Website accessibility is considered far more now than it was a decade ago. Many local business websites, including some of our own, were built when screen readers, keyboard navigation and the structure behind a website received far less attention. Those websites may still work well for most, while being difficult for others in a way the business owner would never see or even consider.
The World Health Organisation estimates that around one in six people worldwide experience significant disability. These are people within every town, industry and customer base. Sight and hearing can worsen with age. A person may have limited movement, dyslexia, difficulty concentrating or a temporary injury. The way somebody uses a website can change, but their need for the product, service or information doesn't.
A website is usually designed by sight, on a screen. A screen reader instead reads the content and the structure built behind it. That structure identifies the headings, which words are links, what a form box is asking for and whether an image carries useful information. If a page has been built to look right, but the structure behind it is poor, it can be read back as a jumble. A visitor may hear “click here” several times with no idea where each link leads, or reach an enquiry form whose boxes have no useful labels. The website may look fine to the business owner, while being very difficult for somebody else to use.
Much of this comes down to sensible website design and development. Headings should follow a clear order. Links should explain where they go, form boxes need proper labels, and menus and buttons should work with a keyboard as well as a mouse. Text needs to be readable against the background, important images need useful descriptions, videos need captions where sound carries meaning, and form errors should explain what needs correcting. These things help people using assistive technology, but also somebody reading in bright sunlight, using a phone with one hand or watching a video without sound. Often, a more accessible website is an easier website to use.
Accessibility Guidelines
The recognised guidance is the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, known as WCAG. It gives developers something consistent to work from. Local business owners don't need to know the technical detail; they need to know the basics have been considered, where problems may remain and what can reasonably be improved. Budgets, older content and third-party booking or payment systems can all set limitations. There is a big difference between a website not being perfect and accessibility not being considered.
Automated tests can identify missing descriptions, poor contrast and structural problems, but they cannot decide whether a description is useful or whether a page makes sense when read aloud. Accessibility needs technical checks, but it also needs human judgement.
Accessibility and Customer Service
The purpose of a local business website is to connect a company with a person. If that person cannot read the content, use the menu, fill in a form or find the telephone number, the website has worked against the reason it exists. Accessibility becomes part of customer service before any conversation has taken place. If you're unsure where your current website creates barriers, a review of speed and accessibility can identify the most important issues and where improvements would make the greatest difference. A website should help somebody to reach the business, not be the reason they give up.