Leading on from my accessibility audit, I have decided to write an accessibility statement for the TV Training application. Although I do not strictly need to do this at the prototyping stage, I am interested in the accessibility of digital technologies, which I may focus on in my next module, so feel that it could be an interesting exercise to complete.
Before this project, I was unaware of accessibility statements and their purpose, although my exploration into colour contrast ratios led me to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and the UK Government website. Handily, the UK Government website includes a template for writing an accessibility statement, which has notably been used by other developers of websites and mobile applications, such as the NHS (The UK Government, 2020; NHS, 2020).
From reading example accessibility statements, I can see that the information in an accessibility statement needs to be presented clearly and concisely, stating the features and limitations of the application concerning accessibility. The language is plain (including little terminology as to be more accessible to users), and directs users to contact the developer if they have further queries or suggestions.
As someone who makes use of accessibility features such as screen readers and dictation functionality, I can appreciate why the UK government is enforcing the need for accessibility statements in the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.
I have written the accessibility statement for the TV training application below. In part, I have not adjusted the UK Government’s template, as the wording relates to legalities, such as the “enforcement procedure” section. This document will also be placed on my portfolio with the most recent application prototype.
NHS (2020). Accessibility Statement – NHS website. [online] NHS.uk. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/accessibility-statement/.
The UK Government (2020). Sample Accessibility Statement (for a Fictional Public Sector website). [online] GOV.UK. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sample-accessibility-statement/sample-accessibility-statement-for-a-fictional-public-sector-website.
Full Accessibility Statement: