Did you know that all websites with the .gov extension must be AA compliant by the end of the year or the Government will withdraw the domain name?

Web accessibility is all about making your website accessible to all web users (whether they are disabled or not), and regardless of the technology they are using. 

Why is Accessibility Important?

Since 1st April 2006 it has been a legal requirement of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) that your website (or any web-based system) does not disadvantage any member of your organisation or member of the public who might be disabled.

When sites are correctly designed, developed and edited, all users should have equal access to information and functionality. The DDA applies to anyone providing a service; public, private and voluntary sectors.

Furthermore, the introduction of the Public Sector Disability Equality Duty (DED) in the Disability Act (2005), which expanded the original 1995 Act, has toughened the legislative framework.

What does ’AA‘ mean and is it DDA compliant?

There are three main standards outlined for accessibility that have been set by the W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI). These are; ’A‘, ’AA‘ and ’AAA‘. Sometimes these standards are referred to as Levels 1, 2 and 3 and they form part of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0.

These standards are not monitored and are simply guidelines so it is not uncommon for software suppliers to use the W3C compliance logos without full adherence to the standards.

Of the three standards, ’A‘ compliance is the most basic of the levels, offering the least accessibility, while ’AAA‘ offers the most accessibility to disabled groups.

With the increasing level of accessibility it often becomes more difficult to provide the visually rich interface that most web users have become accustomed to. Therefore both the Government and charity bodies consider ’AA‘ as the practical and commercial standard that organisations should work towards. 

What we do for you

At Odyssey Interactive we understand the issues around accessibility and our experienced professionals have the skills and expertise to help you deliver a truly accessible website compliant with the Guidelines as set out by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.

Please contact us for more information.