Global Accessibility Awareness Day

That’s what we do. But there’s so much more that goes on behind the scenes here at RHE Global.

Our team of developers, testers and user-experience experts work diligently to improve functionality, experience and accessibility. 

It may be well known already that digital accessibility is there to support disabilities, but it is also there for people with temporary illnesses (e.g. a broken arm) older people, even people with English as a second language.

A matter of best practice for us, and also part of regulatory requirements, digital accessibility for our users is central to our ethos. We know that all our customers have different needs, and accessibility benefits all of them.

What we do.

So, we consider accessibility at the start of every project and try always to keep the following in mind:

Is the layout responsive? A responsive layout that works on a number of different devices (such as screens, laptops, tablets and phones) means the user can view all information clearly and content will fit the screen on whatever device they’re using.

Have we tested text and colour combinations? The use of colour and positioning can have an impact on how customers with a visual impairment or colour vision deficiency view our content; for example, text may be easier to read if placed on a background of darker colour.

Alternative routes: Have we provided an alternative route for the customer? Is there an option to ‘skip to the main content links’, and is there a logical route around the site if the user is navigating the page via their keyboard?

Is the use of an image functional? If so, is there ‘alt text’ so that screen readers can pick up the wording and read a description of the image to anyone who may have a visual impairment? Is there the option also to remove all images from the page if this helps the user to view the information?

Are there any ‘in text’ links? This is where we need to ensure the link text identifies where the user will go when it is selected. This supports screen reader users and also keyboard users, and does not simply read ‘click here’.

What Next?

Technology is ever evolving, so we are always looking at ways we can improve accessibility and the user experience for everyone.

If you want to discuss the digital accessibility of any of our products or websites, please get in touch. We’d love to hear from you.