Accessibility (WCAG)
Accessibility and universal design have become important topics in recent years. At Vasser we strive to be among the best in class within this field.
What does universal design mean?
Universal design builds on the idea that services should be accessible to everyone, regardless of age, functional ability and level of education.
The focus is often on what is required and mandated by law. That is all well and good – but at its best, a focus on universal design is not just something that keeps you within the requirements, but something that leads to better design, broader accessibility, pride in your work, and ultimately increased profitability.
Accessibility requirements for websites
The most relevant requirements are the EU Web Accessibility Directive (WAD) and the WCAG standard.
In the Norwegian public sector the requirements are somewhat stricter than in the private sector: public sector follows WCAG 2.1, while the private sector is only required to meet WCAG 2.0.
From the Norwegian Authority for Universal Design of ICT: The public sector must follow 47 requirements (+ one requirement on audio description from 2024), while the private sector must follow 35 requirements.
The difference between universal design and inclusive design
Inclusive design is often mentioned in connection with universal design.
The image above shows two solutions, both universally designed and accounting for impaired mobility. Yet one is poorly designed, and the other elegantly solved. Solution number two is not only visually nicer – it is so well integrated into the whole that the people using it get the same enjoyment as every other visitor. That is inclusive design.
Inclusive design should always be pursued where possible, as it usually leads to better, more cohesive solutions.
What does accessibility mean for your website?
A website is of course a very different product from a physical building. Yet the principles are the same: the solution should be accessible and provide a good experience regardless of impairments.
Examples of improvement areas on websites:
- Keyboard navigation / focus order
- Font sizes and readability
- Colours and contrast
- Semantically correct code (for screen readers)
- Correct link markup
- Correct use of motion on the page (allowing reduced motion)
- Alternative text for images
- Search functions
- Page titles
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