Accessibility for All

The internet is a vast mine of information and a lot of people tend to take it for granted. Looking up a particular fact or downloading a piece of music has become a part of everyday life. For the two million blind or visually impaired people in the UK, this can be more difficult.

For the visually impaired, the internet can be a powerful tool. Home shopping is particularly suitable for someone who finds it difficult to manage on a busy street and many people use the internet for support and to meet and chat with people in a similar situation. All websites should therefore be accessible to everybody, regardless of disability.

The Equality Act (EQA) of 2010 replaced the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) of 1995. The EQA provided more clarity on internet accessibility for the disabled, as the DDA was passed when the internet was in its relatively early stages and nobody knew the rate at which it would grow. Amongst other things, the EQA prohibits discrimination by providers of goods, services and facilities. Whilst not mentioning websites specifically, the consensus is that a web-based service bears little difference to a more traditional one and is therefore subject to the same rules.

Every commercial website must meet certain design standards or they could face prosecution. The Royal National Institute for Blind People (RNIB) recently sued two website owners for their inacces­sibility: in both instances the case was settled out of court. The websites in question were not named by the RNIB. It seems to be only a matter of time before there is a more high-profile case regarding the non-compliance of anti-discrimination laws.

Brickweb are fully conversant with the laws surrounding discrimination and work hard to make sure our clients get the best from their website. Custom web design allows for an array of features such as audio description or narration of a website and highly visible, easily navigable options. As the premier digital agency in Lancashire, our services will ensure your website complies fully with the law. For further information and advice, please contact a member of our dedicated team.

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