Accessibility is a significant part of website development, but it often gets overlooked as many business owners know nothing about it. Having an accessible website developed will not only keep your business on the right side of the law, but will open it up to a whole new audience of visitors.

Developing websites that can be used by all

The Disability Discrimination Act, often referred to as DDA, is a law which was passed in 2006. The law's objective is to help people with disabilities by ensuring they receive equal rights. All websites need to be built to DDA standards so that people with impairments, such as poor eyesight, can access and enjoy the internet as much as the rest of the population.

It is now a legal requirement that all business websites in the UK comply with the Disability Discrimination Act. Meeting this law is something that needs to be considered at all stages of the website development process and is not something that can simply be bolted on at a later stage.

Why your business needs an accessible website

Aside from keeping your business in good stead with the law, there are other benefits to be had with an accessible website. To start, you will be opening your site up to a wider audience. If your competitors haven't bothered to consider DDA standards then any visually impaired surfers are more likely to find what they are looking for on your website and would probably be more inclined to work with your company.

Another benefit is that it can help with SEO. There have been many cases where the search engine rankings of a website have improved once accessibility standards had been met. Search engines seek to provide high quality search results to users, so are more likely to pick a site that all people can enjoy over one that is selective in its audience.

Accessible websites demand higher quality coding and thus you end up with a higher quality solution; this is achieved by adhering to the standards set out by governing bodies on the Internet. The search engines use automated bots to read your websites' contents. It is easier for these bots to read your content if the solution adheres to standards, thus an accessible website is easier for the search engine bots to read and index.

Designer Websites can bring accessible website development to your business

Let us start by performing a free-of-charge test on your existing website to see if it complies with the current DDA regulations. If it doesn't then we can give you a no obligation, no cost quote for bringing you in line with legislation and helping your business market itself better via the web.

Many website designers that are unable to develop sites that meet these guidelines will tell you that DDA compliance is not important. This could not be further from the truth — they simply use tools to generate websites and thus do not understand how to create a website to such high standards. All websites should be compliant with these regulations, not just because it's law, but because it makes good business sense and widens the audience for your business.

We have always strongly believed that every website should be built to very high standards and be cross browser compatible, by building this level of quality into every website that we develop we ensure that our clients get the best solution that they can get, whilst also meeting the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act for websites. Our sites are user friendly and open to all types of visitor, and have been long before it was a legal obligation to do so.

If you would like to understand the rules and implications of DDA compliance for your website, please visit the W3C website for more detail.

Let your business and your visitors enjoy the benefits of accessible website design. Call Designer Websites today on 0845 2726813 to discuss this further.