Additional web site design research activities include the use of personasand scenario-
based designas introduced in Chapter 2.Web accessibility
Web accessibilityis another core requirement for web sites. It is about allowing all users
of a web site to interact with it regardless of disabilities they may have or the web
browser or platform they are using to access the site. The visually impaired are the main
audience that designing an accessible web site can help. However, increased usage of
mobile or wireless access devices such as personal digital assistants (PDAs) and GPRSor
3G phones also make consideration of accessibility important.
The following quote shows the importance of accessibility to a visually impaired user
who uses a screen-reader which reads out the navigation options and content on a web site.For me being online is everything. It’s my hi-fi, it’s my source of income, it’s my super-
market, it’s my telephone. It’s my way in.
(Lynn Holdsworth, screen-reader user, web developer and programmer)
Source: RNIBRemember that many countries now have specific accessibility legislationto which
web site owners are subject. This is often contained within disability and discrimination
acts. In the UK, the relevant act is the Disability and Discrimination Act (DDA) 1995.
Recent amendments to the DDA make it unlawful to discriminate against disabled people
in the way in which a company recruits and employs people, provides services, or pro-
vides education. Providing services is the part of the law that applies to web site design.
Providing accessible web sites is a requirement of Part II of the Disability and
Discrimination Act published in 1999 and required by law from 2002. In the 2002 code of
practice there is a legal requirement for web sites to be accessible. This is most important
for sites which provide a service; for example, the code of practice gives this example:
An airline company provides a flight reservation and booking service to the public on its
website. This is a provision of a service and is subject to the Act.Although there is a moral imperative for accessibility, there is also a business impera-
tive to encourage companies to make their web sites accessible. The main arguments in
favour of accessibility are:
1 Number of visually impaired people. In many countries there are millions of visually
impaired people varying from ‘colour blind’ to partially sighted to blind.
2 Number of users of less popular browsers or variation in screen display resolution. Microsoft
Internet Explorer is now the dominant browser, but there are less well-known
browsers which have a loyal following amongst the visually impaired (for example,
screen-readers and Lynx, a text-only browser) and early-adopters (for example,
Mozilla Firefox, Safari and Opera). If a web site does not display well in these
browsers, then you may lose these audiences. Complete Activity 7.2 to review how
much access has varied since this book was first published.
3 More visitors from natural listings of search engines. Many of the techniques used to
make sites more usable also assist in search engine optimisation. For example, clearer
navigation, text alternatives for images and site maps can all help improve a site’s
position in the search engine rankings.
4 Legal requirements. In many countries it is a legal requirement to make web sites acces-
sible. For example, the UK has a Disability Discrimination Act that requires this.CHAPTER 7· DELIVERING THE ONLINE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCEAccessibility
An approach to site
design intended to
accommodate site
usage using different
browsers and settings
particularly required by
the visually impaired.
General Packet
Radio Services
(GPRS)
A standard offering
mobile data transfer
and WAP access
approximately 5 to 10
times faster than
traditional GSM access.
Accessibility
legislation
Legislation intended to
protect users of web
sites with disabilities
including visual
disability.INMA_C07.QXD 17/5/06 4:23 pm Page 314