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The W3C is the World Wide Web Consortium. They have provided specifications & guidelines for how websites should be coded since 1994. One of the goals of this organisation is to help establish standardised coding so that all websites will look and work the same on all browsers.

One area of paramount concern is the area of website accessibility for people who have limited access to technology and/or reduced mobility, standard body functions or cognitive skills due to disability. The "Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)" was created as a team within the W3C to address this issue.

The Guidelines

The 'Accessibility Guidelines' are a set of ever-evolving draft rules that have been established to ensure that websites are coded in such a way as to make the content available to all users, including those with technological limitations, or physical or mental disabilities.

The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA)

Recent changes in legislation in the UK regarding the Disability Discrimination Act mean that companies are now required by law to develop their websites to the W3C Accessibility standard. Although not yet enforced in many sectors of the market, many companies have chosen to follow the guidelines.

Accessibility Compliant Website Development
and Freedom Web Design

Freedom Web Design are happy to provide the service of W3C Accessibility Compliant website design upto single A (Priority 1) standard to clients, and offers it as a free service option during the development of your website. For the development of an Accessibility Compliant website above single A (priority 1) standard, additional charges will apply. Please contact us for further information.

Accessibility Checkpoints

The W3C Accessibility Guidelines are broken down into 3 levels, called Priority 1, Priority 2 & Priority 3. Each level is increasingly more strict in terms how a site must be coded in order to comply with the guidelines. Compliance to each of these levels is often shown on a website with logos showing A, AA, AAA, as follows:

level
description
Single A
Shows compliance with all priority 1 checkpoints of the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. This is the lowest level of conformance.
Double A (AA)
Shows compliance with all priority 1 and priority 2 checkpoints of the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. This is the mid level of conformance.
Triple A (AAA)
Shows compliance with all priority 1, 2 and priority 3 checkpoints of the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. This is the highest level of conformance.

If you would like further information relating to W3C Accessibility Guidelines and how it may have an impact on your current website, or are interested in having a website designed which complies with current accessibility guidelines then please, contact us