Technology

RNIB campaign for good web design

Summary: There are two million people with sight problems in the UK - can they use your website?

Get the message online

Request our report: 'Get the message online: making internet shopping accessible to blind and partially sighted people'. The report is available in print and other formats from RNIB Customer Services (cservices@rnib.org.uk), priced £5.00. For a free electronic version of the report please email Julie Howell (julie.howell@rnib.org.uk).

Thousands of blind and partially sighted people in the UK are now using the internet to find an enormous amount of information and to use services that were previously unavailable to them, such as online shopping and banking, timetable information, sports results, news, TV and radio listings, etc. An ordinary computer can be equipped with synthesised speech output or braille display technology to enable people who can't see the computer screen easily to use the internet either through sound or by touch. This new technology has the potential to revolutionise the lives of visually impaired people, who until now have been forced to rely on other people for information.

However, the technology visually impaired people relies on good web site coding, and will only work properly if web pages are written in correct HTML (hypertext mark-up language). Blind people find many websites unusable because the coding falls below an acceptable standard. RNIB feels this is unacceptable. In some cases, it may also be unlawful.

Campaign aims

  • Companies to recognise that the discrimination created through inaccessible websites is unacceptable and unnecessary. RNIB urges all companies to take the necessary steps to improve the design of their online services.
  • Web designers to take responsibility to ensure everyone, regardless of ability or disability, can read their designs. RNIB recommends use of WAI's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. See our Web Access Centre for tools and resources needed to plan, build and test accessible websites.
  • Companies who have websites or who are planning to launch them, to recognise the needs of blind and partially sighted customers. Failing to do so conflicts with the Disability Discrimination Act. RNIB calls on companies to write 'a requirement for accessibility' into design briefs when putting a contract for their web site design out to tender.
  • RNIB urges blind and partially sighted people to contact organisations whose websites are inaccessible and raise the issue of accessibility directly.

Contact us

We are always keen to hear about examples of good or bad practice. Email Julie Howell, Campaigns Officer (Accessible Internet) at Julie.Howell@rnib.org.uk

Julie Howell is available as a conference speaker on the subject of RNIB's Campaign for Good Web Design.

Related links

Content author: julie.howell@rnib.org.uk

Last updated: 08/04/2008 18:38

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Your stories

Diane's story - Diane Clark, 47, was diagnosed with diabetes in her teens and with diabetic retinopathy when she was 25. She received regular treatment and eye tests. “I missed one appointment. This resulted in me losing more of my sight than I would have done if I'd have gone. If you have diabetes then you simply can’t afford to miss having a regular eye test.” Open Your Eyes campaign