Member Article

Top UK travel websites assessed for accessibility compliance – how did they fare?

When people talk about “accessibility” in the travel sector, they often mean that the hotel allows for wheelchairs or some other physical aspect. However, it is just as important for websites to be accessible as well. In response to this, Nomensa, a strategic UX design agency, have today announced the release of an accessibility whitepaper for the travel industry. Analysing and testing a cross-section of travel websites with the sole aim of showing issues unique to the travel and tourism industry, the purpose of the whitepaper is to highlight where improvements could be made to make the web more accessible for people with disabilities.

The paper, the first in a series to be published by Nomensa will highlight the issues people face and the practical steps that may be taken to improve accessibility. It will discuss and recommend how websites can exceed the basic compliance that the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) lay out, and meet the needs of real people.

Alastair Campbell, Director of Accessibility for Nomensa commented, “In the midst of digital advancement, accessibility is very like usability, a little knowledge and testing go a long way. Doing regular accessibility testing ensures that high standards are maintained, and putting accessibility high on your organisation’s agenda can increase customer satisfaction, generate more revenue, improve brand loyalty and give you a competitive advantage. This paper is designed to highlight issues unique to the travel and tourism industry and show where improvements could be made for people with a registered disability”.

The UK’s 11.9 million disabled people are reported to have a disposable income collectively worth £80bn, highlighting specifically that disabled people are a sizeable economic force and should not be forgotten. All recommendations within the paper suggest improvements in website accessibility issues and impress that by improving the site visitor experience for people with disabilities, to include but not limited to visually, motor, auditory and cognitive impaired visitors, as a business you could directly benefit from this spending power.

Dealing with accessibility concerns could be discriminatory for the purposes of the 2010 Equality Act, it is these very issues that Nomensa aim to highlight and to advise upon within their ‘Improving Travel Website Accessibility’ whitepaper. With over a decade of experience helping large organisations deal with accessibility issues, it is only a matter of wanting to change, none of the issues discovered in the research would be difficult to rectify.

Since its foundation more than a decade ago, Nomensa has become one of the most successful in the industry, placing accessibility at the core of their business. They are trusted by their clients, respected by their contemporaries, and recognised for their contribution to the accessibility profession. As W3C members Nomensa regularly contribute to the guidelines and standards used throughout the industry. Their participation in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines working groups puts them at the cutting edge of accessible standards development and a trusted partner for advice on digital accessibility.

To download the full whitepaper for free please visit the Nomensa website at http://www.nomensa.com/insights/improving-travel-website-accessibility or alternatively to have a copy emailed to you directly or for further information on accessibility please email marketing@nomensa.com.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Catherine Vaughan .