Accessibility Bulletin Week 44 – website accessibility is a global issue.

This week’s focus is on articles that are discussing the need to make websites accessible and shows that this is a topic that applies across multiple sectors and geographies.

As usual 5 of the best articles we have seen are listed below with summaries and links to the full articles:

• UK | The Internet Is for Everyone, Right? Not With a Screen Reader

  The visually impaired experience challenges navigating over 90% of websites. As retailers close stores in favour of online, this needs to be addressed

  A few weeks ago, Lucy Greco heard a story on NPR about more clothing retailers shuttering their stores and moving online. Oh, great, she thought, recalling some of her past experiences with online shopping: “You’re clicking on something that says, ‘graphic graphic graphic,’ or some numbered file name, or some gibberish like that.”

  https://www.wired.com/story/web-accessibility-blind-users-dominos/

• US | How to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act when communicating.

  An article from ACA International discusses how best to comply with the ADA when communicating with consumers.

  Congress and President George H.W. Bush enacted the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990 to ensure Teresa, James and the millions of other Americans with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as others.

  https://www.acainternational.org/news/from-collector-accessibility-from-every-angle

• AU | WCAG 2.1 - The Australian Network on Disability

  Over four million people in Australia have a disability, the Australian Network on Disability discusses the issues.

  Over two million people of working age in Australia have disability" The Australian Network on Disability (AND) is a national, membership based, for-purpose organisation that supports organisations to advance the inclusion of people with disability in all aspects of business.

  https://www.and.org.au/articles.php/36/global-web-accessibility-standards-have-officially-changed 

• UK | How charities can meet the digital accessibility standards?

  Charities are legally required to make their websites accessible – but most don’t. 

  Charities are legally responsible for meeting accessibility standards online, but most don’t. Digital accessibility expert Carlos Eriksson of Studio 24 explains what they can do to fix it, starting now.

  https://www.charitydigitalnews.co.uk/2019/06/20/how-charities-can-meet-the-new-digital-accessibility-standards/

• UK | Accessibility Across UK & IE Universities and Higher Education Establishments

  Sitemorse assesses the websites of UK and IE Universities and Higher Education Establishments every quarter and reports on their findings

  Each quarter Sitemorse assesses the main websites of nearly 350 UK & IE Universities and Higher Education Establishments for adherence to WCAG 2.1. Two universities, University of Derby and Herriot Watt University, achieved a score of 7 or greater (out of 10) for accessibility..”

  https://sitemorse.com/blog-article/9555/accessibility-across-uk-ie-universities-and-higher-education-establishments/  

  Report: https://sitemorse.com/media/uploads/he_son_01oct2019_released.pdf