Web accessibility and web usability: what's the relationship and why does it matter?
In May 1999, the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative published the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines to help web designers create websites that are accessible to everyone, regardless of ability/disability, technology or circumstance.
Since that time, many accessible sites have been created in accordance with the guidelines. On closer inspection however, while some of these sites are technically accessible, they are not always easy to use.
Are accessibility and usability different? Are accessible websites automatically usable, or must designers also following guidelines additional guidelines to ensure usability? These are just some of the questions that were considered at this event.
The general consensus was that a usable website wasn't automatically accessible and vice versa Julie Howell of the RNIB described accessibility as a technical discipline whereas usability helps measure the effectiveness of a site. It was put forward that accessibility increases usability, as it increases the likelihood that a site will perform well, with fewer problems. If a user can’t actually access the site it doesn’t matter how usable it is.
The argument against creating ever more sophisticated assistive technology was expense. If a user has special equipment to adapt an application, for example a screen reader on a website, this technology should not require upgrading too often due to the enormous cost to the user.
The argument was put forward: should all sites be accessible? 'What about a high-tech skateboarding site, surely that wouldn’t need to be accessible for all?'
The answer was unanimous – it does need to be accessible Peter Bosher (Soundlinks) pointed out that his son is a keen skateboarder that had been pestering his dad for the latest skateboard for Christmas. Peter wanted to research the cost and the safety of the skateboards and thus as a potential purchaser the company would be loosing a customer by not being accessible. A wider perception of accessibility and usability was called for and a business like attitude to it.
Catriona Campbell of The Usability Company responded with an emphatic 'no'. She said, "If you research your user requirements well you should find that everyone doesn't want the same thing. The web experience should be delivered in the way the users want." A customized interface would be more efficient and inherently more usable than a generic one.
Mark Phillips (Tesco.com) explained the rationale behind the approach the company has taken in providing two web interfaces for their online shopping service. 'Tesco.com' features visual cues that enable sighted customers to place their order and 'check out' as quickly as possible. The interface features heavy use of JavaScript and frames to enable this. However, frames and JavaScript can pose problems for the technology used by some disabled customers, so the company also offers 'Tesco.com/access', a separate interface that uses neither JavaScript nor frames. As Mark explained, "Tesco's objective is to create the best user experience for everyone and also to offer a service that is inclusive. The two interfaces offer the same functionality."
Dave Roberts of IBM offered another perspective: "Bring back the design frontier away from the media of any one audience. Design for an abstract media and then take that forward to each of the audiences."
When asked how the event might shape future RNIB campaigning, Howell responded, "It is becoming clear that adopting the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative Web Content Accessibility Guidelines is not enough to ensure that visually impaired people will be able to make full use of a website. The inclusion of users with disabilities at every stage of the design testing cycle would seem to be the ideal way to ensure that any resulting website is both fully accessible to and usable by people with disabilities."
The RNIB will be running a free Web accessibility tour 2002, from the 19th July to the 14th August, which is likely to be at a place near you. Visit the RNIB website for more information.
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