process can be longer, but that’s my problem, not your site users’ problem! The advantages on the other hand are numerous, often the site becomes easier for everybody to use, and it shows that you care. You will be meeting your legal obligations, and thousands of people who would otherwise be unable to purchase your goods or use your services are now able to access your website.
Usability
Usability is not quite the same as accessibility; accessibility ensures that everyone can get to your sites content, while usability makes sure that it makes sense when they get there.
Within the standard definition (ISO 9241-11), usability is described as “the extent to which a product can be used by specified users to achieve specified goals with effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction in a specified context of use”
It is always a good idea to have a hard look at whether your site is achieving an ease of use that allows simple navigation and a pleasant experience.
It should be easy
It’s not always easy to know where to begin when creating web content. The layout and subdivision of the content is often half the battle towards a clear and easy to use site. If information is hidden in the wrong section or repeats itself, then chances are that the site map is not working properly.
In other words does it appear to be a simple and relevant site that delivers the information the user wants? Complicated sites that deliver good usability often appear to be very simple, while simple sites with bad usability are often frustrating. Where you want to go should be under your mouse and not hidden on obscure pages.
W3Design has been guiding clients through the often fraught process of site map creation - the right content in the right section and how to go about it - since 1999. The process not only insures that the right content lives in the right place, but also helps to insure that search engines index your site properly. But above all the end user has an easy and satisfying experience.