Web is for all. Just as with any other public utility web content access is viewed as required to be egalitarian and web accessibility is expected to recognize a wide range of users, which includes people with disabilities. With this aim to let people with varied range of abilities equally benefit from the internet, the World Wide Web Consortium or W3C has laid down Web Content Accessibility Guidelines or WCAG. The current edition of the guideline WCAG 2.0 is a robust, stable and easy-to-implement set of instructions intended to guide web developers and authors worldwide while designing a people friendly website and delivering intelligible content.
The goal of WCAG 2.0 is to provide unbiased access to users who could otherwise have difficulty using the tools designed for a fully abled human. As an example, a user with motor disability might find it difficult to use the mouse to navigate, in such instance the website has to mandatorily provide navigation system that uses only the keyboard. This also helps elderly people who can’t control the mouse precisely to navigate through a site.
Core Principles of WCAG 2.0
According to W3C website the WCAG guideline is organized around four principles.
- Perceivable – Information and user interface components must be presentable to users in ways they can perceive.
- Operable – User interface components and navigation must be operable.
- Understandable – Information and the operation of user interface must be understandable.
- Robust – Content must be robust enough that it can be interpreted reliably by a wide variety of user agents, including assistive technologies.
Ethics Meet Business Goals
Similar to wheelchair ramps in building design, content accessibility is ethically and legally binding for website developers and content providers on the web. However the legal mandate is eclipsed by commercial benefits of compliance to WCAG 2.0 which gives businesses right reasons to implement the guidelines in web design. If your business has a website it should be accessible to all the users. It should be noted that a considerable size of internet generation is ageing, along with the fact that 3-7 % of the web users are partially disabled. Hence it’s wise for website operators to consider accessibility for this group of users, it adds to website traffic and eliminates those avertable bounces.
A lot of disabled and elderly people prefer online shopping and use internet for many other services. When the website is not friendly for these users they might get put off. Digital reading and online learning is prevalent among the netizens, the portal or the platform needs to be accessible and user friendly for all kind or users. iPublishCentral Suite of products from Impelsys considers accessibility is for all and is designed to accommodate the elderly and disabled. iPublishCentral Ebooks the ebooks delivery platform for publishers and retailers is WCAG 2.0 compatible, meeting level “AA” of the guideline. Navigating and reading on iPublishCentral Ebooks portals and standalone readers is comfortable for all group of users as it meets W3C’s criteria for accessibility.
Implementation
There’s no need of extensive design overhaul to accommodate the Content Accessibility Guidelines recommended by WCAG 2.0. While it’s wise to implement the rules at the design stage some changes and additions like responsive design for mobile access, keyword navigation and using higher color contrast meet most of the recommended guidelines. However it’s recommended to refer to the guidelines provided in the W3C website.
For content providers who use third party tools like iPublishCentral Ebooks it’s advisable to keep the content simple and understandable, use higher color contrast, use alternative text for non-text content and keep the information structured. The platform meets WCAG 2.0 accessibility standard, it provides keyword navigation, text-to-speech conversion and meets other accessibility criteria.
Web content accessibility is more than providing access to the disabled. The concept also requires to provide consistent unhindered access to users across devices, browser types and various screen sizes. Supporting accessibility testing is good for businesses while it also helps the social credibility of an organization by allowing equal access to all. The goal of internet is to provide information and education without discrimination, WCAG guidelines which are robust and stable go a long way in upholding the philosophy of equal access, helping the users worldwide take most advantage of the web.
