What is Web Accessibility

The Internet is designed to work for all people, regardless of their hardware, software, language, location or ability. In order to fulfill this goal, services and content on the network must be accessible to people with various types of difficulties - hearing, motor, visual, cognitive, etc. In this way, the impact of disability changes radically on the Web because the Web removes the barriers to communication and interaction that many people face in the physical world. However, when websites, apps, technologies or tools are poorly designed, they can create barriers that turn people off from using the web.

Accessibility is essential for developers and organizations who want to create high-quality websites and web tools and not exclude users from using their products and services.

Web accessibility means that websites, tools and technologies are designed and developed so that people with disabilities can use them. Specifically, users can:

  • to perceive, understand, navigate and interact with the web
  • contribute new content to the web

Web accessibility covers all disabilities that affect web access, including:

  • hearsay
  • cognitive
  • neurological
  • engine
  • speech
  • visual

Web accessibility also benefits people without disabilities, for example:

  • people using mobile phones, smart watches, smart TVs and other devices with small screens, different input modes, etc.
  • elderly people with changing abilities due to aging
  • people with temporary disabilities such as a broken arm or lost glasses
  • people with situational limitations such as in bright sunlight or in an environment where they cannot hear audio
  • people using a slow internet connection or who have limited or expensive bandwidth

Accessibility is important for people, business, society

The web is an increasingly important resource in many aspects of life: education, work, government, commerce, healthcare, recreation, and more. It is essential that the web is accessible to ensure equal access and equal opportunities for people with different abilities. Access to information and communication technologies, including the Internet, is defined as a fundamental human right in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD).

The Internet offers the possibility of unprecedented access to information and interaction for many people with disabilities. This means that barriers to accessibility of print, audio and visual media can be overcome much more easily through web technologies.

Accessibility supports social inclusion for people with disabilities as well as others such as:

  • elderly people
  • people in rural areas
  • people in developing countries

Approaches to Ensuring Web Accessibility

Web accessibility depends on several components working together, including web technologies, web browsers and other "user agents," authoring tools, and websites.

The W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) develops technical specifications, guidelines, techniques, and supporting resources, which describe accessibility solutions. They are considered international standards for web accessibility; for example WCAG 2.0 is also an ISO standard: ISO/IEC 40500.

Evaluate Accessibility

When developing or redesigning a website, assess accessibility early and during the development process to identify accessibility issues early when they are easier to resolve. Simple steps, such as changing settings in a browser, can help you assess some aspects of accessibility. A comprehensive assessment to determine whether a website meets all accessibility guidelines requires more effort.

There are assessment tools to help with assessment. However, no tool alone can determine whether a site meets the GUI accessibility guidelines. Experienced human judgment is required to determine whether a site is accessible.