Web Accessibility Training

Web accessibility for technological limitations

This background reading is relevant to all University of Exeter web editors, and describes various situations that can be alleviated by web accessibility practices.

The specifics of how to implement these practices are not covered here. Web editors using University-supported web editing platforms will cover that material as part of their training.

For further details, please refer to supported and unsupported web editing platforms.

Overview

UK web accessibility legislation recognises that people around the world access the web via a variety of devices, and that internet connectivity, speed and bandwidth are limited by available infrastructure and economic circumstance.

The regulations seek to limit, as far as possible, any disadvantage caused by the type and quality of technological access that someone has.

This means that all web content within regulatory scope must satisfy all of the following:

  1. The content must work on all of the following:
    • Desktop computers
    • Laptops
    • Tablets
    • Mobile phones with internet access
  2. The content must work on all browsers for the devices in point 1 (but see our browser and assistive technology policy).
  3. The content must work on assistive technologies used by people with disabilities (but see our browser and assistive technology policy).
  4. A satisfactory form of the content must work on devices with low bandwidth. This can mean an alternative reduced-data version of some content.

Browser and assistive technology policy

Older versions of browsers and assistive technologies may not deliver ideal versions of web content but where this is the case, access to the message of the content (i.e. its meaning) should not be compromised. This may mean providing the content two forms, one of which is in an alternative, simplified format.

However, significantly older versions of these technologies may not deliver web content – even as a simplified format – in a way which is compliant with current regulatory criteria, even if the website is correctly coded, due to known faults with those older browsers.

In addition, technologies that have not been updated, even recently, may have security vulnerabilities.

We therefore strongly recommend that all users update to the latest stable version of their browser or assistive technology, wherever possible.