Accessibility

sonet web provides fully customised website accessibility design and several web accessibility options. We are based in Bournemouth, Dorset, and work with companies throughout the UK to develop and redevelop websites in order to be compliant with the Government guidelines on website accessibility which come into force on the 1st October 2004.

Core services for website accessibility are:

• Website accessibility design and content optimisation
• Website accessibility testing
• Provision of various web accessibility options
• Compliance to standards and guidelines including CynthiaSays, Bobby, WCAG 1.0, W3C, Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) and Article 508 (US)
• Accessible websites using Content Management Systems

The Disability Discrimination Act of 1995 (DDA) states that all services - including web services and internal IT systems - should be made accessible to members of the public. The W3C, the standards governing body of the World Wide Web, has laid down guidelines to ensure website accessibility for the visually impaired and hard of hearing through the Web Accessibility Initiave (WAI) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) - currently version 1.0.

By discriminating against visually impaired individuals website owners are exposing themselves to possible lawsuits and legal action. Several large website owners have already settled out of court rather than risk a costly ruling. Although not a UK legal case, the Sydney Olympics website did result in a costly lawsuit.

If your website is not fully accessible it also prevents an important sector of the market from visiting your website and viewing your products and information. 20% of people in the UK have some form of disability according to figures released by the W3C.

A Fresh Approach

The government, in association with the Disability Rights Commission (DRC), has started to put a framework in place that will ensure website accessibility to the contents of the World Wide Web for people with disabilities, as detailed in the Disability Discrimination Act. Therefore, in future, the way that websites are built will need to change. sonet web implements accessibility options and builds accessible websites for companies throughout England and the UK which comply with these guidelines.

Essentially, those with a disability will need to be considered, with changes to the way that websites are produced. For example, each element of a website page will require a basic written description.

sonet web builds websites which satisfy the Government's requirements for web accessibility design. We will also comply with the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) guidelines for accessibility at WCAG 1.0 Level-A (accessibility options which must be implemented) and advise whether levels Double-A ( should be implemented) and Triple-A ( may be implemented) need to be applied. We will discuss with you the appropriate level of compliance for your website and will design and build it to this level.

To read more inforamtion Accessibility see the article here: Web Accessibility Explained

compatibility

Standards

We have heard it said that "anyone can build a web page - so why do I need you?". Well anyone can build a web page but few do it well or within the legal guidelines for web accessibility design.

Every page on this website complies with the HTML 4.01 standard. In other words anyone who has bought a computer in the last 4 years can view any page we build. We apply this level of skill to your website too.

You can click on the following link to check the compliance of this page.

We also ensure that your website incorporates features to the appropriate level of compliance to accessibility standards. The pages on this website comply with the W3C WCAG 1.0 guidelines to Level-A. If you click on the Accessibility Options link at the top of every page you can choose a version which complies to the Triple-A conformance level.