Online services on the internet can be tricky to navigate, even at the best of times. For people with disabilities that use assisstive technology to access the web they can sometimes be impossible.
There are laws in the UK that mean shops and public places have too be made accessible to disabled people. Household bills and government correspondence be made available in various formats, such as braille, audio and large print. A company wouldn't dream of creating, for example, one of their stores inaccessible to people in wheelchairs, just to follow a trend or incorporate certain design features. So why is the web no following suit?
The Internet is becoming ubiquitous in everyday life, especially with the advent of mobile access to the world wide web. Many online services, such as travel web booking sites and online shopping has concentrated to much on the look of their design and interactive content that they haven't taken into account accessibility, or alternative versions for the disabled.
The RNIB "Online Services Project" in conjunction with "Fix the Web" is challenging the most popular and worst offenders with the aim of making them change their online services available to all. They are encouraging people to report and sites that have caused people problems when trying to access with screen readers or magnifiction software. They want to make the web's top 50 online services accessible to the blind and partially sighted.
If you know of an inaccessible web service and would like the RNIB to challenge the company or organisation into creating a more level playing field for all, visit the RNIB "Online Services Project" page to find out more.
Sunday, 24 July 2011
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