DRC publishes report on Web site accessibility
Howard Lake | 14 April 2004 | News
The Disability Rights Commission (DRC) has published its report on government, business and voluntary sector Web sites and argues that many public Web sites are “impossible” for disabled people to use.
At the report’s publication the DRC issued a warning that many businesses may not be complying with existing equal access laws and it was “only a matter of time” before they faced legal challenge from disabled consumers.
Bert Massie, DRC Chairman, said: “Eight in 10 sites are next to impossible for some disabled people to use.”
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The DRC worked with the Centre for Human Computer Interaction Design at City University in London to examine a representative sample of 1,000 public Web sites. They found that 81% of Web sites (808) failed to meet minimum standards for disabled Web access. The survey also found that the average home page contains 108 barriers that make it impossible or very difficult for disabled people to use.
City University added that the research had highlighted examples of excellence in Web site accessibility. Significantly, two of the four sites mentioned were from the voluntary sector. The sites were Egg’s egg.com, Oxfam’s oxfam.org.uk, Spinal Injuries, Scotland’s sisonline.org, and the University of Manchester’s copac.ac.uk.
Professor of Human Computer Interaction Design at City University, Helen Petrie said: “The Spinal Injuries Scotland site highlights how an accessible Web site can be created on a small budget and still be lively and colourful.”
The 44-page report, “The Web: Access and Inclusion for Disabled People”, can be downloaded at no charge from the DRC’s Web site. It includes practical recommendations to help Web site owners and developers bring down the barriers to inclusive design.
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.