Making your digital product accessible means making sure that it can be used by as many people as possible – including those with disabilities. One in five people in the UK have a disability or impairment and an inaccessible digital product can create a barrier that excludes them, leaving them dependent on others. All public sector bodies have a legal obligation, under the Equality Act 2010, to make their digital services accessible, but lowering the risk of legal action is not the only driver. Alongside legality, inclusion and ‘doing the right thing’ it also makes good brand and commercial sense: why exclude a percentage of your potential customers by creating a barrier?
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Our Accessibility Audit is based around the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), the single shared standard for web content accessibility that meets the needs of individuals, organisations, and governments internationally. The first step is a session to understand which level of compliance is right for you: these range from Level A (basic) to Level AA (intermediate – widely considered to be a practical best practice benchmark) to level AAA (advanced). If you require formal accreditation we will plan that in as part of the roadmap for improvement. Our experts will conduct a detailed analysis of the interface against the +50 standards, using manual testing and automated testing tools where appropriate. The review will include recommendations for fixing any ‘Fails’ identified and examples of best practice where appropriate.
A senior UX Consultant will conduct the review. Our consultants have a deep knowledge of accessibility best practices, and a background in conducting accessibility reviews. They will not have been involved in creating the service being reviewed so will bring a fresh perspective and independent view.