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Accessibility and Usability is a core philosophy
Reading Room has had the development of accessible sites and usable systems at its core since its formation in November 1996. Our skills and expertise in this area have been confirmed by the Disability Rights Commission's (DRC) appointment of Reading Room as their web development partner. Part III of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) makes it unlawful for a service provider to treat disabled people less favourably for a reason related to their disability.
Meeting the guidelines
Reading Room employs its own accessibility experts who can carry out a comprehensive audit of sites to identify which key areas need to be addressed. Throughout the design and development of a website project, our experts ensure that design and functionality continue to comply with accessibility and usability guidelines.
The guidelines that we follow will vary according to individual client requirements; these guidelines include W3C, RNIB, Bobby, eGIF, NOF and Dublin Core standards. Recent examples where we have applied these guidelines include: the DRC, Shelter, Cancer Research UK, The People's Network, Resource, The British Library and The Reading Maze.
Access for all makes good business sense
As well as meeting an organisation's legal and social responsibility to achieve an accessible site, experience has shown us several other business benefits can be derived from creating a site that can be accessed by all. It will also improve Search Engine rankings, allow all users to find what they want as quickly as possible, increase the value of the content, expand the market and reduce the need for ongoing site maintenance. The bottom line is that an accessible site will not only reduce costs, it will also increase revenues.
Ultimately, by thinking about developing an accessible site up front, we are able to provide a multitude of options to deliver a truly creative offering to users. In a competitive market we believe creativity is both required and expected in order to make a site accessible without losing any of its appeal.
To speak to one of our accessibility experts or to find out about our accessibility audits please call us on 020 7025 1800 or click here for more information.
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