What is a website accessibility statement and do you need one? (Part 2 of 2)
Your perfect opportunity!
Do you want to be inclusive? Do you want to tell the world about it? Here is your perfect opportunity, through your website accessibility statement!
There is SO much misinformation about accessibility statements, I am not at all surprised that there are so many misunderstandings about them. Publicly funded organisations need to have them, to satisfy Government Guidelines. It does not help that these Government Guidelines are in themselves well-meaning but misguided.
The idea that fulfilling a narrow set of criteria is immediately going to make your website accessible and get you “off the hook” is just wrong and completely misses the point.
I see accessibility statements that have been copied and pasted from other websites that simply do not reflect the true accessibility of the website they appear on. I think there should be a different approach.
Start with saying sorry for messing up!
Unless your website has been designed by a web design agency that specialises in accessible websites, it safe to assume that there will be parts of your website that are inaccessible for disabled people. So why not start with an apology? An apology goes a long way to make people feel listened and understood, even if you cannot solve their issues.
Once you have done this, why not immediately offer an alternative way for disabled people to get the information they are looking for? This could be a priority phone line and / or a priority email address?
You do not need to replace a stairway with a ramp, just put them next to each other! This is all that you are doing, figuratively speaking, and it will speak volumes about your desire to be inclusive and reach out to disabled people, regardless of the accessibility issues there may be with your website.
Would you like to find out more?
My TEDxTalk on website accessibility has been watched over 22,000 times on the TEDx Channel! Please follow this link to watch it:
https://accessbydesign.uk/my-tedx-talk-on-website-accessibility-for-disabled-people-is-now-online/
If you would like to find out more about website accessibility, why now visit our website dedicated specifically to the subject? Please follow this link: https://accessibilityaudit.co.uk/
If you are interested in a free initial review of the accessibility of your website, why not book yourself in for a consultation? Please follow this link:
https://calendly.com/cliveloseby/accessibility-audit-free-initial-consultation
Clive Loseby
Access by Design. Accessible Websites, Beautifully Designed.
Outstanding Website Accessibility Audits
Award-winning web design, Chichester.
