Accessibility

In the UK alone, an estimated 2 million people are registered as blind or visually impaired and a further 4 million have arm or hand difficulties. For these people using inaccessable sites will be difficult. Sites that do not match accessibility guidelines will unwittingly turn potential users away.

Graphic Alliance has developed a tried and tested three-stage process to ensure our clients' websites adhere to W3C accessibility guidelines. Firstly, a clear ‘website architecture’ will ensure that the content is well presented at all times. Secondly, the content will be governed by an intuitive navigation system. Thirdly the online tools and functions will enable screen readers to access the website’s content.

All our designers, web developers and programmers are aware of the recent changes to the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, implemented in October 2004. They work to directives that ensure accessibility is considered at all stages of the design process. We review and amend design concepts for accessibility while developers and programmers have checklists to check the pages and code, and the pages are then reviewed for quality assurance.

Understandably, making a site truly accessible ensures that it caters for all users.

To ensure a website is easy to access and navigate, Graphic Alliance applies strict principles of information design. Strict typographic rules (e.g. font sizes and the relationship between the headings and body copy) will help guide the eye of the user throughout the site. Visual signposts (iconography, graphics, imagery) will also serve to break up any large amounts of information and make it easy to digest. Using information design principles helps create a website that not only looks memorable but works at a practical level.