DRC web investigation - websites 'impossible' for disabled

14 Apr 2004

  • Tweet this item
  • share this item on Linkedin

DRC web investigation finds many public websites ‘impossible’ for disabled people to use

Many disabled people find it impossible to book a holiday, open a bank account or buy theatre tickets online, an investigation by the Disability Rights Commission (DRC) into web access will reveal today.

And at the conclusion of the first comprehensive investigation into the user friendliness of websites - covering Government, business, leisure, web services and e-commerce websites - the DRC issued a stern warning that swathes of businesses may not be complying with existing equal access laws and it was ‘only a matter of time’ before they faced legal challenge from disabled consumers.

The study also revealed high levels of ignorance among web developers over both the steps required and the costs of making their websites accessible for disabled people.

The DRC’s report contains 15 key recommendations aimed at Government, the web industry, business and disability organisations.

Speaking today at the launch of the investigation’s findings, Bert Massie, DRC Chairman, said:

“The situation revealed by this investigation is unacceptable but not inevitable. The DRC is determined to ensure that this new powerful technology does not leave disabled people behind.”

With the Centre for Human Computer Interaction Design at London’s City University, the DRC looked at a representative sample of 1,000 public websites. Among these, 100 sites were subjected to in depth evaluation by a disabled users group who had a range of physical impairment. Researchers also canvassed the views of more than 700 businesses that had commissioned websites and nearly 400 website developers.

Automated software tools - used to test whether the sample sites complied with voluntary web access guidelines set by the World Wide Web Consortium - revealed that 81% of websites (808) failed to meet minimum standards for disabled web access. The survey also found that the average home page contains 108 barriers that make it impossible or very difficult for disabled people to use.

The evaluation of 100 websites by the disabled user group revealed that because of poor accessibility over a quarter of the most routine and straightforward online tasks could not be completed successfully. Blind people were the most disenfranchised of web users, the survey found. They were unable to perform nearly half the tasks set them despite using devices such as screen readers.

In the same study, the DRC found that levels of accessibility expertise amongst website developers were low with only 9% claiming any expertise in access. Only 9% of developers had used disabled people to test their sites.

Speaking at the launch, Mr Massie said:

“Eight in 10 sites are next to impossible for some disabled people to use – that means no last minute holidays, cheaper car insurance or lower rates of interest on credit cards. It also means a technological lock out from chat rooms and web forums, from recruitment opportunities that are increasingly happening through the web, and education and information services that have had an increased profile.”

“The web has been around for 10 years, yet within this short space of time it has managed to throw up the same hurdles to access and participation by disabled people as the physical world. But it is an environment that could be made more accommodating to disabled people at a relatively modest expense.”

Mr Massie concluded:

“Organisations that offer goods and services over the web already have a legal duty to make their websites accessible to disabled people. Our investigation contains a range of recommendations to help website owners and developers bring down the barriers to inclusive design. But where the response is inadequate, the industry should be prepared for disabled people to use the law to make the web a less hostile place.”
Ends

 

The World Wide Web Consortium is an Internet industry co-operative which provides a set of voluntary guidelines to help web designers make sites accessible. Sites are ranked level A, AA, AAA according to their accessibility, with A being the lowest level of compliance.

The DRC’s research considered sites across five sectors: Government and official information; business; e-commerce; entertainment and leisure and web services, such as search engines, discussion boards, portals and internet service providers.

Problems commonly cited by disabled people using the web were cluttered and complex page structures, confusing and disorienting navigation mechanisms, failure to describe images, inappropriate use of colours and poor contrast between content and background.

The Disability Rights Commission is an independent statutory body responsible for advising Government on the effectiveness of disability discrimination legislation and in promoting good practice in the public and private sectors aimed at bringing about equality of opportunity and increased participation of Britain’s 8.6 million disabled people. The DRC is empowered by law to conduct formal investigations which meet these aims.

The DRC is led by 15 Commissioners, ten of whom are disabled. The DRC has offices in Scotland, Wales, Manchester and London.

The Centre for Human Computer Interaction Design is a research centre within City University. It specialises in the relationships between people and technology and has particular expertise on the design and evaluation of technologies for disabled and older people.