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The Do's and Don'ts of website compliance

August 2008

Website accessibility, standards and compliance - the buzz words of the web development world. But what are the standards, how do you become accessible and compliant?

The Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) has been developed to provide guidelines and standards for websites to adhere to, in order not to discriminate against users with disabilities.

So how do you comply? Well unfortunately, a lot of the work will have to be carried out by qualified and experienced web designers. However, below is a breakdown of the main do's and don'ts of accessibility, so you know what you are asking for.

Do

  • Stick to html and xhtml standards - this will ensure that content is delivered consistently across all web browsers, screen readers, search engines and other devices used to access web pages.
  • Keep the content in plain and simple English, explain any abbreviations you use and avoid slang and jargon.
  • Use Alt tags on all images. This ensures visually impaired users have an alternative to visual images.
  • Provide an accessible alternative to images, video clips, flash animation and music.
  • Provide a clear navigation mechanism. If using flash or java navigation the website should provide an accessible alternative for users without this technology.

Don't

  • Rely on colour - not everyone sees colours the same. When using multiple colours they should be significantly contrasting, especially where text is concerned. Don't use colour alone as a means of highlighting text, try bold as well.
  • Try not to use tables for layout purposes as tables can obscure content. Tables should be used to display tabular information only. If a design requires a table layout the markup needs to be coded in such a way as to make plain its purpose.
  • Don't include any mystery-meat content, users should never be surprised by content unexpectedly popping up from no-where. Make sure all links accurately describe where they are going.
  • Don't use frames. Some screen readers, some search engines and even some browsers have problems with them.
  • Don't use scripting as a means of updating content or embedded scripts, as screen-readers find this hard to use.

Whilst no one has yet been prosecuted for an inaccessible website, it is only a matter of time. So anyone thinking of getting a website or redesigning their existing one, would be wise to include the basics of accessibility.

But it's not just people with disabilities that you will help. By complying with these standards you will help all users and also search engines to view your site more effectively. This often means improved web statistics and search engine rankings.

So you've read the article and realised you need to do something about this. The easy thing to do is to get in touch. Our expert website designer has experience in creating websites that are fully compliant with the WAI, and is constantly in touch with new developments.

Smart Monkey Marketing offer a web accessibility reporting package. For this we will conduct a review of your website and provide you with a report highlighting areas of concern and action points on how to make your site more accessible. We will quote for carrying out the necessary work, and if you decide to go ahead, we will deduct the cost of the initial report.

Get in touch on 0845 688 4497 or info@smartmonkeymarketing.co.uk to find out more or visit our website accessibility reporting page.

More technical information for web designers can be found on the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) website.