Web Usability Blog

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) is considered the benchmark for good digital accessibility. With an objective list of testable success criteria in place, you would assume that it would be easy to review a website against these guidelines and improve the accessibility of the digital world. However, the subjectivity of how these guidelines are interpreted can cause challenges.  

The new 2.2 Web Content Accessibility Guideline (WCAG 2.2) is on its way!

WCAG 2.2 has been a working draft since 2021. It is likely to be the official recommended version from December 2022. These changes aim to improve accessibility for people with low vision, cognitive and learning disabilities, resulting in a better overall experience and a more accessible site.

Firstly, hello! My name is Alice, I joined the Web Usability team at the start of July as the new Recruitment and Marketing Executive. My background is predominantly customer service based so the world of user experience (UX) is completely new to me. With no prior knowledge of UX, what better way to learn than to dive in and watch a week of user research!  

The use of biometrics is becoming increasingly prevalent in our modern lives. 

You’ve just launched your new website. Congratulations! You followed all the UX best practice, engaged with users throughout the development process and have ended up with a beautiful, shiny, user-centred result.

Digital accessibility is now a priority for lots of businesses. For many, this is driven by a genuine desire to offer an inclusive service. For some, however, while the moral intent may be there, the real driving force is a legal one.

In the UK, more stringent regulations have meant public sector organisations, in particular, have had to step up their game. While in the US, a rise in litigation has got more people focused on the importance of accessibility compliance.

So what are the legal requirements to make your website accessible?

A successful website relies on more than just the people in the digital team. Marketing, product, policy and many other departments will have a role to play.

On 23^rd September 2020 all public sector websites should be accessible to users with disabilities. But why is this important and how can you achieve accessibility?

We have been conducting interviews for a new staff member and when given the opportunity to ask questions at the end, many have turned the spotlight back on us: “What is your favourite thing about your job?”.

A study by the Office of National Statistics found that internet non-users, i.e. people who haven’t used the internet in the last 3 months, accounted for 10% of the UK population or 5.3 million adults. That’s a lot of people!