Website Accessibility Overview

Websites should be designed and developed so that all people can access them, no matter what their circumstances. This page provides an introduction to planning and developing accessible websites. It also provides links to more in-depth content for people wishing to learn more.

The first step in creating accessible sites is to consider the types of users. Some will use websites in different ways than most users would. The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) defines these user groups as having at least one of following characteristics:

 

1. They may not be able to see, hear, move, or may not be able to process some types of information easily or at all
2. They may have difficulty reading or comprehending text
3. They may not have or be able to use a keyboard or mouse
4. They may have a text-only screen, a small screen, or a slow Internet connection
5. They may not speak or understand fluently the language in which the document is written
6. They may be in a situation where their eyes, ears, or hands are busy or interfered with (e.g., driving to work, working in a loud environment, etc.)
7. They may have an early version of a browser, a different browser entirely, a voice browser, or a different operating system than the site was designed for

 

In 1999 W3C launched the first set of guidelines for site designers and developers to help them better meet the needs of all website users.

 

The most recent version was released in December 2008.