Designing for Accessibility using Web Standards in Accessible Website Development
Our development philosophy is geared towards accessibility, whether it be consideration for impaired users or the tweaking of images, CSS or markup to develop faster loading accessible sites.
Both senior developers were administrative members of GAWDS - the Guild of Accessible Web Designers - where their duties involved vetting of websites submitted for appraisal as part of the membership application process and have considerable expertise in the field of accessible web development.
Accessible to All
Accessibility means offering up a web presence to as wide an audience as possible. It means retaining a similar level of satisfaction for surfers using 56k modems as those enjoying high-speed broadband connections; accommodating the 10 percent of our global population challenged by physical or cognitive impairments using assistive technologies to access the Web; developing for multiple browsers and devices like PDAs, cell phones, tablet PCs as well as mainstream desktop and portable computing. It means helping to make the Web accessible to all.
Well written tightly-coded pages spring onto the Web and into the browser window, ensuring surfers return, confident in the knowledge they can navigate quickly to the desired target page of your site.
Retro-fitting a site is far more challenging and time-consuming than getting it right in the first place.
Besides considerable savings on bandwidth - a measurable budgetary item where popular sites are concerned - accessible, standards-compliant sites are far easier to maintain, robust to emergent technologies, more visible in the search engines, more usable to customers and - with the DRC (Disability Rights Commission) casting its eyes about - compliant to disability legislation, especially now governments worldwide are adopting and enforcing accessibility legislation.
Better Customer Experience
Moreover, accessibility means not excluding visitors who might otherwise buy into the product or service. An accessible website illustrates courtesy and demonstrates an appreciable level of responsibility towards your customers' internet experience.
From a purely commercial perspective, accessible web development ensures greater revenue and kudos.
There are no wheelchairs in cyberspace but that does not mean we must continue developing with neglect; let's ramp-up development and make the Internet accessible to all.
Accessibility-Driven Development
All Enigma sites are developed with accessibility as the driving undercurrent motivating us to adapt, learn, apply and deliver the very best in accessible website development. As active participants on accessibility steering groups and standards bodies, we enjoy a responsible perspective towards delivering and adopting the latest and best practices of modern standards-compliant accessible development and thinking.
