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Home > Web Services > Resources > You are here Our news

DRC report says accessible websites are 35% more usable for all.

14 APRIL 2004

Over the last 12 months the DRC has been working with City University to review and evaluate 1000 UK websites across a range of industry sectors.  The report, ‘The Web: Access and Inclusion for Disabled People’ was published 14 April and is available at http://www.drc-gb.org/publicationsandreports/report.asp.

It‘s main finding was that 81% of all websites tested were inaccessible – i.e. do not comply with the highest priority guidelines from the world-standards body the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) – with most being difficult or impossible for people with disabilities to access.

Working with disabled individuals AbilityNet has long known about the difficulties disabled  visitors face when trying to access websites.

Our Web Accessibility Team has also long been aware that making your website accessible will mean that it is easier and quicker to use for every single visitor.  This has now been shown beyond doubt by the research undertaken by City University, and quantified at a staggering 35% (on average tasks took 52 seconds on inaccessible websites and only 32 seconds on accessible sites).

"Web developers need to use the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) guidelines as well as involve disabled users to ensure web sites are usable for these groups." says Helen Petrie of City University.

As well as offering an auditing service so you can see how your website complies with the WAI guidelines, AbilityNet can also do the usability testing found so vital by the DRC‘s research.

More information on our services:

• AbilityNet's full range of web accessibility and usability services
• An AbilityNet Web Accessibility Snapshot for only £500

More information on the DRC report:

• http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/04/14/websites_fail_disabled/.
• http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3629599.stm.

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For more information:

• Email accessibility@AbilityNet.org.uk
• Phone 0800 269545

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