The computing and disability charity evaluated 10 sites for both
usability and accessibility using a series of both manual checks
and automated tools. Not one of them achieved the minimum three
stars (on AbilityNet's five star scale) required to meet the needs
of visitors with a vision impairment, dyslexia or physical problem
making mouse use difficult.
All the sites reviewed were invited to make a public commitment
to accessibility and to date, Fortnum & Mason, Hotel Chocolat,
IwantOneOfThose.com and NeedAPrsent.com, have pledged to improve
standards. The remaining retailers, Amazon.co.uk, CD-Wow, Gadget
Shop, LastMinute.com, Toy Centre and Wine Online, did not
respond.
The results are broadly in line with findings from earlier
AbilityNet surveys into web sites operated by premiership football
clubs, leading airlines, newspapers, banks and supermarkets.
Robin Christopherson, AbilityNet's Web Consultancy Manager,
himself blind, said:
"It is illegal to bar disabled visitors from
on-line services offered to the general public. Whilst no
organisation would knowingly impose a 'technological lock-out' on
their disabled customers, it is clear that there is still much
scope for improvement."
Christopherson and his team encountered the same problems as in
previous studies.
Text size on some sites, particularly for headings and links is
'hard-coded' so that it cannot be easily enlarged – so vital for
many visitors who have a vision impairment. With some sites
offering small text and others carrying a watermark, effective
access for this group is made very difficult.
The text labels attached to images upon which blind visitors and
text browser users rely for an explanation are often uninformative
or completely absent. Without these spoken labels on graphical
links, navigation for a blind visitor is pure guesswork. "Imagine
trying to drive to your destination where exits at each junction
are left blank," said Christopherson.
Pictures of text are often used instead of actual text. This not
only means that the user cannot modify the text size or colour
contrast – essential for those with a vision impairment or dyslexia
– it also prevents screen reader users from reading the content
when – as so frequently happens – these images are left
unlabelled.
Some sites contain adverts and features made up of moving images
that will be distracting for visitors with a cognitive impairment,
or interactive presentations known as 'Flash Movies' which can
present access problems for visitors who cannot use a mouse, are
vision impaired or who use speech output or voice recognition
software.
Most of the sites are reliant on mini programs embedded in the
page called JavaScript. People using older browsers, those with
vision impairments using some special browsers and users whose
organisations disable JavaScript for security reasons, will not be
able to access the sites fully – links to the main sections do not
appear or the search and shopping cart facilities do not operate
fully.
These sites exclude a hugely valuable potential market
comprising 1.6 million vision impaired users, 1.5 million people
with cognitive difficulties, a further 3.4 million with
disabilities preventing them from using the standard keyboard,
screen and mouse set-up with ease, some 6 million with dyslexia and
many millions with literacy difficulties, not to mention the
increasing number of elderly 'silver surfers' with failing eyesight
or arthritis. The total spending power of this group is now
estimated at over £120 billion a year, according to AbilityNet.
When retailers are bemoaning tight profit margins and a lean
Christmas, they ignore this significant slice of the market at
their peril, said the charity.
Of the sites sampled, Amazon.co.uk, Hotel Chocolat and
NeedAPresent.com obtained a two star ranking and the rest obtained
a single star.
Christopherson added:
"At AbilityNet we subscribe to the opinion
that an organisation's web site can and should be accessible to the
broadest audience possible. Recently published research by The
Disability Rights Commission shows that able – bodied visitors also
benefit from accessible web sites, finding them easier and quicker
to use by a very significant factor of 35%, so the commercial
argument is overwhelming. When we seek information, services or
goods on-line, we are seeking critical functionality – namely speed
and efficiency – not a life-changing experience. Accessible sites
are simply easier and more intuitive to use: they improve
productivity for everyone."
Shuna Kennedy, AbilityNet's chief executive, added:
"The vision of an inclusive 'e-society'
depends on web site accessibility for everyone, whatever their
disability or the technology they employ. Cyberspace contains just
as many barriers to participation as the physical world, but this
need not be the case. With only 9% of web site developers claiming
any real understanding of access issues – we're asking for
commitment to change, supported by education and awareness."
Editor's Note: We are
conscious that the accessibility of OUT-LAW.COM is poor. This is
currently being addressed in a complete re-build of the site. We
would welcome your input, if you are willing to provide informal
comment on what you like or don't like as we move forward with our
design and development. If you'd like to learn more about how you
can participate, please e-mail me:
struan.robertson@out-law.com.
