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Disabled people favour accessible sites
18 January 2008
PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES favour the most accessible websites when using the Internet, according to computing and disability charity, AbilityNet, in a report on the top ten websites favoured by the disabled community released today.
Over 100 people with disabilities were polled and, unsurprisingly, this showed that the disabled community use the internet for exactly the same things as everyone else – for information, shopping, banking and leisure. Importantly, however, they choose to spend their time and money on sites that are more accessible than their competitors.
Using a programme of both automated tools and a wide range of manual checks these ten sites were found to be considerably more accessible than sites featured in previous AbilityNet ‘State of the eNation’ reports that concentrated on industry sectors from which many of these sites are drawn. For example they proved to be on average 83% more accessible than online newspaper sites, 69% better than shopping sites, 57% better than airline sites and 22% better than sites in the banking and telecoms sectors.
Despite this several of these top ten sites still include significant accessibility barriers. Only three sites were awarded the minimum accessibility criteria of three stars – bbc.co.uk, nationwide.co.uk and google.co.uk so vital for effective access for disabled visitors.
The remaining seven sites fell short of this base level benchmark with ebay.co.uk, amazon.co.uk, guardian.co.uk, lastminute.com, premierleague.com, yahoo.co.uk all scoring two stars and timesonline.co.uk achieving a one star rating.
The message is clear – whilst more accessible sites have a competitive edge there’s still a long way to go before disabled people have a completely trouble-free experience on the internet.
The report’s author Robin Christopherson, AbilityNet’s Web Consultancy Manager, himself blind, says:
“In the UK there are around 1.6 million registered blind people, 1.5 million with cognitive difficulties, six million with dyslexia and a further 3.4 million who have some problem making use of a standard computer difficult or impossible. In addition there is an increasing number of elderly ‘silver surfers’ with failing eyesight or arthritis. These potential internet users represent a spending power in excess of £120 billion. The arguments are compelling, whether from a moral, legislative or commercial perspective, suppliers of goods, services and information on the internet are ignoring a highly significant market sector at their peril.”
“Disabled users are seeking the same range of information, goods and services as everyone else and it is no surprise therefore that they visit the same mainstream sites as their ‘able-bodied’ peers, rather than opting for disability-related sites. In almost every case, the sites listed in this top ten sample have competitor sites. What the survey shows categorically is that given a choice, the disabled visitor will opt for a site which is more accessible in preference to the others on offer.”
All the sites reviewed were invited to make a public commitment to accessibility and to date, six sites - bbc.co.uk, nationwide.co.uk, guardian.co.uk, lastminute.com, premierleague.com and timesonline.co.uk have obliged.
The text of these statements and full findings are contained in the report found at the AbilityNet website - www.abilitynet.org.uk.
Christopherson adds: “For the disabled visitor, the e-commerce opportunities provided by the organisations featured in our report provide a lifeline – a prerequisite for both independent living and security. Whilst no site would knowingly impose a ‘technological lock-out’ on its disabled visitors, it is clear that there is still much scope for improvement for many of the sites reviewed in this survey.
“Significantly, many of the special promotions offering on-line customers specific packages of goods or services are particularly inaccessible. This means that disabled people are disadvantaged in a very tangible way as they are unable to benefit from the money-saving deals enjoyed by their ‘able-bodied’ friends.”
Typical problems encountered by Christopherson and his team included:
Text size on some sites, particularly for headings and links is ‘hard-coded’ so that it cannot be easily enlarged – so vital for many visitors who have a vision impairment or dyslexia. With some sites offering small text and others carrying a watermark, effective access for this group is made very difficult.
The text labels attached to images upon which blind visitors and text browser users rely for an explanation are often uninformative or completely absent. Without these spoken labels on graphical links, navigation for a blind visitor is pure guesswork. “Imagine trying to drive to your destination where exits at each junction are left blank,”
says Christopherson.
Pictures of text are often used instead of actual text. This not only means that the user cannot modify the text size or colour contrast – essential for those with a vision impairment or dyslexia – it also prevents screen reader users from reading the content when – as so frequently happens - these images are left unlabelled.
Some sites contain adverts and features made up of moving images that will be distracting for visitors with a cognitive impairment, or interactive presentations known as ‘Flash Movies’ which can present access problems for visitors who cannot use a mouse, are vision impaired or who use speech output or voice recognition software.
Some of the sites are reliant on mini programs embedded in the page called JavaScript. People using older browsers, those with vision impairments using some special browsers and users whose organisations disable JavaScript for security reasons, will not be able to access the sites fully - links to the main sections do not appear or the search and shopping cart facilities do not operate fully.
There is no doubt that organisations can create websites accessible to the broadest audience possible and we are now beginning to see examples of highly professional and accessible sites that prove this to be so. The Disability Rights Commission shows that able-bodied visitors also benefit from accessible websites, finding them easier and quicker to use by a highly significant factor of 35 %. When we visit a website we are seeking critical functionality - namely speed and efficiency - not a life-changing experience. Accessible sites are simply easier and more intuitive to use: they improve productivity for everyone.
State of the eNation reports
AbilityNet is at the forefront of a number of initiatives both at home and abroad to improve website accessibility for disabled people and provide both private and public sector organisations with the expertise they need to ensure that their websites are meeting guideline levels of compliance (such as those recommended by the W3C/WAI).
Most recently, AbilityNet and the RNIB launched a new web accessibility standard - ‘See it Right: UseAbility’ combining RNIB's See it Right expert accessibility assessment with accessibility and usability testing carried out by AbilityNet's panel of web users with disabilities.
The new combined assessment brings together the established and extensive expertise and experience of the two leading organisations offering web accessibility services in the UK. Sites which successfully pass the joint audit will be eligible to display a joint RNIB/AbilityNet "See it Right: UseAbility" logo:
AbilityNet’s ‘State of the eNation’ reports are designed to draw attention to the issue of accessibility and usability and to help disabled people find the best websites for their needs. AbilityNet’s next report, due to be published in the spring, will focus on sites of the main charity and voluntary sector organisations.
For more information on website accessibility, usability and design, contact AbilityNet on 0800 269545 or on accessibility@AbilityNet.org.uk
16 January 06
Issued by the AbilityNet Press Office - 01926 429595
Editor’s notes
The Web: Access and Inclusion for Disabled People – DRC Press Office or http://www.drc-gb.org/PDF/2.pdf
Methodology
AbilityNet’s eNation report on the Favourite Websites of Disabled People was based on the preferences of over 100 disabled people who comprise the Charity’s established web testing panel. This pan-disability group regularly carry out accessibility testing checks on websites seeking advice from AbilityNet’s web accessibility consultancy services.
Government strategy
The Government’s recently published Digital Strategy acknowledges the evidence of a ‘digital divide’. This tendency to exclude is exemplified in the ‘barriers to accessibility’ exhibited by some websites preventing disabled people from benefiting from the ‘potential to improve quality of life’ offered by ICT and the internet.
The Strategy points out that websites, just like other suppliers of services or information, are required to take ‘reasonable steps’ to ensure accessibility under the provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act. Despite the legislation, however, cyberspace, it seems, can contain just as many obstacles as the physical world. A recent Disability Rights Commission investigation reveals that over 80% of sites fail to satisfy a base level of accessibility.
The Government also promises to ensure that all its websites and on-line services present no barriers to use for those with disabilities and in addition pledges to take a lead in promoting action and has endeavoured to raise awareness of this issue within the EU during its period of Presidency.
W3C/WAI
These guidelines, first published in May 1999, provide a framework for accessibility. There are over 65 individual W3C checkpoints arranged in three levels of compliance to test for and only about a third can be assessed for conformity by an automated tool such as Watchfire’s WebXact. A comprehensive series of manual and automated tools, including Bobby is employed by AbilityNet in carrying out its surveys.
About AbilityNet
AbilityNet is a charity that brings the benefits of computer technology to adults and children with all types of disabilities. Through its network of eleven centres, it offers a comprehensive range of services to disabled people, professionals, employers and statutory bodies. It provides free information and advice on any aspect of computer use by disabled people including individual assessment of technology needs, adapted computer equipment with full training and technical support, a programme of awareness education, and consultancy for employers on system and workstation adaptations, as well as website accessibility.
In 2004 AbilityNet supplied free advice and information to some 280,000 enquiries through its national freephone and web-based services. In addition, the charity's consultants saw nearly 3,000 disabled children and adults face-to-face for individual assessments, equipment, training sessions and home support visits.
In the same year, AbilityNet's professional education courses and seminars attracted around 5,000 staff from public, private and voluntary sector organisations, seeking to develop their awareness of adaptive technology for those with disabling conditions and learn practical solutions to apply in the workplace, at home or in education.
AbilityNet is dependent both nationally and locally on grants and donations from charitable trusts and companies, to carry out its work on behalf of disabled people and those who support them.
For further details check www.abilitynet.org.uk or call AbilityNet’s freephone helpline on: 0800 269545
Issued by:
Caroline Saint Freedman,AbilityNet Press Office
Tel: 01926 429595
Fax: 01926 407425
Email: AbilityNet Press Office
For more information:
- Email accessibility@AbilityNet.org.uk
- Phone 0800 269545
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